M1887/14 Bread Bag dated 1915 and issued to the Imperial German Guard

A very good M1887/14 Bread Bag dated 1915 and issued to the Imperial German Guard Army Korps and manufactured in the grey heavy-duty canvas first introduced in late 1914 . It is absolutely complete and undamaged with all the leather work remaining pliable. The leather has also retained its original issue brown colour, this so often subsequently darkened.

Superbly marked, first there is a “KBAG” 1915 marking for issue to the elite Guard Army Korps in that year, then a letter “f”, and then a marking for the 19th German Army Korps.

The letter ”f” marking is nice to see, it indicates the Bread Bag has been taken in for a depot repair at some time and then released for “feld”, or “field use”. Had it been repaired and then sent to the rear it would have been marked with the letter “g”. The presence of the letter “f” is indisputable evidence this a trench used item.

The only possible repair I can find is a very light one, it would appear that during the war one of the leather closing straps must have come loose as the stitching holding this has been reinforced with extra machine stitching at the outside of the flap.  

Upon its release for the field the Bread Bag was then used by a soldier in the 19th German Army Korps, with that marking then applied.

Both the Guard Army Korps and the 19th Army Korps fought the entire war on the Western Front.

An archetypal combat used item to an elite unit.