M1936 USMC suspenders?

[robinb]

There is just barely visable a "US" on the inside of the shoulder strap. But...the strap tips are square. Could these be USMC issue?

[Greg Robinson]

Robin

 

Maybe....but I can't say for sure. I own an unissued set of M1936 suspenders that are dated 1943 and the "US" stamp was left off so I kept them just in case they're Marine issue. But I have seen a pic of a set of M1936 suspenders that were actually marked "USMC" and I think the maker mark was S Froehlich which would make sense since they had a lot of USMC contracts. And best I can recall from looking at the pics they used the heavier cast bronze buckles that often seem to be a trademark of USMC web gear. The guy who showed me the pic said he felt they were legit but I've never seen nor heard of another example. FWIW, the Marines did use a lot of these so some that were specifically made for the USMC are a possibility. Yours do look good having the square tip ends and from the pics the buckles look like the heavier WW1 type.

['Flage Guy]

I have only one set of '36s with the narrow square tips, and they are pretty plainly Army issue...

 

 

 

 

 

['Flage Guy]

Acquired these a few years ago, however; if there is any difference between these and the Army ones, I can't see it:

 

 

['Flage Guy]

Spread out:

['Flage Guy]

Cast brass buckles, just like our friend Greg pointed out...

['Flage Guy]

And, made by Froelich ("S.F. CO. INC. N.Y.C.")...

[RustyCanteen]

That is a really nice set.

 

I'll add this photo of Carlson just after the Makin Raid for reference:

 

['Flage Guy]

HA!! Every time I think of Marine-issued M1936s, that's the first photo I think of...Thanks! Cast buckles, and all...

 

Here's another: Raiders Jimmy Roosevelt, with Harry Liversedge close behind, in the Pacific, scanned from Jim Moran's Marine Corps reference book...

['Flage Guy]

Yet another, 1stMarDiv on New Britain, again from Moran's reference. I notice that these guys are all Officers. In the Marine Pack Manual, the M1936 Field Bag is designated the "Officer's Field Bag", so I suspect that they were the only recipients of the '36 suspenders as well. Any thoughts?

[Alec]

Here is mine identified to eventual BG Howard G Kirgis. Mine are made by A. Reif & Company.

['Flage Guy]

WHOA, so Reif made 'em too??!! That's a new one on me- thanks for posting!

[USMC-EOD]

Older thread, but I figured I might ask if anyone is still looking at this subject.

 

I do not own a set of these, but one of my buddies has a couple of sets. The observation that these are normally seen on officers makes sense. Officers are required to purchase most of thier uniforms now, and were required to buy pretty much the majority of thier kit as well pre-WWII. OCS/TBS is still at Quantico, and there are a bunch of shops in "Quantico Town" that cater to all of the items young officers are required to purchase. Many of those items are of a higher quality and are different than the issue items supplied to the enlisted men.

 

I could easily see these types of suspenders, different than what the enlisted men use, to be part of the required kit for officers to purchase along with the M1936 bag and other items.

['Flage Guy]

On 11/6/2019 at 3:44 PM, USMC-EOD said:

Older thread, but I figured I might ask if anyone is still looking at this subject.

 

I do not own a set of these, but one of my buddies has a couple of sets. The observation that these are normally seen on officers makes sense. Officers are required to purchase most of thier uniforms now, and were required to buy pretty much the majority of thier kit as well pre-WWII. OCS/TBS is still at Quantico, and there are a bunch of shops in "Quantico Town" that cater to all of the items young officers are required to purchase. Many of those items are of a higher quality and are different than the issue items supplied to the enlisted men.

 

I could easily see these types of suspenders, different than what the enlisted men use, to be part of the required kit for officers to purchase along with the M1936 bag and other items.

Thanks for the good data! That sure helps explain the rarity of these items.

[Bryan Stotts]

I went through The Basic School at Quantico, where all Marine Officers go when commissioned.

 

Officers are required to purchase pretty much everything uniform-wise, and even today, some of their equipment. There is an entire incorporated "town" within Quantico Marine Corps Base called "Quantico Town". It has a large variety of stores which cater primarily to the equipping of Officers for everything that they are required to purchase. Mostly uniform items now.

 

From what I understand, during WWII and prior, Marine Officers were also required to purchase all of their gear as well. I understand that up until a point sometime in the 1920s or 30s, Officers were also required to purchase and house a mount (horse) and buy a service pistol and rifle. I don't know when that ended, but the stables are still out at Camp Pendleton next to the golf course and the old Officer's club and old original officer housing to this very day.

 

My point is this;

 

Seeing all of the pre-war M1936 USMC marked suspenders, the officer "musette style" pack, and other items, especially being worn in early war photos by Marine Officers like Puller and Carlson and on Marine Officers on Guadalcanal, it makes obvious sense to me that this was the "officer quality" gear that was being pushed during the period for Marine Officers to purchase. That goes for the Enlisted men you see wearing it as well. The shops in Quantico Town will sell "officer quality" items to any Enlisted men who wish to purchase it.

 

That has generally been my observation and supposition for a while. That the M1936 style gear was mostly pre-war private purchase by USMC officers from suttlers at places like Quantico Town which is why you see it being worn mostly by Officers in the early years of fighting in the Pacific. I would be interested to know if any of the M1936 gear was ever an item of issue to Enlisted Marines.

 

I would be interested in the opinions of other collectors on this site.

 

Thanks, and Semper Fi.

 

Bryan.

[Alec]

They were procured by the Marine Corps directly. There was one contract for 2,000 m1936 suspenders prior to the war that I have documentation on. I cant recall both names, but one was Sam Froehlich Co. I have a named pair to an officer.

[doyler]

maybe Atlas was the other maker.  Atlas made cartridge belts early for the Marines

[Alec]

They were made by S Froelich and A. Reid. My example is named to LTC Howard G Kirgis. He is known fir accepting surrender of Japanese in Dec of 1945 on Saipan.

 

Japanese Imperial Army Captain Sakee Oba surrenders his Samurai sword to Lieutenant Colonel Howard G. Kurgis(sic) USMC, at Saipan, Mariana Islands on Saturday morning, December 1, 1945. Oba and 46 other Japanese soldiers and sailors finally gave up after hiding out in the jungles and coral caves of Saipan for almost 17 months. They were the last of the once-mighty force of 30,000 Japanese military personnel either killed or captured since U.S. forces invaded Saipan on June 15, 1944.

[Bryan Stotts]

Thanks Alec.

 

I assume you are the same Alec who wrote Grunt Gear? If so, I met you years ago at your house when I went there with my buddy, Lu. You signed my copy of your book.

 

A limited procurement of M1936 suspenders for the Marines pre-war makes sense as a stop-gap while the M1941 gear was being developed.

 

S/F

 

Bryan.

[Alec]

3 minutes ago, Bryan Stotts said:

Thanks Alec.

 

I assume you are the same Alec who wrote Grunt Gear? If so, I met you years ago at your house when I went there with my buddy, Lu. You signed my copy of your book.

 

A limited procurement of M1936 suspenders for the Marines pre-war makes sense as a stop-gap while the M1941 gear was being developed.

 

S/F

 

Bryan.

Was is Lu Deleforte? Would have been overv20 years ago.

[Bryan Stotts]

That was us. Lu and I are still best pals, and he's still living in SOCAL.

 

I think I met you when we visited just before I had gotten out of the Infantry out at Camp Pendleton and did a lateral MOS move into the EOD field.

 

I still have that copy of your book that you signed and reference it often.

 

Thanks again for that, and it's good to know you are still alive and kicking. I will let Lu know you are on the forum.

 

S/F

 

Bryan.