Here is an item that I recently discovered in a local flea market. It appears to be a Dutch M1915 knapsack. The Dutch war ministry strmp is clearly visible, along with the date, 1924, and a maker's mark. It is really in quite good shape for its age, although it is not a very durable piece of kit to begin with. If not for the hours I spent studying Robert Fisch's book Field Equipment of the Infantry, 1914-1945 as a boy, I might have passed this over as a boy scout pack. These sometimes turn up in photos of the 1940 campaign, although I think they might have been obsolescent by then.
How did such an obscure item find its way to a flea market in southern Ontario? Well, after 1945, many Dutch families arrived in this part of Canada to start farms, and most of them continue to or three generations later. I suspect that an immigrant must have brought it over after the war, and perhaps it was recently sold at an estate sale or yard sale. In any case, I was very happy to find it!
How did such an obscure item find its way to a flea market in southern Ontario? Well, after 1945, many Dutch families arrived in this part of Canada to start farms, and most of them continue to or three generations later. I suspect that an immigrant must have brought it over after the war, and perhaps it was recently sold at an estate sale or yard sale. In any case, I was very happy to find it!