This incomplete example of an Australian MK. V General Service Respirator was manufactured by Spalding. During the Second World War A.G. Spalding & Bros. (AUSTRALASIA) PTY. LTD. ran multiple ads in Australian newspapers advertising that the rubber used in Spalding tennis balls and golf balls was now being used to manufacture gas mask face pieces and hoses for the military. The ads also provided an estimate of how many golf ball or tennis balls it would take to manufacture each part.

The estimated number of Spalding Tennis Balls and Golf Balls were:

Face piece: 9 Golf Balls or 12 Tennis Balls

Hose - Army: 5 Golf Balls or 6 Tennis Balls

Hose – Navy and Airforce: 13 Golf Balls or 15 Tennis Balls

References

A.G. Spalding & Bros. (AUSTRALASIA) PTY.LTD. 1943. Spalding Top-Flite Golf Ball Rubber Used in Gas Masks. [Advert]. The Argus. 10th May 1943, p.4.

A.G. Spalding & Bros. (AUSTRALASIA) PTY.LTD. 1943. Spalding Tennis Ball Rubber Used in Gas Masks. [Advert]. The Sydney Morning Herald. 5th June 1943, p.6.