airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Share #1 Posted August 13, 2013 Basically a GI carried anything he himself wanted readily available without having to dig through his gas mask bag or pack like a woman looking for her lipstick. Things like can openers, toothbrushes, shoe laces/legging laces(if a GI wore jump boots or double buckles he would have carried shoe laces instead of legging laces), pay book, id book, id card, mail, K-Ration bits, socks, translation book, jeep cap and AMMO LOTS OF AMMO. Ammo was carried within the 2 bottom waist pockets(like on marine P-41's or M-43's) or in the slit pockets of the M-41 field jacket. Testimonies of multiple vets say that they were stuffed with ammo when they had it. Grenades were designated in one pocket if not both and then clips or magazines in another(larger type magazines like a thompson or a grease gun will not fit). There is alot of wrong in the use of rigger pouches on airborne stuff as well by some reenactors. According to vets they are to be used to hold the ammo but then when in battle CLIPS ARE TAKEN FROM THE POUCH AND PUT IN THE BOTTOM POCKETS ON THE JUMP JACKET. The clips are then taken from the open pockets not the pouch. The pouch is not used like the common 1923 cartridge belt. Some things not entirely commonly carried in pockets are boxes to toothpaste or shaving cream, playing cards, or boxes to anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brig Posted August 13, 2013 Share #2 Posted August 13, 2013 http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/128130-uniform-pocket-finds/?hl=%2Bpocket+%2Bfinds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share #3 Posted August 13, 2013 Thats also helpful but im saying more of war time era pieces than whats found years later but thanks for the link and the tread goes into it a bit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m151mp Posted August 13, 2013 Share #4 Posted August 13, 2013 it might interest you to read tim o'brien's "the things they carried", penguin books, 1990. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share #5 Posted August 13, 2013 Isnt the book about Vietnam? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bellasilva Posted August 13, 2013 Share #6 Posted August 13, 2013 Isnt the book about Vietnam?It is and it is a great book, although I didn't see anything in the post specifying only WWII items Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share #7 Posted August 13, 2013 Damn i thought i wrote WWII Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share #8 Posted August 13, 2013 I also have heard ita a great book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted August 13, 2013 Share #9 Posted August 13, 2013 The method you describe of en-bloc M1 clips being transferred to the lower pockets makes perfect sense. I have a fully loaded rifle belt with the internal straps for securing the clips. Even under no pressure whatsoever in the comfort of my man-cave, removing a clip isn't necessarily a "quick" operation as they are wedged in pretty tight. I can imagine a GI in wet combat conditions engaged in a firefight and needing a quick re-load having a problem with that. As you suggest, they would be much more readily accessible directly from the pockets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneboy506 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Share #10 Posted August 13, 2013 They would only take a few but leave some in i think you understood that just putting it out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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