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good reference for combat gear?


jeeplover
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i wanted to see different combat gear set up for us soldiers in ww2 i have the book world war ii us army combat equipments by gordon l rottman. is this the best book out there (hard to believe it is). so what other books should i get that would show more and better detail of the set up of the ww2 gi

thank you

 

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i have a bunch of gear i have been hording i would like different options as to the different set up . for example did the guy always have a m3 fighting knife or was it ok to have the navy mark 3? i would like to see period picture of what they have on.

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this is amazing to me more people at home than ever and no one can give me a good site / reference material something. what do you guys use to set up a mannequin or dress for reenactment? that is what i need. if no one here knows that would be very ironic considering this is the us military forum .

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The M3 knife was a special issue item, not issued to everyone. Navy Mk 3 would be rare to find on an army soldier.

The book "The American Soldier" by Philip Katcher has an entire section on field gear sets through the 1980s such as this:

 

 

post-32676-0-67838900-1586353857.jpg

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I would pick up "The World War II GI" by Richard Windrow as well.

 

A bit more expensive, but you can also reference "GI Collector's Guide - Volume 1" by Henry-Paul Enjames that shows different types of ETO gear.

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thank you guys very much i will order those books.

 

The GI Collector's Guide book usually runs about $100 these days, but if you watch it on Ebay one goes for $50-70 every now and then

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ok i got these books on the way. could you please tell me does it tell alt gear or different set ups.

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The set-up was determined by the soldier's job (medic, machine gunner, engineer) and the weapon they carried. In the photo I posted, you can see the basic set up is for a M1 Garand equipped rifleman and the other belt and pouches shown are for a soldier carrying a BAR or Thompson. The other figure is an officer with a M1936 pistol belt rig. A soldier with a M1 Carbine would have used a pistol belt also with magazine pouches, but the suspenders, first aid pouch, and canteen were the same between belts. So yes, in the book I posted there are different examples shown.

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The Windrow book shows photos of gear being worn. The Henry-Paul Enjames book doesn't show it being worn and set up, but provides info on the various models for each type of equipment.

 

Another good book is Doughboy to GI. I don't have it personally but have heard good reviews.

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Simon Lerenfort

I also have Uniforms Weapons and Equipment of the World War II G.I. by Stephen Sylvia and Michael J. O'Donnell. This is quite an old book, 1982 but does show equipment in wear in wartime photos as well as basic equipment items.

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this is amazing to me more people at home than ever and no one can give me a good site / reference material something. what do you guys use to set up a mannequin or dress for reenactment? that is what i need. if no one here knows that would be very ironic considering this is the us military forum .

. Something to think about. After a bit, individual Soldiers adjusted what they carried and how/where they carried it. Asking for a general, one size fits all set up, is impossible. Most people look at photos of Soldiers at the time and place they are hoping to replicate. If you are wanting to make a display, use official documentation as to how it Should be. If its for reenacting, gear up and walk/ run a few miles, over a week. Youll figure out what Feels better, and where. Thats how it was done in real life.
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An opinion feeding off sigsaye, the books mentioned won't do you any good. They are merely colelctors guides illustrating the gear with sparse images of it in actual use. Great, if you need an identification but not very good for actual application. Perhaps an exception can be made for Stanton's book.

The OP wants to see this equipment being worn in vintage images. To my knowledge, I do not recall a comprehensive book with an abundance of vintage images. But, that would also depend on what theme your are shooting for, armored, airborne, infantry, USMC, Air Forces...etc.

That would help to make suggestions on books with vintage imagery.

 

I would highly recommend you spend sometime watching videos such as Critical Past on YouTube. They have hundreds and hundreds of hours of vintage WWII footage of all theaters and services, a studying buffet of all types visual stimulus.

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I agree, combat camera footage (and WW2 movies made during the war such as Wake Island, Gung Ho, A Walk In The Sun, etc.) are good visual references. My book recommendation was based on the OP saying, "what other books should i get that would show more and better detail of the set up of the ww2 gi".

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I get that but I don't think Hollywood is a great reference either. Though those made during the war may use vintage gear, there is no guarantee in accuracy. They are interpretations, it is in the same realm as those books packed with reenactor stagements, again vintage gear but the individuals interpretation. Neither have any real historical value. For every one quality war film there are five horrible ones chalk full of all sorts of inaccuracies. We all know we spy inaccuracies in every war film. Movies are just for enjoyment.

To get a good amount of images you'd have to buy a bunch of books, Critical Past is free. WWII in Color, Victory at Sea, anything with vintage film reels is the biggest bang! for study of equipment. Those are guaranteed authenticity.

Now, I am not discouraging anyone from buying reference books, it is a must have investment and should be a top priority investment, at that. There is no one book that will satisfy this requirement sought. But the key here is the OP wants to see how the equipment was applied.

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i got the book i love them but you guys were right it is not what i am looking for. i guess what i would like is to be able to put a set up together that would represent a d-day solider. still waiting for the windrow book. thank you guys very much.

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Rakkasan187

I will throw out one more book suggestion to you that may fit what you are looking for.

 

 

"Spearheading D-Day" American Special Units in Normandy by Jonathan Gawne.

 

This is a great book with hundreds of period photos of numerous units to include assault troops, Engineer Special Brigades, Rangers, Naval Beach Battalions, Tank battalions, the list is lengthy. In addition to the photos there are also color photos of models wearing the uniforms and equipment as they would have on D-Day.

 

Mr. Gawne is also a forum member.

 

If you are doing something for D-Day, I would suggest finding a copy of this book. It may be just what you were looking for..

 

Good luck,

 

Best regards and Blessings

 

Leigh

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The owner is a real stickler for detail and does not sell anything that is junk. His stuff is the best reproduction you can get.

thank you it is a model i can work off of. looking i have a lot of the gear needed.

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ok got the final book and it is good . i must say i was surprised by how little there is in a kit not sure why but i thought there would be more. thank you guys very much gerat books.

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Do an Internet search for D-Day photos and study the details in actual wartime photos. As others have said there is a difference in the way the army manual said the gear should be worn and the way it was actually worn or carried.

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