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INFO REQ: Artist Illustration


CSkinner
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I have a different sort of request for some information. I've been a professional illustrator and military collector for over 30 years, so I have a good basic familiarity with the subject but some of the details are elusive. I currently have an assignment to illustrate a story about a newly-enlisted soldier (joined in April 1917) in the Connecticut National Guard.

The scene I am illustrating shows our subject with his two-day pass at an end and heading off on foot to pick up his two buddies who also had joined the Connecticut National Guard.

I am assuming that he wears the typical wool OD uniform with leg wraps, and the campaign hat (the overseas hat not yet being issued until arrival in France?)

The detail I need is fairly mundane. What would this soldier use to take his few personal effects back and forth from his base to home and back on a two-day pass?

A duffle bag seems too large and cumbersome but I'm at a loss to either find a reference for what smaller piece of military "luggage" would be used for what would amount to being an "overnight bag."

I very much appreciate any help or suggestions. Thanks!

- C. Skinner

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Experts will know more, but I am not so sure he'd have leg wraps in 1917. I think they were something we experienced once we got to know the war better, and think he may have had khaki cotton leggings something like those worn in WWII.

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Leatherneck72

There were smaller "ditty" type canvas bags that held smaller effects. A typical seabag is WAY too big for a weekend pass, so you are correct there. When reporting in, most soldiers and Marines brought a single hard sided suitcase (most likely leather in 1917) that was about a (2-3) day type carrying case. If traveling home on leave in civilian clothes, I would assume the leather suitcase would be taken on the train. My two cents...

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Leatherneck72

A good uniform study for the pre-war American fighting man is to look at issue items and period field images of the 1916 "Punitive Expedition" to track down Pancho Villa. That was considered by many to be America's dress rehearsal for the Great War in France.

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Hi!

 

 

It sounds like an interesting project you have going. Now it does help to know what your vision is, but it wouldn't hurt to know what month/year you are depicting. I gather this is stateside and he has not embarked for France. In that case canvas leggings will be a must. Since he is a member of the guard they probably had the 1910 or even 1908 pattern leggings on hand. Campaign hats would be correct. If this is shortly after enlistment then his unit may not have branch cords for the campaign hat yet, and may not have a full set of collar discs. Traveling home he could have taken a barracks bag only containing an extra pair of underwear and socks, in which case it would be pretty limp and not stuffed full. People back then didn't change their clothes real regularly..laundry day wasn't every day..so it's within reason to think he didn't take anything beyond cigarettes or a pipe & tobacco with him.

 

The best source for answers are always period photos too. If you can find any photos of your unit taken in 1917 it would give an extra bit of insurance instead of guesswork. Attached below is a typical recruit in 1917. It seems many units had trouble getting enough clothing due to the rapid expansion and demands of the Army. If your man is on leave in the first two or three weeks after enlistment it is possible he does not yet have his coat.

 

RC

 

 

24662v.jpg

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Thanks much all! I forgot to mention that I am already committed to a certain degree. The book I'm illustrating is an eBook which is a revised edition of the print book I illustrated 14 years ago. In that early book, I illustrated the subject at home in his wool OD uniform and with M1917 canvas leggings… so I'm committed as far as his uniform and leggings go. My decision was based on a photograph of the actual subject wearing that uniform, those leggings, and campaign hat. (no shoulder insignia is visible)
This new scene I will be drawing took place somewhere between his enlistment/training in CT( April 14, 1917) and his departure for overseas on the RMS Adriatic on October 27 the same year.

It just seemed "unmilitary" to me for him to be toting a civilian suitcase while he was wearing his uniform, and a partially-filled barracks bag heaved over his shoulder would look too sloppy for the image I'd like to convey for this soldier.
I know I'm trying to serve two masters; authenticity for this soldier (who was KIA at Chateau-Thierry in July 21, 1918) and artistic illustration, where I'd like to show a certain military bearing for this new recruit, now immersed in his military life and destined not to return home.

Would it be too inauthentic to show him with an earlier M1908 Haversack, perhaps issued by the Connecticut National Guard? Some research says that National Guard units even showed up in France using that model haversack.

Thanks!

