Poland
Polish ML gas mask kit
Manufacturer: Faser SA, Poland
Model: ML
Country: Poland
Year: 1969
Size: 2 (medium)
Production run: 1954 until at least 1969
Issued to: Civilians
Issued by: Ministry of National Defense/Inspectorate of Universal Self-defense
Price: 11.75 free shipping
Condition: Good - unissued - slight rusting around the eye pieces.
Availability: Rare
Source:
Shipped from: UK
Look what came through the post today! An unissued Polish ML gas mask kit no less.
Not a model designation I was familiar with and not a model often seen on ebay. For the measly sum of £11.75 I was now in possesion of a rare polish gas mask and a potential collectors piece in the making.
I had bought this mask from my usual trusted ebay dealer who occasionally uncovers a warehouse of rarities when he is back home in his native Poland. He never ceases to amaze when it comes to obscure polish militaria, unearthing crates of surplus which is often much better quality and more scarce than their soviet counterparts.
As for his discovery of these MLs he gets a huge thumbs up from me. There is no way I could obtain one of these kits if it wasn't for his store, i'm sure of that.
I probably wouldn't have even heard about the ML!
It looks a little familiar?
Those with a sharp eye will notice the resemblance between the ML and the popular Soviet GP-4 and GP-4U. This is no coincidence of course as the poles were under communist administration for decades and would adopt a few designs for themselves.
The ML is more closely related to the original GP-4 but has a slightly longer rubber hose. With this exception the polish ML is a 100% 1:1 clone.
What do we know about the Polish ML?
Surprisingly very little! The ML was primarily issued civilians by way of the Inspectorate of Universal self-defense, an agency within the Polish ministry of national defense. It was manufactured by Faser in Poland and that's about all I know!
The history of the soviet GP-4 is more widely known and the general concensus is that the GP-4 was first designed in russia in 1949 and was issued to civilians and army reservists. Production of the soviet GP-4 ended in the early 1960s when it was replaced by the ubiquitous GP-5.
Thats all very nice but it doesn't explain the history of the Polish version. As this mask was produced in 1969 its safe to say that the poles continued to produce this mask long after the soviets had finished with it. The Poles never took the GP-5 design from the russians (as they already had the OM-14) so the need to replace the mask in the early 1960s was not required. This is all guess work you understand. Information will be added here if and when I get any!
The Face piece
The ML and GP-4 feature a fixed hose inhale/exhale system.
A 40mm standard hose is taped up permanently on the inhale valve whilst a larger metal chamber sits below and acts as the exhale system.
The air hose is standard fare with nothing really of interest to mention but the exhale piece stands out a little more. It's the usual Soviet double exhale valve system except that this one is much larger than the one on the GP-5 for instance.
I doubt if there is any advantage to the size of the valve except that the amount of air that can be exhaled is greater?!
The inside of the face piece is as basic as they come.
There are no fog eliminating Tissot tubes or an inner nasal cup meaning there is a strong possibility the mask will fog up when worn.
Thankfully a set of anti-fog stickers should do the trick if that happens. Unfortunately this kit does not come with any but any standard soviet round eye stickers will do. Really easy to find on eBay.
The ML is made from a single piece of green rubber with an elasticated rear harness.
The rubber is actually quite thick and doesn't show any signs of perishing or ageing considering its getting on for 50 years old.
The ML features the same kind of round eye pieces as many other Soviet masks since the second world war. These were standardised presumably to keep the costs down. The eye pieces on the ML are made from glass with a stainless steel rim and are prone to rust. The polish OM-14 and MUA masks would use Zinc alloy instead making them more resilient.
The rear harness system is basically a collection of elasticated straps mounted on a rubber strip and then at various fixing points on the mask. Adjustment is made via metal buckles on each point. It's basic and crude but it seems to work.
The Filter
What is there to say about the filter other than it's a standard polish made E0-14 large can. Together with the mask it was made under licence by Faser SA in Poland.
This E0-14 is in very good condition with no signs of rust or dents. It's a good piece for display purposes.
Like other green coloured E0-14s it was designed to protect the user from NBC level nasties like chemicals and nuclear fall out dust etc. This particular filter has long since expired so its debatable if would still work properly today.
⚠⚠Does this filter contain Asbestos?!⚠⚠
Did the polish still use Asbestos in the late 1960s? I wouldn't like to speculate.
Based on what is known about the regular Soviet E0-14s it almost certainly does. Best not to use it. Display only.
The Haversack
Standard canvas bag
The haversack included with this kit is made from a standard cotton/canvas material and designed to carry the larger filter canisters.
This style of carrier is found elsewhere within the warsaw pact but this one is different because it is brown in colour.
It has the the typical button fastening on the top flap and has the standard two pocket configuration inside.
One pocket holds the mask and hose and the other pocket holds the filter. As this mask is designed to the used with the haversack, two small pieces of wood are sewn into the bottom of the filter pocket to help keep it raised off the bottom of the bag when being used. This prevents the filter air intake from getting blocked by the bag material.
Wooden lifter blocks on the filter side
The Haversack/carrier features a shoulder strap and waist tie to secure it firmly to the body. The last thing you want is your bag flying around everywhere when your running away from a dangerous situation!
The Instruction Booklet
An instruction manual is always a welcome addition to any gas mask kit.
Often lost to to the mists of time (more likely chucked away) these booklets demonstrate the workings of the mask as they should be. If the manual is missing and you want to learn more then you are at the mercy of the internet and all its speculations.
Fortunately this ML kit came with the original paperwork and in good condition too.
These days we have Google translate to help with the polish wording so it wasn't long before I understood what this mask was all about.
To a collector I think the instruction manual is handy to have.
All written in polish of course
yep, more polish stuff - get me google translate
Donning and Doffing
Fine tuning the fit is also easy, just pull each strap until its feels tight against the face. what could go wrong? Once the face piece is comfortable on the face its just a case of throwing the haversack over your shoulder, throwing the filter into the pocket and hook up the hose.
In an emergency situation I cant image it taking any longer than 30 secs to get the whole apparatus on. A bonus in the nuclear age!
Taking the mask off again is a simple affair. Just unhook the filter inside the haversack and pull the mask from back to front over the head or in other words the reverse of the donning process.
Overall I quite like this mask. Its looks, its 1950's cold war style, its price and its potential as a collectors piece in the future.
Rating: 4 out of 5 ✅✅✅✅
The original GP-4 style of mask wasn't very good from a technical standpoint but as a creepy looking costume or reenactment prop its brilliant.
This Polish ML clone is quite rare on the collectors market whereas the Soviet versions are ten a penny at the moment with the market being saturated so grabbing an ML at the earliest opportunity is a must! I won't be selling this mask any time soon.