Sabrejet Posted November 12, 2011 Share #1 Posted November 12, 2011 First-wave assault troops storming ashore on D-Day were issued M-1938 wire-cutters. They were carried in a variety of slightly different pouches...some British-made...some with flaps...some without etc. The set seen here is in mint condition. The transitional "two-tone" OD#3 /OD#7 pouch is actually '44 dated and the cutters themselves '43. They are still coated with a protective waxy compound. As for the wire? It's actually a piece of German barbed wire recovered from Utah Beach when Ken (General Apathy) and I were just taking a casual stroll. It's just the kind of thing such cutters were designed to cut. Who knows....they might even have done so on that fateful day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share #2 Posted November 12, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 12, 2011 Author Share #3 Posted November 12, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted November 13, 2011 Share #4 Posted November 13, 2011 assault troops storming ashore on D-Day were issued M-1938 wire-cutters. PG] Hi Ian, well I remember our day on Utah beach and a few other places that we also saw. The wax substance on your cutters is a Cosmoline type covering, I thought I would let you take a look at a pair that I have where the entire metal head has been submerged in a rubber - resin type covering, dry to the touch and almost opaque. The one side has been sliced off to reveal the manufacturer and the date, HKP 1944. :thumbsup: ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted November 13, 2011 Share #5 Posted November 13, 2011 Ken, you probably already know this but in case you don't... The HKP stands for H. K. Porter which is a company that is still in business today. They make electrical items from something as small as wire cutter up to giant transformers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted November 13, 2011 Share #6 Posted November 13, 2011 Ken, you probably already know this but in case you don't... The HKP stands for H. K. Porter which is a company that is still in business today. They make electrical items from something as small as wire cutter up to giant transformers. Hi Craig, good information I didn't know that, I will add that identification to a strung tag and attach to the cutters. Thanks, ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share #7 Posted November 13, 2011 Thanks a lot Ken. That's a pristine example! Ian :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted November 13, 2011 Share #8 Posted November 13, 2011 Excellent post, Sabrejet. The German barbed wire is cool addition to it. :thumbsup: Here is a fairly well know photo of Normandy in 1944 illustrating the cutters being worn by the troops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted November 13, 2011 Share #9 Posted November 13, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 13, 2011 Author Share #10 Posted November 13, 2011 Excellent...thanks GB! :thumbsup: (Ken probably knows the location of that street corner! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunbarrel Posted November 13, 2011 Share #11 Posted November 13, 2011 You are very welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted November 14, 2011 Share #12 Posted November 14, 2011 Thanks a lot Ken. That's a pristine example! Ian :thumbsup: Hi Ian, well here's three pair of M-1938 wire cutters in nice condition, however they are pliable all rubber models made for Band of Brothers, they were some of the items I had for sale after the end of filming. Take another look at the photo ' Gun Barrel ' has provided the guy featured has the wire cutters, a compass pouch, a first aid pouch and what appears to be two canteens one on each hip. :think: Not certain but I think that photgraph might have been taken in Cherbourg looking at the style of the building work and blockwork around the upper windows. ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share #13 Posted November 14, 2011 Hi Ian, well here's three pair of M-1938 wire cutters in nice condition, however they are pliable all rubber models made for Band of Brothers, they were some of the items I had for sale after the end of filming. Take another look at the photo ' Gun Barrel ' has provided the guy featured has the wire cutters, a compass pouch, a first aid pouch and what appears to be two canteens one on each hip. :think: Not certain but I think that photgraph might have been taken in Cherbourg looking at the style of the building work and blockwork around the upper windows. ken I knew you'd nail the location Ken Interesting movie props and indicative of the attention to detail...after all, all anyone would see of the cutters (if they even noticed them?) would be the tips of the handles protruding from the pouches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted November 14, 2011 Share #14 Posted November 14, 2011 Ian, it's still pretty distinctive when in the pouch and that's probably part of the reason for the extra detail. Nice examples. RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RustyCanteen Posted November 14, 2011 Share #15 Posted November 14, 2011 Ken, in the case of your cutters you are probably correct that it is a wax. RC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 14, 2011 Author Share #16 Posted November 14, 2011 Ian, it's still pretty distinctive when in the pouch and that's probably part of the reason for the extra detail. Nice examples. RC Fair comment Rusty. I once heard a movie stunt-man tell how Steven Spielberg was a real stickler for fine details in both SPR and BoB...even to the extent of insisting that the paratroopers carried M2 knives in the zippered pockets of their jump-jackets although they would never be seen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlan Posted November 15, 2011 Share #17 Posted November 15, 2011 Hi guys. I've been reading your forums for a couple of months now trying to get acquainted with how it's set up, and get to know some of the names and I really love this site. I collect WWII guns and belong to several military gun collecting sites but I also have a modest collection of WWII field gear and helmets. After reading through many threads; mostly in field gear and helmets, it’s clearly apparent there’s a wealth of knowledge here. I own many reference