USMC Pattern shelter halves

[Keystone]

I’ve put together a quick reference for the USMC shelter halves issued between the First World War and the Korean War. The first pattern shelter half was copied from the pre-1910 Army pattern half. I have taken pictures of the top (front) and bottoms of the shelter halves. A “full” picture wouldn’t show the details. The first picture is of the Army pre-1910 half showing the distinct bed roll strap connection. This pattern had four “buckles” along the top. Note that this one has a large grommet and a small grommet. The army changed to a folding pole sometime in the 1904 time frame and switched to grommets of the same size. This particular pattern is for the older two piece pole in use since the late 1880’s. Note also the white buttons. This pattern also uses two grommets for each peg rope as shown in the second picture. These features would be carried over into the Marine Corps design.

[Keystone]

2

[Keystone]

This picture shows the Marine Corps means of attaching the bed roll straps. Instead of a buckle as in the army design they used four web straps. Note the use of two grommets at the top and also at the peg ropes (not shown).

[Keystone]

This next pattern is similar to the WW1 pattern except it has triangular end pieces at both ends. I have seen this pattern dated 1942 and 1945 but not in between! I have never seen this pattern marked “US” as are the army WW2 tents. The Army by this time was also using one grommet and a web loop for the guy rope. Again, as with the old WW1 type half this one also has the two grommets on top and at the peg ropes.

[Keystone]

This is an easy one. The distinctive Marine Corps camouflage pattern shelter half is easy to spot. Note that this pattern will also have the four loops for the bed roll straps, the two grommets for the pole and guy rope along the top and the two grommets for the peg ropes. If you are lucky you may find these with tags still attached giving you the date of manufacture. Note as well that the buttons are the open sunburst pattern that the army had stopped using by WW2. This type button was necessary because this type half was reversible and both sides needed to have buttons on them.

[Keystone]

peg rope grommets

[Keystone]

The “Mitchell” pattern camouflage half can usually be found with Korean War dated tags. Note that there are no loops on this pattern and that the peg rope uses only one grommet like the army pattern half. The Marines still retained two grommets along the top. Note also that the snaps are reversible like the buttons on the WW2 camouflage half.

[Keystone]

grommet

[Keystone]

The last pattern Marine Corps half is almost identical to the Army’s Korean era type and can be found dated 1953. Some minor differences to note are the “USMC” stamp as well as the snaps. The Army didn’t start using snaps on their shelter halves until the late 1950’s. One other unique feature of this half is a row of snaps along the bottom edge. This feature allowed several halves to be snapped together to form a larger tent. I will discuss this in detail in my next posting on the Army halves. This feature would also carry over to the new Army design. I believe it was at this time that the Defense Department decided to combine the supply system into the Defense Supply Agency and one pattern of shelter half was adopted for both services. I will cover the Army pattern halves in another post.

Tim

[Keystone]

top

[Keystone]

bottom showing snaps and grommet

[Keystone]

Please forgive my lack of documented references. I've had to peice the story of these shelter halves together from official manual photographs, other collectors knowledge and some guess work. I live near the Philadelphia area and have done some research at the National Archives here but have not been able to find any of the Marine Corps Quartermaster specs. I hope to get to the National Archives in Washington someday to dive into that pile of papers!!

Tim

['Flage Guy]

Outstanding chronicle and pics, Keystone (and a familiar name to U.S.M.C. uniform collectors :thumbsup: )...I'll add one more to the mix: Marine Corps shelter half utilizing standard tent buttons, rather than the 2-sided "sunray" buttons. Note that the buttons are staggered for use of the reverse side, and the half features twice the number of buttonholes to facilitate whichever side is being secured. This half mates right up to a standard Marine half; don't know if this was an experiment, or just done due to a lack of "sunrays" at the time of manufacture. It is made from the early-production tent cloth, before they modified the printing process to "reverse" the spots on the brown side so that each spot correlated with its twin on the green side, which seemed to result in better integrity of color and pattern (have no documentation for this, but I couldn't think of any other reason that they would go to the trouble to make that change). I'm thinking this was an early idea put forth, but like Keystone says, it's very hard to find hard documentation for a lot of Marine Corps stuff...

 

[craig_pickrall]

Tim and Jim, great info! Please keep it coming.

[Keystone]

Thanks Craig.

Jim, I've never seen that pattern half before. GREAT... something else to look for.

