French Appareil Filtrant Marine 34
The French Appareil Filtrant Marine 34 used a metal facepiece with two round lenses made of triplex glass. It had a central speech diaphragm and an exhale valve at the chin. Right above the eyes was an inlet attached to a hose leading to the filter, which was held in place by a clip fixed to the head harness. The Model 39 helmet included with this setup had a slit in the back for the filter clip to pass through. The A.F.M. 34 was used by the French navy, as the filter placement allowed for swimming while wearing the mask.
The civilian version of this mask, sold as Appareil L.M.B., was identical to the navy mask but did not include a helmet. The original hoses on these masks have disintegrated and been replaced with a modified Soviet hose. These examples were made by Luchaire in 1935 and 1937.
Appareil Filtrant Marine = "Marine Filtering Device"
L.M.B. = ?
Similar masks in my collection: N/A
Manufacturer stamp on cheek "LMB AGR 1505 Ets LUCHAIRE"
Date stamps on cheek "2823-(?)" "3-38" "338"
Size stamp on cheek "P.T."
Filter stamps bottom view "C.38-1733" "118 39"
Name etched on helmet "COLBERT"
Stamps on metal box lid "Ets. LUCHAIRE" "LMB AGR 1505" "PT" "2-38" "487"
Instructions inside box lid
Metal box stamp bottom view "LU 37"
Stamp on cheek 244
Exhale valve cover
Speech diaphragm inside mask
Metal box size stamp top view "TO"
Instructions inside box lid
Metal box stamp bottom view "LU 35"
Metal boxes open with masks
Metal boxes open with masks