books about gear and helmets but they only cover a fraction of the practical experience and knowledge I’ve read here. I love to dig into things and learn all that I can and this site looks like the best place I’ve seen to learn. Anyway, please bare with me here while I attempt to post some photos. I have a set of these cutters with one of my sets of gear and I just took some photos so I could try to make my first post with illustrations. This is the set of gear that I have the cutters with - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlan Posted November 15, 2011 Share #18 Posted November 15, 2011 The markings on my cover aren't nearly as nice as the first ones Sabrejet posted but the pouch is in pretty good condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlan Posted November 15, 2011 Share #19 Posted November 15, 2011 I was glad to read what you guys had to say about the cosmoline and the plastic coating they put on these. It makes good sense considering the environment they were being subjected to. I had never looked at mine that close before and I thought the dark area was just old corrosion. When I looked closely it's just dirty cosmoline like I've seen on old guns. I feel better now about just leaving them as they are since the dark area isn't hurting anything - I usually don't like to mess with the things I collect because I've seen so many collectibles where people ruin them by 'improving' them. It was also interesting to learn about them being used on D-Day. It makes sense that they would be issued to troops landing there. Still trying to figure everything out. Thanks in advance for your patience. ~ Harlan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlan Posted November 15, 2011 Share #20 Posted November 15, 2011 I noticed the carrier posted by Ian was made by LEE and wanted to share this rather unusual combination of colors made by the same manufacturer.... Now, that 'transitional' really is interesting, Johan. I've seen one M1 carbine 'stock pouch' that was made like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share #21 Posted November 15, 2011 Now, that 'transitional' really is interesting, Johan. I've seen one M1 carbine 'stock pouch' that was made like that. Nice "minty" rig you have there Harlan...and welcome to the forum! :thumbsup: Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share #22 Posted November 15, 2011 @Johan... really unusual combo Johan...thanks for posting it. It demonstrates that web gear was simply assembled from the parts available at the time. Waste not...want not! It's only misguided collectors who insist on colour-coordinated gear!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted November 15, 2011 Share #23 Posted November 15, 2011 Hi guys. I've been reading your forums for a couple of months now trying to get acquainted with how it's set up, and get to know some of the names and I really love this site. I collect WWII guns and belong to several military gun collecting sites but I also have a modest collection of WWII field gear and helmets. After reading through many threads; mostly in field gear and helmets, it’s clearly apparent there’s a wealth of knowledge here. I own many reference books about gear and helmets but they only cover a fraction of the practical experience and knowledge I’ve read here. I love to dig into things and learn all that I can and this site looks like the best place I’ve seen to learn. Anyway, please bare with me here while I attempt to post some photos. I have a set of these cutters with one of my sets of gear and I just took some photos so I could try to make my first post with illustrations. This is the set of gear that I have the cutters with - Hi Harlan, that's a real nice set of web gear you have shown, definitely far better stuff than I ever found when I first started, and a very nice date of 1942 on your wire cutters, welcome to the topic. ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harlan Posted November 15, 2011 Share #24 Posted November 15, 2011 Thanks for the compliments guys! I have three field gear sets right now that I put together over the years. Each are about as complete as anyone would actually carry with bayonets, meat cans, etc. The third one still has a way to go to really be complete because it's Marine gear (mostly later WWII). I'll try to get a couple more pictures tomorrow of the sets. Probably won't break them down into too much detail here or I won't have anything else to show! ~ Harlan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted November 16, 2011 Share #25 Posted November 16, 2011 Excellent...thanks GB! :thumbsup: (Ken probably knows the location of that street corner! ) Ian, in post #8 above ' Gunbarrel ' added a great shot of American soldiers grouped in a street, you mentioned that I might be able to locate the street on which it was taken, I replied with my thoughts that it could possibly be Cherbourg. However this afternoon I trawled the streets of Carentan and came up with this first possibility, based purely on visual observation as any witness to this wartime scene are now getting hard to find due to the ages they would now be. I do intend to try and contact a store owner in Carentan that as a young boy in the 1960's was employed as an actor in the film ' The Longest day ' and has some knowledge of Carentan during the war and may recognise Gunbarrels photograph. I can only relate to the two windows above the store front, the block work around them, the block work on the left edge of the building, the window safety barriers ( possibly recent replacements ), the smooth brickwork between the two windows, the rainwater pipe over on the right-hand side of the store front. :think: The present store front has been extended forwards and the rainwater pipe routed around the extension, not easy to see with the evening shade and the bright neon lights, I need to return during daylight to retake a shot without the neon's working. Also to check around and see if there are any other options. Later this evening I will be adding another definite ' then and now ' photo comparison of Carentan to my Norman D Landing reports from Normandy. This was quite hard to achieve as the wartime shot was taken from an aircraft. :think: ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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