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M-3 Knife/.45 Holster combo


GIl Sanow
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Greg Robinson
Thanks a bunch Kyle !

That is a great help. This rig was buried deep in one of my footlocker and this thread reminded me that I had it.

I would have never figure by myself a corpsman.

Any chance that he had served in Vietnam ? As far I as can remember he was not listed on www.militaryusa.com

but this site is not fully exhaustive.

Cheers,

 

Andrei

 

Looks like a Navy service number prior to when they went to social security numbers. And the web best being a USMC M1961 and the holster dyed black dates the rig to the 1960's.

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Greg Robinson
GREG,

If Im not mistaken wasnt the picture of med Capt. a surgeon from the 509th Parachute Infantry?I know I have seen some V42s from Force guys carried this way too.

 

The Army doctor I'm referring to is the guy in the pic with M1941 field jacket and sun glasses. I've read a lot of articles about him and one of the things he was known for was carrying that Fairbairn-Sykes stiletto behind his service pistol holster. Apparently he was a real colorful character and well known in the ETO during WW2.

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Looks like a Navy service number prior to when they went to social security numbers. And the web best being a USMC M1961 and the holster dyed black dates the rig to the 1960's.

 

Thanks Greg !

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j.termath1974
I don't think so. From the throat to the tip, the M8 and the M8A1 scabbards are not long enough where the tip of the scabbard and the tip of the pistol holster could be tied together while the knife stays completely enclosed in the scabbard. If this was done, half of the knife would be sticking out of the scabbard, the way it's showing. Then, why bother?

Okay. The scabbard is not as long as the holster. But if you have a look at the strap at the tip of the holster, which disappears behind the holster and compare it to the rear side pic of the holster - V-42 combo, one may guess that the both pieces could be interlinked by the strap.

(I hope that I can make myself understood, as I'm not a native speaker.)

 

But do you agree that there is a webbing belt frog of a M8 scabbard visible between the M3 grip and the Jacket and belt?

 

With best regards, Jens

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Note the bend of the knife - USMC KaBar- due to wear alongside the pistol.

The marking on the reverse of the scabbard is :

 

Mc Carthy, F.R. PhM 2/c

837-55-73

 

If someone could help ID this marking, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

Andrei

 

Andrei,

 

Can we see the front of the scabbard?

 

Thank you.

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GB,

 

the scabbard has nothing special. There is no EGA embossed on the front side, if that is you want to know.

I dont want to take that combo apart because I am not sure to be able to put it back as it was originally.

Thanks for your interest.

 

Andrei

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Andrei,

 

That's exactly what I wanted to know...you know where I was coming from. I totally understand about not wanting to take it apart. Congratulations on a great rig and a great knife carried by a very special individual thumbsup.gif

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Andrei,

 

That's exactly what I wanted to know...you know where I was coming from. I totally understand about not wanting to take it apart. Congratulations on a great rig and a great knife carried by a very special individual thumbsup.gif

 

Well, it looks like we have a definitive answer to my original question. Friday I saw Forum member "JBCannon" at the MAX Show and he pulled out his example to show me and I pulled out my camera.

 

Jim's well used .45 holster has the M-6 scabbard for his blade-marked Utica M-3 slid vertically behind the leather piece which holds the M1910 hooks and belt loops.

138_3870__2_.JPG

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Upon further examination, it is pretty obvious that the fact that the tie-down thong is the key to the combo -- it ties the two pieces together in the proper position.

138_3869__3_.JPG

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As we discussed the holster/scabbard combo, Jim pointed out that using this thing would not be all that easy. Yes, the knife would be handy, but returning the blade to its scabbard properly might be a little tricky. It could be quite easy to miss the throat of the scabbard when doing it by feel only.

 

Looking back at the actual combat photos posted earlier, I don't think I see any sort of strap retaining the knife in the scabbard. Perhaps the top of the scabbard was cut off and the knife was retained by friction.

 

I wonder also if the M8 scabbard could have worked as easily. Does anyone have an example?

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  • 6 months later...
Hi !

 

I shot some pics of my USMC rig that I found in a LA area fleamarket in the early 90s.

post-467-1191241710.jpg

 

post-467-1191241733.jpg

 

 

Hi Andrei!

 

'Hope this email finds you healthy and happy! New to this site, and found your Marine rig interesting. Are there any contractor info/dates of mfg. on the holster, belt or clip pouch? I think I can just make out "Boyt" on the holster. Please email me at my addy below, when it's convenient.

 

Steve Cenney

[email protected]

 

A very nice rig, by the way!

