This is an original WW2-era British industrial respirator set manufactured by Siebe Gorman & Co. Ltd, housed in its original “Puretha” carrying case. Siebe Gorman was one of Britain’s most important manufacturers of breathing apparatus and respiratory equipment, supplying diving gear, mine rescue apparatus, industrial respirators, and specialist gas protection equipment throughout the early and mid-20th century. The company marketed a range of respirators under the “Puretha” name during the interwar and wartime period, intended primarily for industrial environments where protection from toxic gases or fumes was required. The set consists of a rubber respirator facepiece fitted with a flexible breathing hose which connects to a chest-mounted filter canister carried in its webbing holder. This hose-fed arrangement was typical of heavier duty respirators designed for prolonged work in contaminated atmospheres, allowing the filter to be carried away from the face and reducing strain on the mask itself. The filter canister retains its original label, which lists protection against gases such as phosgene, chlorine, bromine and phosphine — substances commonly encountered in industrial chemical environments and also associated with wartime gas defence. Respirators of this type were used by industrial workers, chemical plant personnel, mine rescue teams, and specialist emergency services. Equipment from manufacturers such as Siebe Gorman was also utilised by Civil Defence and industrial response teams during the WW2 period. While different in design to the familiar civilian respirators issued to the public, equipment such as this formed part of the wider world of WW2 gas protection and respiratory equipment used by specialist personnel working in hazardous environments. The respirator is housed in its original Siebe Gorman “Puretha” fibreboard carrying case, which retains its internal label and metal fittings. Cases of this style were designed to protect respirator equipment during storage and transport and were commonly supplied with industrial respiratory sets of the late pre-war and wartime era. Earlier respirator cases were often made from leather or heavy canvas, while fibreboard examples such as this became more common during the late 1930s and wartime period. The mask itself also supports a wartime date. It does not bear the yellow Siebe Gorman stamp on the forehead that is commonly associated with later post-war replacement facepieces produced after supplies of Mk V masks began to run out. The absence of this marking suggests this is an original wartime facepiece rather than a later replacement. The case shows honest wear consistent with age and use. The internal label has taken the brunt of this wear, and there is also wear to the handle along with minor damage to one of the corner pieces (see photos). The mask itself is in overall very good condition, with supple rubber, a flexible hose, and a filter canister that remains in good order and retains a 1940s fill date label. The only notable issue is age-related cracking to the rear head harness, which is extremely common with respirators of this type. Overall this is a very interesting example of British respiratory protection equipment from the late pre-war or WW2 period, produced by one of the most important and recognisable manufacturers in the field. Sets of this type illustrate the wider world of wartime gas protection beyond the familiar civilian respirators, representing the equipment used by workers and specialists who might be required to operate in hazardous or contaminated environments.
