![]() ![]() There is no definitive answer as to why these black rubber variants exist, though I do have a theory. Cow in February 1943, and the filter was produced by 'BW&M Ltd' (Barringer, Wallis & Manners Ltd) in October 1942. The flutter valve was manufactured by P.B. It was manufactured by 'L&BR Co' (Leyland & Birmingham Rubber) in November 1942. The mask I have just received is not Canadian, but British. While the Canadians did produce a variation of this mask in black rubber, this is not one of those masks. I have two of these in my collection, one with the arsenic pre-filter attached, and one without. The vast majority of these masks were produced using red rubber, to decrease the 'fear factor' among the children they were intended for. This was kindly funded by Museums Galleries Scotland and allows us to better our Museum collection by making the gas masks we have in our possession safe for public viewing and for staff who work with the objects.Another addition to my collection of British civilian masks, this one a very rare variation of the C2 'Mickey Mouse' respirator. These two gas masks were made safe by a professional from Kadec Asbestos Management with some of the other gas masks we had kept in the Museums store cupboard. It is likely that the pump didnt push enought air into the mask and the babies came close to suffocating, luckily this was never put to the test. There were also reports that during demonstrations babies fell asleep and became unnaturally still inside the masks. Many paretn doubted these masks as they were very skeptical about putting their child in a completey air tight mask. These gas masks were fitted with an asbestos filter which absorbed poisonous gas, attached to this was a rubber tube with a handle which was used to pump air into the mask which would be used by the child’s parent or any other adult present. These gas masks were tied securely which made it air-tight, and had a big visor so that the child could see out of it. These gas masks were issued to every child up to 2 years old in 1938 when all citizens were issued a gas mask in the event of an outbreak of war. On display with the Childs Mickey Mouse gas mask is a gas mask for babies which is designed to cover the top half of the child and strap around them like a nappy which allows means only their legs are exposed. 10 million of these masks were made and distributed in 1938 in the event of the outbreak of war. Kids were sometimes told to wear the masks in class while they were at school, presumably to get the children more used to wearing them so they wouldn’t struggle or refuse to put them on in the event of a gas attack. ![]() Children were asked to keep their masks within reach at all times, which meant they had to take them to school stored in a box with string on it to go over the child’s shoulder, they also had to keep them next to their bed at night and when they were doing general activities in the event of a sudden German gas attack. ![]() These masks were desinged to look like Mickey Mouse to appeal more to children and to encourage them to wear them. One of the gas masks which we have on display within the Museum is a kids Mickey Mouse gas mask from WW2. ![]()
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