Tim

[Greg Robinson]

The last pattern Marine Corps half is almost identical to the Army’s Korean era type and can be found dated 1953. Some minor differences to note are the “USMC” stamp as well as the snaps. The Army didn’t start using snaps on their shelter halves until the late 1950’s. One other unique feature of this half is a row of snaps along the bottom edge. This feature allowed several halves to be snapped together to form a larger tent. I will discuss this in detail in my next posting on the Army halves. This feature would also carry over to the new Army design. I believe it was at this time that the Defense Department decided to combine the supply system into the Defense Supply Agency and one pattern of shelter half was adopted for both services. I will cover the Army pattern halves in another post.

Tim

 

Hey Tim

 

Sure about that 1953 date? All these dark OD shelter halfs marked "USMC" that I've seen were contract dated 1952. I've always wondered why they made OD tents in 1952 and then went back to camo in 1953. I assume it was just something made to fill a short term need in Korea.

 

Greg

[Greg Robinson]

Tim

 

I own a WW1 pattern USMC shelter half marked USMC / PHILA DEPOT with a date that has the last digit illlegible. Do you know when the Depot quit dating their markings? I've always suspected this was done during WW1.

 

Greg

[Keystone]

Greg, you are correct, I just rechecked my OD half and it is dated 1952. I should really put my reading glasses on when I do this!!

As for when the Depot stopped dating their halves, I've never been able to pinpoint when they stopped. The earliest post-WW1 dates I've seen have been 1942. I have seen canteen covers, haversacks and first aid pouches with the DQP 1941-1942 stamp so they did date some equipment. We'll just have to keep looking.

Tim

[Greg Robinson]

Greg, you are correct, I just rechecked my OD half and it is dated 1952. I should really put my reading glasses on when I do this!!

As for when the Depot stopped dating their halves, I've never been able to pinpoint when they stopped. The earliest post-WW1 dates I've seen have been 1942. I have seen canteen covers, haversacks and first aid pouches with the DQP 1941-1942 stamp so they did date some equipment. We'll just have to keep looking.

Tim

 

Tim

 

I own two OD ("khaki") USMC shelter halfs and both have the plain flat black buttons and both ends closed. One has a tag ID'ing it as made by Powers & Co in 1945. The second is near identical but for a different type of grommet used and it ha what's left of the Powers & Co tag attached to one end flap.

 

Understand totally re the glasses.

 

Greg

[New Romantic]

Great topic Tim! It's nice to see the evolution of USMC shelter halves.

 

Tim, here are the straps which I recently sold here to a forum member. I thought these were post WWI USMC issue. Or are they the ones from the pre 1910 shelter half?

[Keystone]

Tough to tell Frankie, but they look like the Marine Corps WW1 straps.

Tim

[Constabulary]

 

WOW - I love these WWII USMC shelter halves.

How are the prices for them nowadays?

[Keystone]

They seem to go from $150 for a very used one on up to the $400+ range for a mint example. They are almost impossible to find at gun shows and ebay seems to be the only other place to find them. I've run into some of the Mitchell pattern halves at surplus stores but they are becoming scarce as well.

Tim

[Greg Robinson]

They seem to go from $150 for a very used one on up to the $400+ range for a mint example. They are almost impossible to find at gun shows and ebay seems to be the only other place to find them. I've run into some of the Mitchell pattern halves at surplus stores but they are becoming scarce as well.

Tim

 

Surplus shelter halfs are often used by painters as drop cloths which explains the paint splatters seen on many of them, particularly the mitchell pattern camo ones. And add to that the fact that some surplus dealers have been known to cut them up to make fake helmet covers and camo utility caps. So it's not easy to find one in good condition with spec tag intact and legible.

 

Greg

[Greg Robinson]

This next pattern is similar to the WW1 pattern except it has triangular end pieces at both ends. I have seen this pattern dated 1942 and 1945 but not in between! I have never seen this pattern marked “US” as are the army WW2 tents. The Army by this time was also using one grommet and a web loop for the guy rope. Again, as with the old WW1 type half this one also has the two grommets on top and at the peg ropes.

 

A spec tag that proves Powers & Company made OD ("khaki") tents for the Marine Corps in 1945. Note the late war "Nom" contract number. Tent is unmarked but is manufactured to USMC specs as described above.

 

Greg