VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 2, 2018 I saw someone selling this as a US Army 1910 bullet proof vest. I was wondering if this is real WWI US Army or something way off? The vest has a string tie on one side and what looks like pockets for steel plates (one big and one small on both side and the same front and back). There is an infantry disc on the bottom. The fur lining you see in the picture is not part of the vest, but another vest underneath it which was at the same shop. Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #2 Posted February 2, 2018 A picture of the smaller, lower pockets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #3 Posted February 2, 2018 The back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #4 Posted February 2, 2018 The back and the string tie. Sorry, the forum is uploading the pictures at the wrong angle and I am not sure how to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #5 Posted February 2, 2018 The inside of the front part of the vest and the string tie. Sorry, the forum is uploading the pictures at the wrong angle and I am not sure how to fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #6 Posted February 2, 2018 The lower pockets on the back of the vest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aef1917 Posted February 2, 2018 Share #7 Posted February 2, 2018 There wasn't much work done with body armor prior to WWI, and this isn't one of the types developed by Bashford Dean's unit during the war. It's possible it was a submission from a private inventor or something developed in Europe. The insignia is an equipment identification disc. Is there a unit designation stamped into the rectangular area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 2, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted February 2, 2018 Thanks for the reply. There is a number but I did not get a good enough picture to make them out. Nothing that really stood out to me though from what I can remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 2, 2018 Share #9 Posted February 2, 2018 It looks like it might be a vest for hauling shells for the 3 inch trench mortar as discussed in this post: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/278910-unknown-ww-i-ammo-vest/?hl=%2Btrench+%2Bmortar+%2Bvest+%2Bwwi If so, it's got to be a rare item ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aef1917 Posted February 2, 2018 Share #10 Posted February 2, 2018 It looks like it might be a vest for hauling shells for the 3 inch trench mortar as discussed in this post: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/278910-unknown-ww-i-ammo-vest/?hl=%2Btrench+%2Bmortar+%2Bvest+%2Bwwi If so, it's got to be a rare item ... I was thinking that it reminded me of the British artillery load-bearing vests, but I couldn't find a US equivalent. Good eye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted February 3, 2018 Hello, Thanks for the info. It could be that. The pockets seemed a little too flat to fit mortar shells.I am not sure of the size of the shells but I don't imagine it could fit more than 1 in each pocket. Maybe ammo or grenades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #12 Posted February 3, 2018 I ended up getting the vest. Here are some more pictures of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #13 Posted February 3, 2018 the back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #14 Posted February 3, 2018 The reverse of the front side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #15 Posted February 3, 2018 The full reverse of the front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted February 3, 2018 The ID disc, looks like 12 US HQ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #17 Posted February 3, 2018 lower pocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #18 Posted February 3, 2018 Bigger pocket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 3, 2018 Author Share #19 Posted February 3, 2018 string tie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 3, 2018 Share #20 Posted February 3, 2018 According to this description found in the 1919 edition of a U.S. Army, 3 Inch Trench Mortar manual. A khaki canvas "Bomb Carrier" with four pockets (one round per pocket) was a prescribed article of equipment for the trench mortar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 3, 2018 Share #21 Posted February 3, 2018 Here is the photo that started the topic to which I posted the link in my above post: It is of a trench mortar battery from the 93rd Division. The two standing soldiers on the far right are wearing what looks like the vest shown in this topic. Photo courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 3, 2018 Share #22 Posted February 3, 2018 Close up of the two vest wearing men ... My personal opinion is that the vest in this topic - the vest described in the manual - and the vests worn in the photo are all the same. Also in the AEF a trench mortar section was attached to each regiment's HQ, so the HQ equipment tag also fits with the garment being a Bomb Carrying Vest. Venti-Hora, I think you found something quite rare ... Congratulations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jprostak Posted February 4, 2018 Share #23 Posted February 4, 2018 I found this photo of Dayfield Body Armor. I could see how someone might think that the photos you have posted could be this type of vest. But, I concur with WWINerd. I think it is for the Stokes Mortar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VenitHora Posted February 4, 2018 Author Share #24 Posted February 4, 2018 Thanks for the info WW1Nerd and Jprostak. The vest I found has the same rivets as the vest in the picture so I am sure it is the same one. Does anyone know how many of these mortars were in the US Army? I read on Wikipedia that the British had just 1,636 Stokes Mortars on the Western Front, and the French had 8,000 but 6,000 were French made. I would Imagine the US had less of them. Is there any consensus as to whether these vests were US made for US soldiers or made by other countries and used by everyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
world war I nerd Posted February 4, 2018 Share #25 Posted February 4, 2018 I'm not sure how many 3 inch trench mortars were in the AEF or U.S. Army, but according to the following page from the AEF manual, published in May of 1918, "Equipment Manuals for Service in Europe: A-1, Infantry Regiment" The Bomber's Section of the Sappers & Bombers Platoon attached to each infantry regiment's HQ Company was equipped with six 3 Inch Trench Mortars. Each AEF Division had four Infantry Regiments ... so that's 24 light, or 3 inch, trench mortars divided between each AEF division's four Infantry Regiments. In addition, there was also a Trench Mortar Battery made up of twelve 3 & 6 Inch Trench Mortars (I think, six of each) attached to each AEF division's Artillery Brigade. Therefore, we're looking at thirty, 3 Inch Trench Mortars per AEF Infantry Division. There may also have been separate Trench Mortar Batteries attached to the HQ of AEF Corps & Armies? Note that the bottom entry in the left hand column states that each trench mortar section was to have 24 "Shell Carrier Jackets" ... that's four shell jackets per mortar. Because the U.S. Army lacked just about every "modern" weapon required for trench warfare, when America entered the fray in 1917, all of the artillery used by the AEF was supplied by the British & French. So the 3 Inch "Stokes'" Trench Mortars were presumably all supplied by the British. The AEF also likely used a number of French made trench mortars as well. As to the bomb carrying vests/jackets, I'm not sure who or where they made them. A number of possibilities come to mind though: It could be that the vests were initially purchased from the British (provided that the British Army actually used them) and samples were sent to the U.S. and then copied, or redesigned to suit the U.S. Army's idea of a what a bomb carrying vest was supposed to look like. It could also be that the British Army never had a trench bomb carrying vest, and that some Artillery or Ordnance officer in the AEF decided a vest was needed and the thing was designed and manufactured overseas exclusively for the AEF. Also, some clothing articles were made overseas for the AEF simply to save shipping space on the cargo & troopships that sailed from America, so the vests/jackets could all have been manufactured overseas as needed. More research needs to be done to know for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now