NG Pre-WWI M1906 cartridge belt used in WWI

[Matt4thCav]

Hello guys. During WWI, unit of the National Guard used the M1906 cartridge belt? If you have some photos it would be great. Thanks so much.

[Marchville1918]

The national guard generally used that earlier equipment when they served on the Mexican border in 1916 and possibly when they were first called for WW1, but by the time they went to France they would have had the "modern" 1910 equipment.

[Matt4thCav]

The national guard generally used that earlier equipment when they served on the Mexican border in 1916 and possibly when they were first called for WW1, but by the time they went to France they would have had the "modern" 1910 equipment.

Indeed, the M1906 cartridge belt during the First World War had already been set aside. I have never seen any photos; only M1910 equipment in late 1917 and 1918

[RustyCanteen]

Indeed, the M1906 cartridge belt during the First World War had already been set aside. I have never seen any photos; only M1910 equipment in late 1917 and 1918

 

Hello,

 

Such equipment was superceded by the newer M1910 model, but it was used to fill shortages and served in a variety of roles in WWI. The USN seems to have made use of it in fairly large quantities for guard and training duties, as did the Army when the M1910 was not available. When America entered the war in April 1917, it did so with a very small army. By late 1917 with the introduction of the draft, the military swelled in size and the various branches were faced with shortages of everything from weapons to uniforms.

 

Some of the early units to arrive did so with a mixture of equipment, and made do with what was on hand. This thread should answer some of your questions. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/221837-the-yanks-are-coming-krags-in-the-aef/

 

The caveat is that none of the belts likely saw any AEF front line use by infantry.

[Marchville1918]

That was an excellent thread on the Krag and the early equipment. I think those engineers were first so as to build railways and camps for the AEF troops soon to follow. I would say that most of the first combat troops while they had 1910 equipment, it was the early eagle snap type of the 1910 pattern.

[USARV72]

Wonder how hot it would be today? Or if it would have flat? Nice finds.

[Matt4thCav]

Thank you so much for your answers. I hope to find some photos of soldiers in 1918 using the old equipment.

 

Matteo

[David D]

I've seen them commonly used in early shots of the 26th division

[Matt4thCav]

I've seen them commonly used in early shots of the 26th division

Hi, David Do you have any pics?

[David D]

I will try and find one

[yd102]

Parts of the 26th Division definitley went overseas with the earlier cartridge belts as well as some of the other pieces of the 1903 equipment. Here is a photo of Cpl. Merrit Learned of Company L of the 102nd infantry wearing a 1903 belt in about March of 1918. From other photos taken by Merrit, the men in his platoon were still wearing some of these belts around the time of Chateau-Thierry. My thought is that these were used in lieu of mounted belts by some units due perhaps to shortages of mounted belts on hand in France. They seem to be worn by Chauchaut gunners, or others armed with handguns in addition to rifles or auto rifles.

 

 

[Marchville1918]

I could certainly be wrong and, of course I haven't seen the other pictures of this unit that you mentioned, BUT I don't think the belt in this picture is the early infantry belt. From the look of the weave of the material in the belt it looks like an enlisted mans medical belt. No idea why a non medic would be wearing that belt with a 45, but that's what it looks like to me.

[Lupercus]

I have pictures of guys from my unit that show them deploying to the Mexican border, and getting right back on the trains for guard duty then on to WWI as soon as they got home. They are

with shoulder slung bedrolls, M1903 belts with the 1904 haversacks suspended from the belts, M1910 canteen w/pouch and M1903 rifles.

 

The unit is Company F 2nd Idaho Infantry. They were redesignated F co 2nd Bn 116th Engineer Regiment, 41st Division and arrived in France December 1917. The 41st was the 4th US division to arrive in country but would not see action as a division as it was redesignated the 1 Depot Div. And stripped of most of it's combat strength. The 116th Engineers were skeletonized with half the lieutenants/sergeants/corporals and almost every private ordered to the 1st (1/116EN OR-NG) and 2nd (2/116EN ID-NG) engineer regiments as presently equipped to bring those units up to strength. Those remaining with the 116th established a military school house at Angers, France.

 

The Idaho men sent to the 2nd Engineers fought in the front lines with the Marine Brigade at Belleau Wood with several listed among the casualties. The 2nd EN Rgt would be regularly utilized as an infantry reserve for the rest of the conflict by the 2nd Division.

 

The archives have a number of pictures of the guys after the detachment from the main body. Most remain as equipped at the Mexican border with the change over to puttee wraps, sometimes with gasmasks and brodies and overseas caps. However the Montana peak campaign hats remain very common in their possession. Among the pictures is a group photo of the company's nco's sharing a beer in France wearing campaign hats.