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world war I nerd

As far as what a recruit might use to carry his personal effect home from a training camp goes ... the most logical carrying device would be whatever bag, box, hobo bindle stick, satchel or piece of civilian hand luggage that he used to carry it into the camp.

 

At some point during the basic training orders were generated informing each recruit to get rid of all of the non-regulation items like pajamas, bed sheets, civilian shoes, etc. that they brought into the training camp. Most men sent those items home in the case that they carried them in with, after all they couldn't take their suitcase overseas.

 

In this photo a number of the arriving recruits carry satchels, valises and small suit cases.

post-5143-0-08764000-1418690306.jpg

post-5143-0-52576900-1418690378.jpg

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world war I nerd

Another option would be a recruits clothing bag.

 

I had never heard of this article of equipment until recently and am not sure how widely they were used in the Army or if they were used at all by the State Militias and National Guard troops.

 

Apparently in 1910 a clothing bag was adopted by the Army and was issued to new recruits. It was provided so that they could carry all of their recently issued equipment until such time that were issued a haversack and pack carrier.

post-5143-0-73351800-1418690655.jpg

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wrap leggings would be wrong for 1917 most of the time, but oh heck- he maybe bought them as a private purchase thing.

 

So assume he is carrying a lot of stuff home for some reason. (maybe having mom tailor his uniform). He'd be carrying the blue denim laundry bag. Although I agree that for a 2 day leave he'd probably just have a small hand bag or satchel. They did not have 'duffel bags" in WW1.

 

the problem with getting rid of all- non issue items is that in 1917 they didn't have enough stuff, so a lot of civilian items continued to be used long into training.

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world war I nerd

One thing that every soldier was eventually issued to store his "surplus equipment" was a Barracks Bag. During the WW I era three types were used. Basically they were all the same. It was only the material from which they were constructed that changed. All three types were used throughout the war.

 

From 1898 to 1905 they were constructed from heavy white cotton canvas.

From 1905 until 1917 they were constructed from heavy OD cotton canvas.

From 1917 until ? they were constructed from blue denim material

 

In early 1917 it is unlikely that blue denim barracks bag would be used by National Guard troops, but anything is possible. It was not unusual for the National Guard units to use obsolete Army hand-me-downs, Therefore the white or OD barracks bags would be more appropriate for your man.

 

Here is an example of the OD and blue denim bag.

post-5143-0-43826600-1418691163.jpg

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world war I nerd

Here are some photos of barracks bags in use, which will help get the size right. By the way, the bags could be anywhere from half empty to filled to the brim.

 

Clockwise from upper left: OD Barracks Bags, White and OD or Blue Denim barracks bags, and OD Barracks Bags.

 

each Barracks Bag was eventually stenciled with the owners name, unit and serial number. In many case usually prior to being shipped overseas or back to the U.S. they were stenciled with additional information.

 

I hope this helps.

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This is my last post I can make this evening according to the rules of the forum, so I want to thank everyone for all the terrific information on this very minor bit of personal gear that I wanted to get correct for my illustration. Wonderful photos, World War One Nerd, Rusty Canteen, and great info, jgawne, Garandomatic and Leatherneck72, Thanks!

As I mentioned before, as authentic as the barracks bags are, they seem too "baggy" for the mood that I'd like to convey and I like the more formal and "official" look of the recruits clothing bag, so I think I'll be going with that. I'll post my preliminary pencil drawing (my final art is pen and ink) when I finish that in a day or two, to show you how it looks.

I'll see if I can add two links to photos of the actual soldier, Philip Edwards, who I'm illustrating the story of.

 

http://teachhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/PaintingofSoldiers.jpg

 

http://teachhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/philip.jpg

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This is my last post I can make this evening according to the rules of the forum, so I want to thank everyone for all the terrific information on this very minor bit of personal gear that I wanted to get correct for my illustration. Wonderful photos, World War One Nerd, Rusty Canteen, and great info, jgawne, Garandomatic and Leatherneck72, Thanks!

As I mentioned before, as authentic as the barracks bags are, they seem too "baggy" for the mood that I'd like to convey and I like the more formal and "official" look of the recruits clothing bag, so I think I'll be going with that. I'll post my preliminary pencil drawing (my final art is pen and ink) when I finish that in a day or two, to show you how it looks.