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Many Navy Corpsmen serving in the FMF during Viet Nam wore their knives in this fashion. Most Marines did not, in my experience.

 

Semper Fi

3rdMarDiv

'66-'67

Sat Cong!

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Many Navy Corpsmen serving in the FMF during Viet Nam wore their knives in this fashion. Most Marines did not, in my experience.

 

Semper Fi

3rdMarDiv

'66-'67

Sat Cong!

 

Thanks for the info ! thumbsup.gif

A.

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  • 2 months later...

U.S. Navy, 2nd Class Petty Officer, Pharmacy mate. Black holster is usually considered after early 1960's. Were Navy Pharmacy mates used as USMC Medics, Vietnam?

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U.S. Navy, 2nd Class Petty Officer, Pharmacy mate. Black holster is usually considered after early 1960's. Were Navy Pharmacy mates used as USMC Medics, Vietnam?

 

The Navy Corpsman have been medics for the Marines and still are.

 

RON

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The unit surgeon of the 509th referred to earlier in the thread was Carlos Coolidge OGDEN AKA Doc AKA Captain Cool. He was the first qualified doctor to volunteer for parachute school. He was a gun, especially pistol, aficionado, and (though a non-combatant) was a close-quarters battle instructor with the British Commandos for a while. He was captured in the Avellino jump debacle, but escaped and spent some time LEADING a band of partisans. Once having fought his way back to US lines, he was forcibly sent home because of reg saying all returned POWs must do so. Once in the US, he fought to go back to the ETO and wound up assigned to the 326th Med Co, 101st, as it was reconstituting after Bastogne (where half of it was captured/killed in one fell swoop). He was not happy there, and he could not rejoin the 509th as it had been inactivated. He got out of the service after V-J and went back to med school for specialization and residency. When the USAF was getting organized, they contacted him and made him the offer to pay for psychiatry qualification, so he went into the USAF. During the Korean War, he tried to volunteer to go to FECLDK/UNPIK (he knew Jack Singlaub and other special operators), but he was over-grade and the USAF by then KNEW he was not to be trusted with non-combatant status. He was based in France in the late 1950s-early 1960s, and, palling around with Maquis, OSS and para vets who were both in the French service and not -- including Jim gavin when JFK made him Ambassador -- cause the USAFE some heartburn. IIRC he qualified for French jump wings -- by going through the Pau school in its entirety -- without the formality of USAF orders. He retired in 1964 as a COL, commandant of the hospital at Lackland/Kelly AFB. BTW to the end he insisted on wearing his CIB (YES!) on his pocket flap and his jump wings with combat stars above his ribbons. He retired to Buffalo NY and practiced civilian medicine for several years. He died about 1995 IIRC. Another of The Great Ones. He was awarded the CIB, even though an M.D., on Battalion orders, then, when questioned, on Fifth Army orders signed by Mark Clark. He kept the originals together with his citations for Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Hearts, and Italian medal(s) handy to debunk naysayers. He is the subject of the book Captain Cool! Paratrooper Legend by William B. Breuer, Zeus Publishers, 1982.

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The Navy Corpsman have been medics for the Marines and still are.

 

RON

Thanks Ron. I think I knew that Navy Corpsman were USMC Medics, what I didn't know was if a Pharmacist Mate was a Corpsman or if they were two different rates? Thanks.

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  • 3 weeks later...
SilverbackMP
The unit surgeon of the 509th referred to earlier in the thread was Carlos Coolidge OGDEN AKA Doc AKA Captain Cool. ................................................................................

....................s. He is the subject of the book Captain Cool! Paratrooper Legend by William B. Breuer, Zeus Publishers, 1982.

 

This is my third post on this forum. I've been reading old posts for the last month. I must say that is the coolest thing I have read to date.

 

Silverbackmp

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  • 3 weeks later...

PhM2c Pharmacists Mate 2nd Class...

 

Wayne

 

EDIT: That'll learn me to read the whole thread before answering... sheesh... *laughs*

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Interesting -- I watched "Pork Chop Hill" yesterday and noticed several of the actors (officers) including Gregory Peck were carrying their knives this way. I think this is interesting because I have never seen any photo evidence of it being done in Korea too. Has anyone else?

 

G

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Captainofthe7th

I think it appears a few times in Stanton's book about uniforms in Korea. I'll check later...it's late now.

 

Rob

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Getting into the fight a little late here, I have a M3 fighting knife that had the upper and bottom portion of the sheath cut off and a sort of funky bend to the scabbard. When I saw this thread, I put the scabbard into the back of my holster and it fit like a charm, almost like it was made to.

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