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Simply Astonishing WWI Photo of Doughboy In Full Kit With Chauchat


19delta-uav
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I found this a few weeks ago and I have never been so excited about a photo. This is a large original WWI period photo showing a U.S. Doughboy in full it (including Chauchat magazine pouch on his left hip) and brandishing the much despised chauchat weapon. Simply astonishing. Do these come up often? I'm still trying to determine whether I want to keep it or let it go, as I've largely gotten out of the photo and paper collecting realm.

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post-3881-0-25531300-1383091727.jpg

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bob lamoreaux

Great photo! I am not sure how "despised" the Chauchat was as (if my senile mind recalls correctly) McBride seems to think it was an OK gun. Considering what we (the U.S.) had in our arsenal (for automatic weapons) in 1917-1918, it is a wonder that we were able to provide ANY "automatic rifle" type of firearms! And the "heavy machine gun" picture wasn't all that promising either. While the World War I (firearms) buff usually relies on books by Crowell (and, for the Lewis gun "debate", Crozier), a more detailed history can be found on-line in the hearing transcripts of the "Investigation of the War Department", a Congressional investigation. I highly recommend reading this hearing transcript to avoid falling into some of the misinformation promulgated by various arms "historians" who have the benefit of hindsight.

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