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WWI Calvary Saddlebag Repourposed into Briefcase


Jeff TX
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An estate auction treasure trove yielded a calvary marked canteen on a web belt, several sets of spurs, a complete mess kit dated 1918, leather leggings, an officers aluminum first aid kit w/ syringes & drug viles, and half a saddle bag repurposed into a briefcase.

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That's really nice. I've seen a other examples done like this. Cav saddle bags used to be so cheap that they were easily converted to hand baggage like this. I had someone try to tell me that this was an issue thing for dispatch riders, but that's baloney. It is what it is. Thanks for sharing

Tom Bowers

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Nice score! Those syringe kits with the vials are hard to find these days. Bannerman used to sell the saddle bag with an attached leather handle for use as a school book bag. It's in a reprint of the 1927 catalog I have, along with the bag. Please post pics of the other items when you can.

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Thanks for additional pics. Are the vials in the syringe kit labeled? Also, the chains on the spurs look to be original, they're often missing or changed. AB= August Buermann. Thanks.

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GWS thanks for the feedback. The three vials all have green labels from WM. R. WARNER &CO: Strychinine 1-60 gr; Apomorhine 1-12 gr, and Nitroglycern 1-50gr.

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This canteen was issued but the cork inside is not soiled from use.

Spurs have crisp "U.S." over "A.B." on inside of heel.

Those look like Signal Corps markings on the canteen cover. "MM," a state militia maybe?

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I don't think they are signal corp rather 2nd Mounted Division. Here's some pictures of the mess kit from the same estate sale.

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What was the "2nd Mounted Division?" Not a Regular Army unit in WW1 or after. There was a 2nd Cavalry Division active from 1921-1941 and 1943-1944.But,cavalry would have crossed sabers as a marking on the canteen cover, which yours does not. Those look like crossed Signal Corps wig-wag flags to me.

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ATB I appreciate your comments. I may have called out the wrong organizational name however, I believe the WWI collection of officer's spurs, medical kit, black leather leggings (from the same estate sale) to have once belonged to the medical officer. I believe the 2nd Calvary Regiment landed in France in April 1918 and was the only unit to reach the battleline still in the saddle.

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Cavalry, please. Calvary has religious and biblical meanings. 2nd Cavalry Regiment provenance notwithstanding, the markings on the canteen cover do not resemble cavalry markings with which I am familiar. Perhaps he was state militia before his WW1 service or those are some as yet unkown unit markings. The research should be fun.

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That's a standard M1910 Canteen Cover, not an M1912 Mounted Cover and any unit on horseback, like the 2d Cavalry, would have had mounted equipment. The markings are not cavalry. As ATB pointed out, they are not crossed sabers as they should be for cav, but appear to be signal flags. The leather leggings and spurs also do not indicate that an officer was in a mounted unit. All officers were still expected to be able to ride a horse, at least in theory, and have the appropriate accoutrements, like spurs.

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B229 and atb- I really appreciate both of you taking the time to inform me about my recent estate sale find! I will now take the path you revealed and research Ohio militias. Thank You! Best Regards-Jeff

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