FATRA FM 1 serie  Civil defense mask, about 1937/38


The pre-war Fatra FM 1 serie of masks is a excellent exemple of the very advanced state of art of the Czech gas masks design and rubber industries. 

The advanced design and a compex moulding process of these masks allows them to be very close to the wearer’s face enabling to have a small dead space in the mask, all masks of this serie include twin Tissot vents. 

This first model of FM 1 masks seems to be a pre-serie, and has not frontpiece. but only a 42 mm dia.fitting on which the filter is screwed

The exhale valve is directly mounted on the rubber facepiece enclosed into a metallic cover.The six-point head harness is tightened by means of buckles moulded on the facepiece.

Outside and inside view of the mask showing the valve mounting, on the mask displayed the valve cover is missing.

 

 

All the following Fatra FM 1 masks are an improvement of the precedently described  model by addition of a metallic or plastic frontpiece including the filter screwing and the exhalation valve housing.
Fatra FM 1 a

                                		The Fatra FM 1 a has a metallic light alloy front piece with a steel exhalation valve cover, the filter connection is slightly bended to the bottom and located at the top of the frontpiece

 

Fatra FM 1 b

The Fatra FM 1 b has a similar design frontpiece as the FM 1 but made of  Bakelite plastic, the valve cover is a screwed Bakelite cap with Fatra marking.The rubber facepiece is stockinett covered.

 

 

 

Fatra FM 1 d



The Fatra FM 1 d  has a similar Bakelite front piece, but the filter connection is not bended, allowing to mount all models of filter, some too large filter top diameter inhibiting the complete screwing on the FM 1 b, because they was touching against the exhale valve cover. The Bakelite exhale valve cover, with Fatra marking  is fastened by means of two steel clips.

 

All these three FM 1 masks has the same rubber facepiece moulding, including twin Tissot vents. The eyepices are made of Triplex glass and tightened on the mask by means of light alloy pressed rings. The six-point head harness is fastened on the facepiece by means of rivets, adjusting buckles and elastic straps.
Fatra FM 1c

The Fatra FM 1c has a totally different frontpiece arrangment, the filter screwing is at the bottom of the frontpiece, the exhale valve housing is located at the top with the same  screwed Bakelite cover as on the FM1 b.

 

All the Fatra FM 1 serie of masks has been made with 42 mm filter screwing, according with the French pre WW II standards.Many of them have been sold to France, because the lack of French masks for the civil protection. The French manufacturers had not the industrial potential to produce some 20 or 30 milions of masks.Many models of Czechoslovakian  filters, Chema, Eckhardt, Plyma, etc…has equiped the masks sold to France.As for France, after the annexation of the Czechoslovakia and the begening of the war, the Germany, by lack of equipment for civilian military industrial duties, has used some Fatra masks.