M31 Canteen Cup in Plastic

This cup, known in German service terminology as the Trinkbecher, belongs to the Feldflasche 31 system, the standard German canteen introduced on 23 March 1931. Its shape was specifically designed to nest over the lower part of the M31 canteen, reducing bulk and allowing the cup and bottle to be carried together as a compact field set. As such, it formed part of the ordinary personal equipment issued to German troops.  

Early M31 cups were made of aluminum, but wartime production pressures changed material choices. As aluminum became increasingly valuable for more critical military applications, canteen cups began to be produced in bakelite, commonly described today as plastic, and later also in steel. The black bakelite version therefore represents a clear example of German wartime material substitution and manufacturing economy.  

In practical terms, the plastic M31 cup retained the same essential purpose as the earlier metal examples: it provided the soldier with a lightweight drinking vessel directly associated with the canteen. Original period examples are typically found in black bakelite; some are maker marked or dated, while others show no visible markings, which is also documented on surviving originals.  

Although small and simple, this component reflects a broader story of German military equipment development during the Second World War. The M31 plastic canteen cup illustrates the transition from earlier, more metal-intensive production to later wartime forms shaped by shortages, industrial adaptation, and the practical demands of mass field issue. For that reason, it is a modest but historically meaningful item within the study of Wehrmacht equipment.