ORIG EXC+ 1942-1943-1944 US ARMY WW2 CANTEEN SET COVER, CANTEEN, CUP "MADE RITE"

Description

This is an original early to mid-WWII canteen set in excellent+ to near mint condition. The set consists of a 1942-dated canteen cover manufactured by the "Made-Rite" company, a  scarce maker, a 1943-dated M1910 aluminum canteen cup made by the M.A. Company, and an M1910-style aluminum canteen made by A.G.M. in 1944. This is an original set that was used together in WWII.  ************** The cover is khaki cotton canvas, with blackened brass "lift the dot" snap closures. The lift-the-dot snaps are maker marked with the words "STAR PULL," and a star symbol between the words. The belt hook, for the M1910 or M1923 pistol belt or cartridge belt, is blackened brass. The front of the cover is stamped "U.S.," the inside of one of the flaps is stamped with the manufacturer and date, "MADE RITE L. G. CO. 1942." This stamp indicates that the cover was made by the Made Rite Leather Goods Company of Baltimore, Maryland. This is a very rare maker. Made Rite manufactured tents and canteen covers for the U.S. Army in WWII, the company's contracts for canteen covers totaled less than ,000, so not many were made by them relative to other manufacturers. The front of the cover is reinforcement-stitched with khaki cotton thread.  The canteen cover is lined with gray wool felt, this is intact and undamaged.  *********** The canteen is aluminum, made in two pieces with a welded vertical seam up the side. This is the M1910 canteen type. The lid is plastic or bakelite, attached to the canteen with a galvanized steel chain. The canteen lid has its original cork (a bit rare, these are usually missing because the cork would shrink over time and fall out of the lid). The canteen is stamped on the side with "US A.G.M. CO. 1944."  The AGM Co. is the "Aluminum Goods Company" of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The company later was renamed the "Mirro" company. It closed in 2003. A.G.M. made a variety of goods for the US Army in WWII, including meat cans ("mess kits"), canteens, canteen cups, and cartridge casings. The cup is aluminum with a rolled rim (M1910 model), it has a galvanized steel handle. The cup is stamped on the handle with "M.A. CO. 1943," indicating that it was made by the Massillon Aluminum Company of Massillon, Ohio. The cup was made under a contract with the U.S. Army for ,000 worth of canteen cups, issued in November of 1942 and fulfilled in May of 1943.  **********  The canteen cover is in excellent condition, it shows soiling but snaps and belt hook in fine functional shape. The cover was never washed, the maker's mark and U.S. stamp are clear and the cover has nice, deep khaki color. The dark gray wool felt insulation inside is in fine shape. There are no rips or tears other than a separation of the belt hook tab from the back of the canteen, where there is a small tear. There are no other names or writing on the canteen cover. The aluminum canteen is in excellent condition, very lightly used, with no dings or dents, just some slight wear from the snaps of the canteen cover and the where the cup contacted it. The bottom of the canteen shows some darkening/oxidation, apparently from contact with the cup while in storage over about the past 76 years or so. The stamp on the back is legible, and the canteen lid has its original cork. The cup is in near mint condition, shows very little wear, the galvanized handle has darkened with age but is not rusted. There are no dents or dings, nothing scratched or written on it. Inside shows some darkening from contact with the canteen. *********** This canteen set overall is in excellent+ condtion, it shows use, but it was used very lightly. A nice original mid-WWII canteen and cover set, this is exactly the type used by US Army infantry troops and paratroopers during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France in 1944, and used in all theaters of operations involving the US Army. It is a very sound and serviceable canteen cover, displays nicely, and is a great example of the M1910 dismounted canteen cover (see last photo), M1910 canteen cup, and M1910-style canteen with plastic lid.
******* I can ship worldwide. Free shipping to a US address.  Non-US buyers pay exact shipping costs only.