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Full Version: How to assemble the M1944 / 1945 Pack
Change to MOD 1945 from MOD 1944.
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are the M45 cargo packs scarce in america today? ppl buying them?they are WWII pattern but all seems to be made in 1951..at least the ones i'v seen here in europe
I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy. There used to be 50's dated everywhere. I have some of those too because I collect Korean era as well. These packs were used by the Army until the late 50's and after that by the National Guard and Reserve.
QUOTE(craig_pickrall @ Dec 13 2007, 03:10 PM) 
I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy. There used to be 50's dated everywhere. I have some of those too because I collect Korean era as well. These packs were used by the Army until the late 50's and after that by the National Guard and Reserve.
I think US Army troops used the M45 pack system in Viet Nam up until the mid 1960's.
Agreed that 45 dated 45s are hard to find. I have two sets and one is in so-so condition. THat they were used through Korea left few good specimans. But I found unaltered 44s tougher to find as most were altered to 45s. And as far as assembling them as I leave that to my son to do that. I just buy them and put them in a box
QUOTE(LtRGFRANK @ Dec 13 2007, 06:15 PM)
Agreed that 45 dated 45s are hard to find. I have two sets and one is in so-so condition. THat they were used through Korea left few good specimans. But I found unaltered 44s tougher to find as most were altered to 45s. And as far as assembling them as I leave that to my son to do that. I just buy them and put them in a box
M45 cargo's dated 1951 were fairly common here in europe in the past years...unaltered M44 cargo's never so!!
ultered combat packs M44 were more common than M45 combats!!!! i think 95% of the M44s modified to the M45 standards after the war...it's hard to find an original M44 in any condition...but the bad news is even the 1951 dated M45 cargo's gradually dissapeared from the market as stocks exausted...in 1 or 2 years time you'll not be able to find any cargo pack of the korean period in a fair price..!!!even good old vietnam M56 staff exausted today...you can easilly find that nylon 70s & 80s ALICE staff today but who cares of that nylon crap....? it is of very low collectability...
i think very very soon the prices on the korean war staff will be skyrocketed even with postwar dates
QUOTE(Greg Robinson @ Dec 13 2007, 03:35 PM)
I think US Army troops used the M45 pack system in Viet Nam up until the mid 1960's.
No Greg...US troops in vietnam did'n use M45s at least not the regular troops...they'v had enough M56s & the M45 was not compatible system..they may have seen some use by US SF personel during the advisors period but they were prefering WWII/Korea M51 dark OD mountain rucksacks & the then very modern nylon lightweight rucks-but they were in universal use in the ARVN troops even very late in the war untill about 1969-70 i'm talking abt the M45 combat pack bc i'v never seen even an ARVN soldier with a cargo M45....
"Figure 27.4
Connect suspender straps (2) to rear of cartridge belt."
It then states that "Be sure that straps (2) are passed through loops 8 when the cartridge belt is not worn.!
Question 1 So does it mean that they shouldn't go through loop 8 if the belt is worn?
Question 2Also, what is the "best fitting of suspender loops (5)" for a tall person?
I found that putting them in the highest suspender loop allows for a much longer strap (2) for the taller person.
Connect suspender straps (2) to rear of cartridge belt."
It then states that "Be sure that straps (2) are passed through loops 8 when the cartridge belt is not worn.!
Question 1 So does it mean that they shouldn't go through loop 8 if the belt is worn?
Question 2Also, what is the "best fitting of suspender loops (5)" for a tall person?
I found that putting them in the highest suspender loop allows for a much longer strap (2) for the taller person.
QUOTE(craig_pickrall @ Dec 13 2007, 11:10 PM)
I have been collecting over 30 years and the M45's with WW2 dates have been hard to find all of that time. I have at least one and maybe more but they have never been easy.
Yes, I know only one case when M1945 was manufactured in 1944 (most likely very very late) and it is a product of the J. A. Shoe.
QUOTE(Gregory @ Feb 2 2008, 04:43 AM)
Yes, I know only one case when M1945 was manufactured in 1944 (most likely very very late) and it is a product of the J. A. Shoe.
a 1945 pack maded in 1944? hm....i dont think so gregory...are you sure?does'nt sound logical... i think it was a M1944 modified to the M1945 standards as all the M44s did post war
QUOTE(coolman @ Feb 2 2008, 07:58 PM)
a 1945 pack maded in 1944? hm....i dont think so gregory...are you sure?does'nt sound logical... i think it was a M1944 modified to the M1945 standards as all the M44s did post war
Yes, I agree that it may be strange. Just in case I am posting this pack below for the forumers expertise. I would say that majority of M1944s were converted into M1945 very fast and simple with visible marks of former M1944 model. In this case no marks of converting but I respect all other opinions of course.
QUOTE(Gregory @ Feb 3 2008, 10:45 AM)
Yes, I agree that it may be strange. Just in case I am posting this pack below for the forumers expertise. I would say that majority of M1944s were converted into M1945 very fast and simple with visible marks of former M1944 model. In this case no marks of converting but I respect all other opinions of course.
a mark of conversion is the tab under the E-Tool helve strap
yes it is a former M1944 as i suspected
very common conversion gregory
Ahhhh, of course, you are right, thanks! 
