Unknown Coat of Arms on No. 15 Transit Chest

(Also posted in Vintage Military Gear forum--hope this is OK)

Just bought an original No. 15 Transit Chest out of Canada that has a severely damaged large paper label glued to the exterior lid, which I assume is a postwar and possibly civilian addition. The label includes this crest, which I cannot identify using Google Image Search. Anybody know what it's for?

Attachment 139702

Based on the standard contents label inside the lid, I believe this is a 1944 chest:

(19964) 43183* 9055 10,000 1/44 K.H.K. Gp. 8/8.

* Probably correct, but possibly 45183

(Also posted in Enfield forum--hope this is OK)

Just bought an original No. 15 Transit Chest out of Canada that has a severely damaged large paper label glued to the exterior lid, which I assume is a postwar and possibly civilian addition. The label includes this crest, which I cannot identify using Google Image Search. Anybody know what it's for?

Attachment 139702

Based on the standard contents label inside the lid, I believe this is a 1944 chest:

(19964) 43183* 9055 10,000 1/44 K.H.K. Gp. 8/8.

* Probably correct, but possibly 45183

I don't think that's a military crest, it looks like a logo for a hunting club.

Could be. No writing or printing is visible on what remains of the paper label.

Founded in faith, Dante Deo is Latin for 'giving to God'.

Can't help with the crest either, I'm afraid, although I suspect Sapper 740 is probably not far wide of the mark; a hunting organisation, or some sort of historic arms society, maybe.

However, re the origins of your chest; makers generally stamped their initials & the year of manufacture into the wood at one or other end; have a look at the ends; it's usually stamped into the edge near the bottom, though can vary a bit. Also, after decades of hard use & several coats of paint, it isn't always easy to make it out. Well worth a look, though.

Roger that (no pun intended...well, maybe it was since I'm a lifelong smartass...which it turns out was not as much of an asset as you might think during my eight years in the Pentagon!).

I can clearly make out the 1944 embossed on the end, but with at least three coats of badly flaking paint the manufacturer's initials are not easily visible. Too bad, because the other end of the chest is in MUCH better condition.

I think I can make out an O or 0, then what appears to be a blank space covered in caked paint, then a three letter grouping (illegible-R-H), then what appears to be a blank space covered in caked paint, then an E. It's possible the E is an artifact in the wood grain, but it's the same size as the R & H and sure looks like it's embossed.

Attachment 139708

Attachment 139709

Speaking of the caked paint that may cover more embossed letters, anybody know a good way to remove the paint in those two areas to check whether there's anything underneath? I am not going to strip the entire chest, obviously, so am looking for a way to "spot remove" just the caked paint in those two areas.

Second thread merged to this one. This is the larger, the other had useful info.

Bob

Odd crest indeed; someone designing his own fantasy coat of arms? An armourer perhaps considering the motifs, and presumably in Canada from the maple leaves.

From a heraldic reference of the late 19th C. the motto is associated with several families, but only one which uses a wolf motif, and surprise, their name was Wolff.

Attachment 139710

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Surpmil

From a heraldic reference of the late 19th C. the motto is associated with several families, but only one which uses a wolf motif, and surprise, their name was Wolff.
Attachment 139710

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I believe that is either a Boar or a Bear's head, not a wolf Surp. If there's any Germanic influence in that crest it's unlikely to be a wolf as they were extinct in Germany for virtually the entire 20th century and have only just started returning in the last quarter century. I have many German friends in Canada, all avid hunters and they love to hunt hogs and bears.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sapper740

I believe that is either a Boar or a Bear's head, not a wolf Surp. If there's any Germanic influence in that crest it's unlikely to be a wolf as they were extinct in Germany for virtually the entire 20th century and have only just started returning in the last quarter century. I have many German friends in Canada, all avid hunters and they love to hunt hogs and bears.

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Could be Sapper, but boar's heads almost always display tusks and I don't see any there. Nor was the artist a professional so more license than usual?

Fairburn's Book of Crests or something close to that; it's on archive.org if you want to take a look. The second volume is just illustrations which are just numbered to the appropriate citations in the first volume, so a bit cumbersome.