Original German WWII Organisation Todt Arztkoffer Doctor's Medical Chest with Period Supplies

Original Item: Only One Available. This fantastic Organisation Todt Arztkoffer Doctor's Medical Chest, which is still full of period supplies! It is marked on the lid with the O T logo of the paramilitary group, surrounding the Aesclapian medial symbol showing a red snake wrapped around a white rod. The other side of the lid is marked Arztkoffer (Doctor's Case), and it measures 20"L x 10 3/4"W x 10 1/4"H and weighs in at a substantial 41lbs. The case features folding handles at each end, and once opened the three layers of supplies fold out like a tool chest. It is painted in an olive tan color similar to tropical tan, and the side features the Leben (life) pseudo rune inside a shield next to a stenciled label that reads as follows:

Hamburger Sanitätskasten
Modell Seka

This translates to "Hamburg first aid kit model Seka", which is not a designation that we are familiar with. The "life" rune was used by the NSDAP as a symbol of medical personnel.

The contents cover a wide variety of medical items, including two large tasche bags that contain locations for a large number of medical tools. There is no table of contents, so we do not know how complete the set is. Please consult the picture for details on exactly which tools are included. Overall condition is very good, showing the expected wear from use in service, but no major damage.

A great Organisation Todt Medical Chest from WWII, ready to research and display!

The Organisation Todt (OT) was a civil and military engineering organization in NSDAP Germany from 1933 to 1945, named for its founder, Fritz Todt, an engineer and senior NSDAP. The OT was not given an official name until AH did so soon after coming to power during 1933. During 1938 Todt initiated the Organisation Todt proper as a consortium of the administrative offices, which Todt had personally established in the course of the Autobahn project, private companies as subcontractors and the primary source of technical engineering expertise, and the Labour Service as the source of manpower. He was appointed by AH as plenipotentiary for labour for the second four-year plan, decreasing Göring's role. Investment in civil engineering work was reduced greatly. The organization was responsible for a huge range of engineering projects both in NSDAP Germany and in occupied territories from France to the Soviet Union during World War II. It became notorious for using forced labor.

From 1943 until 1945 during the late phase of the Third Reich, OT administered all constructions of prison camps to supply forced labor to industry. Fritz Todt's primary office was that of the General Inspector of German Roadways (Generalinspektor für das deutsche Straßenwesen) and his primary responsibility, the construction of the Autobahn network. He was able to draw on "conscripted" (i.e. compulsory) labour, from within Germany, through the Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst, RAD).

Fritz Todt died in an airplane crash on 8 February 1942, soon after a meeting with AH in East Prussia. Todt had become convinced that the war on the eastern front could not be won and thought himself independent enough to say as much to AH. As a result, there has been some speculation that Todt's death was a covert assassination, but this has never been substantiated.