In an attempt to answer some of the questions raised and to give better pics for additional discussion I did more photo work yesterday. I went through my entire grouping of M44 and M45 packs and photographed as many details as possible plus maker marks and dates.
The only big surprise I had was that I only had one of the M44 Combat Pack (upper bag) that was modified to M45. From all the discussions I thought I would have more of those. I did not have a modified Cargo Pack (lower bag).
I did not see any variations in the Suspenders from 1945 to 1952, the span of dates that I have.
I rediscovered the Sleeping Bag carrying straps that we have not discussed to date. These are unmarked and undated. I suspect they are a product of necessity for the cold Korean winters. In the good old days of plentiful surplus at give away prices we used to find these mixed in with huge boxes of the M56 Sleeping Bag Carriers.
The only big surprise I had was that I only had one of the M44 Combat Pack (upper bag) that was modified to M45. From all the discussions I thought I would have more of those. I did not have a modified Cargo Pack (lower bag).
I did not see any variations in the Suspenders from 1945 to 1952, the span of dates that I have.
I rediscovered the Sleeping Bag carrying straps that we have not discussed to date. These are unmarked and undated. I suspect they are a product of necessity for the cold Korean winters. In the good old days of plentiful surplus at give away prices we used to find these mixed in with huge boxes of the M56 Sleeping Bag Carriers.
Sleeping bag carrier:
Unmarked and undated
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Unmarked and undated
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Maker marks:
There is a stamp recording the modification. The mod was done in 3/45 but I can not read the name of the company that made the mod.
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There is a stamp recording the modification. The mod was done in 3/45 but I can not read the name of the company that made the mod.
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Maker marks:
1940's:
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1950's:
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1940's:
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1950's:
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QUOTE(craig_pickrall @ Feb 6 2008, 09:04 AM)
Maker marks:
1940's:
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1950's:
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1940's:
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1950's:
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The good thing with the M44- 45s is that there are no reproductions yet
the only NATO copy is the Greek Army 60s combat pack
that happened bc the US government sent thousands of cargo packs to the greek army in the early 50s as military aid & thousands of M44-45 suspenders but very few upper combat packs!!! so the greeks maded localy copies of the combat packs to couple them with the original cargo's & suspenders
an other NATO country that copied something of the M44-45 system is portugal...they copied localy the M45 suspenders with british style hardware on the strap tips
Some pics of M-1944 Pack. Both parts are dated 1945.
i think the idea of having the 2 small D rings on the back of the M44 cargo packs is the same idea as for the 2 small rings on the M28 pack tail to hang the suspender hooks from there than from the combat packs side D rings...right or wrong?
the M44 far as i know has no instructions sheet inside the combat pack so we can only guess..
the M44 far as i know has no instructions sheet inside the combat pack so we can only guess..
There is no guessing involved. The M45 Cargo Pack has the instruction printed inside and answers the question. Look at post # 33.
QUOTE(craig_pickrall @ Mar 15 2008, 09:43 PM)
There is no guessing involved. The M45 Cargo Pack has the instruction printed inside and answers the question. Look at post # 33.
oops...sorry craig...you are right..my mistake...i was just concerned of the durability of those very thin narrow web straps were the small D rings on the back of the older M44 were stitched...on the M45s the large D rings on the bottom of the cargo look & really are very strong...but on the M44 cargo's the small D ring straps dont look the same able to support the heavy weight of 2 full packs...the suspenders hooks will take the rings out of the stitching under stress...obviously the M44 had some flaws & needed further development & redesigning locicaly resulted to the more durable & almost perfect post war M45...
i also noticed that the M45s from different companies were all standardised in only one model....they were all the same.
that's not the case with the M44s...i can see small variations on some small details of M44s maded by different companies as the combat packs main flaps straps buckles...they were 2 models of buckles...i think is the same story with some small details on the straps & buckles of the lower M44s cargo packs..i think they were 2 different kinds of main flap straps buckles there too...in adition many M44s were transitional were all the M45s were strictly all green
that's not the case with the M44s...i can see small variations on some small details of M44s maded by different companies as the combat packs main flaps straps buckles...they were 2 models of buckles...i think is the same story with some small details on the straps & buckles of the lower M44s cargo packs..i think they were 2 different kinds of main flap straps buckles there too...in adition many M44s were transitional were all the M45s were strictly all green
Original single sided instruction sheet for the M1944 Pack, Field, Combat. This is printed on paper unlike the more robust material used for the instructions in the M1945 packs. This example appears to be have been printed 11/44. Example/reprints of this sheet can be seen in both Doughboy To GI by Lewis and G.I. Collector's Guide by Enjames.
Note no "M1944" designation yet... Just Pack, Field, Combat.
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Note no "M1944" designation yet... Just Pack, Field, Combat.
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QUOTE(craig_pickrall @ Feb 6 2008, 07:54 AM)
M1944 PACK SYSTEM (Modified)
Combat pack:
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Hi Mr. Pickrall,
Thank you for posting these pictures of a modified M1944 pack. I have a pack exactly the same as this. I used to believe that the cut straps and removed D-rings were vandalized or intentionally removed by the previous owner to be used somewhere else but these pictures of yours proved that it wasn't the case and those cut straps are actually legit. I never knew that there were modified M1944 packs until I saw these pictures. Thanks again.
Hermie
Thanks for the nice comments. I'm happy they were a help to you.
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