BACKGROUND: With the advent of military aircraft in WWI most of the early pilots soon discovered that appropriate protective clothing and equipment items were a necessity due to the cold and the all too frequent occurrence of oil leaking into the slipstream and covering the pilot. Originally the German military, along with other nations, were caught unprepared and no specific clothing and equipment items for pilots were available. This resulted in the pilots utilizing commercially produced items such as motor car helmets, assorted goggles, gloves, scarves, etc. Another concern, that was originally, at least partially overlooked, was the availability of a sufficient oxygen supply for high altitude flights. Generally, due to the maximum heights reached with manned balloons and pre-WWI and early WWI aircraft the supply of oxygen was not considered as a major concern, but some forward looking researchers realized the eventual importance of oxygen supply systems. The earliest attempts at providing an oxygen supply for airborne personnel was carried out by assorted nations with simplistic, oxygen filled, flask type containers with "pipe-stem", styled breathing tubes and separate nose clips, that were intended for balloonist personnel. In 1909 the German firm of Heinrich und Bernhard Dräger, (Drägerwerke), who had already produced oxygen supply systems for deep-sea divers, miners and firefighters, developed a pressurized, gaseous, oxygen supply system, based on their earlier deep-sea diving systems, that was designed specifically for Zeppelin aircrews. The Dräger system consisted of a gaseous, oxygen supply, stored in pressurized containers, connected by a hose to a celluloid face mask, (Type A), that fitted over the wearer’s nose to supply the required oxygen. The mask proved unpopular and wasn’t very efficient which lead to the development of a full face mask, (Type, B). The Type B mask, while more efficient still proved to be unpopular and most aircrew preferred the simpler, "pipe-stem" type of system. Before the end of WWI the Ahrend und Heylandt firm developed a liquid gas system in order to reduced the space and weight of the earlier pressurized, gaseous oxygen system. The Ahrend und Heylandt system utilized both the face mask and the "stem-pipe" oxygen transfer supply, although the "pipe-stem" system still was the more popular of the two. With the loss of WWI and the resulting restrictions imposed on the Germans by the Treaty of Versailles which prohibited a German air-force, the Germans were hampered in their attempts to develop new, more proficient, oxygen systems and masks for their aircraft. In an attempt to relieve the situation in 1925 the Germans experimented with their first demand type regulators and utilized medical oxygen masks. Although the demand regulators were suitable the medical masks proved to be relatively unacceptable with poor fit with the flight helmets and poor air sealing capabilities. In the early 1930's the Drägerwerke firm developed a couple of new, improved oxygen feed systems utilizing the more popular, "pipe-stem" style idea but both had problems with the exhaled breath freezing up and restricting airflow. By 1935 the demand type regulators and numerous styles of oxygen masks were fully developed and mass produced and most of these styles of oxygen masks were utilized through-out the war with minor modifications. During WWII the Luftwaffe, (Air-Force), utilized no fewer then ten, slightly different, models of oxygen masks with the main modifications being the two or three point attachment layout and different inhale and exhale systems. The Auer HM10-67 oxygen mask was adopted in late 1937 or early 1938 and was primarily utilized by bomber aircrew personnel. The HM10-67 underwent a few minor modifications through-out the war. Of Note: Although there were numerous firms producing oxygen masks for the Germans during WWII the Drägerwerke and Auer firms were the two, primary, producers. Also Of Note: In 1938 the "RLM", Reichs Luftfahrt Ministerium, (National Ministry of Aviation), established required specifications for all aircraft dashboard instruments and assigned a specific contract/requisition numeral to each specific instrument. The Luftwaffe also assigned the contract/requisition numerals to the flight helmets, integral flight helmet communications equipment and the oxygen masks.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The unique, contoured shaped, HM10-67 model oxygen mask features a molded, green rubber construction face piece designed to fit snugly over the mouth and nose with a glued and machine stitched on, extended, contoured tan kid leather panel designed to fit snugly on the lower cheeks and under the chin. The forward, "snout" portion of the face piece has two small, integral, raised, "buttons" positioned centrally, about the bridge of the nose, designed to secure the two point, attachment strap. The dual "buttons" allowed for different placement of the attachment strap for a proper fit. The separate, removable, attachment strap consists of a horizontally ribbed, green canvas center piece with a single stitched eyelet to the center, dual, green fabric covered, magnetic spring end pieces and green painted alloy fittings. The center piece of the strap has a sliding, alloy fit adjustment buckle to each side and the fabric covered spring end sections each have machine stitched, looped ends which secure a green painted alloy" D" ring. The straps central "button" eyelet would be slipped on the appropriate molded rubber "button" on the face piece while the alloy "D" rings would be inserted onto metal hooks positioned on either side of the flight helmet. The top edge of the face piece has an additional, small, tan, canvas strap machine stitched to the center with a machine stitched, looped end which secures a green painted alloy hook. The hook was designed to be inserted through a small metal loop positioned on the top center of the flight helmet. The exterior of the mask is well marked with the embossed manufacturer’s name and model, "Auer 10-67", and the size, "Gr. 1", (size 1, small?). The exterior of the contoured tan kid leather panel has an unknown, faint, purple inkstamped numeral, "419322". The bottom edge of the face piece has a circular port with an inserted, horizontally, corrugated, extended, molded black rubber breathing tube with natural alloy and brass fittings. The fittings include a tooled, contoured, ribbed brass attachment port designed to fit onto the oxygen supply feed equipment and a natural alloy friction clip designed to secure the breathing hose to the wearer’s flight suit. The alloy friction clip is marked with the embossed initials, "AB", presumably indicating Auer Berlin. The interior of the face piece has a molded, black bakelite inhale valve and a small exhale port positioned around the inhale tube. The inhale valve is well marked with an unknown, embossed numeral, "92432", the initials, "AB" and additional illegible markings. All the components are in overall very good condition with minor age and usage toning and the rubber is surprisingly still pliable and supple. Seldom encountered flight oxygen mask.