I'll see if I can add two links to photos of the actual soldier, Philip Edwards, who I'm illustrating the story of.

 

http://teachhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/PaintingofSoldiers.jpg

 

http://teachhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/philip.jpg

 

 

Hi,

 

 

Now that you have three posts you have been 'promoted' from Recruit to New Members; the limit should no longer affect you.

 

This is a fun project, and I really look forward to seeing your work. A few observations regarding the photos you inked to:

 

Photo 1: Is Mr Edwards the man on the left? If so he is wearing an officer's 'U.S.' device instead of an enlistedman's. That sometimes happened, but why he is wearing it would only have been known to him. He could have lost his enlisted 'U.S.' collar disc, or he may have decided the officer's device looked better. In that photo both men are wearing M1917 leggings.

 

Photo 2: (L) He is wearing a 1910 model cartridge belt with 'eagle-snap' fasteners. By the end of 1917 another fastener known as a 'Lift the dot' (or LTD) replaced the Eagle snaps. So the belt is without doubt pre-war. It must be windy based on his (black) tie flapping around, but it would have been worn either down or tucked into the shirt depending on the circumstances. The 1910 pattern leggings are being worn; more than likely this photo was taken in 1917 shortly after he enlisted. The long dark object hanging from his belt is a bayonet scabbard, based on the shape of which is probably a 1905 rather than 1910 pattern scabbard. See this link for more information about the scabbards: http://www.usmilitaryknives.com/bayo_points_43.htm

 

 

RC

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Hello Rusty Canteen, Thanks much for the promotion! I look forward to more activity on this great site.

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, Philip Edwards is the shorter man on the left. I noticed that collar device as well, and wondered the same thing. Being that it's also a heavily hand-colored photo, I was wondering if the officers "U.S." was an addition by the photo colorist/retoucher… but being that it's so obvious and clear, and his friend, (John Simmons, also of the CT National Guard) clearly has the disks, I'm guessing it was really there during the photo session. as you said, only Philip Edwards knew what the deal was.

 

I don't know if the photo originated on this side of the Atlantic or across the ocean.
Thanks much for the observation on the equipment! I will pass that on to the author of the book. His ancestor was Philip Edwards, and he'll be very interested to know these details. It adds very nicely to the overall story.
Looking at the colored photo of Edwards, it looks like he might be wearing the "Wool Service Coat, modified 1907 pattern, post 1912" according to the site, "DOUGHBOYS! The American Soldier in World War I". There's a very distinctive pointed chevron-shaped stitching on his cuff.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello All - I've finished the drawing I mentioned above in my earlier remarks, and I'll post that soon once I have the publisher's permission.. Another illustration in this project that I've been commissioned to do is one of the main subject with his other buddies in the Yankee Division on board the RMS Adriatic, leaving Hoboken harbor on the way to Europe. As I've been researching more on this topic of campaign hat vs. overseas cap, I've found a film of the AEF at Hoboken, "U.S. troops of AEF prepare to embark on ships at Alpine Landing in Hoboken, New Jersey" at "Critical Past." The date is sometime in 1918, and could admittedly be relatively late in the war.

It may be a very minor, fine point, and one not to be reliably discovered, but it'd be nice to know exactly at what point the troops were issued the overseas cap. It probably was an ongoing process with various troops receiving them at various stages and times.

My guess is that troops landing in the UK/Europe early in the war (November 1917, as my subject did) might have landed with their campaign hats and were then issued with the oversaes caps on that side of the Atlantic as they became available… but troops arriving later than that were issued with the overseas caps prior to leaving the U.S.
Like I said, I'll probably never be able to nail down the exact moment when the overseas cap was issued to Private Phil Edwards in the 102nd Infantry Regt., Company H, 26th (Yankee) Division - but for illustrative and visual continuity for the book, I think I may have to go with Phil wearing the campaign hat aboard the RMS Adriatic. We may never know if it's absolutely correct, but it's also not wildly inauthentic.

I'll see if I can post a still or a link here from "Critical Past." showing those troops departing Hoboken:

http://www.criticalpast.com/app_old/cpdata/65675024104/big/65675024104_000754_3.jpg

 

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The Overseas Cap was authorized by a Special Order in December, 1917. They didn't, however, decide on an official, authorized pattern until June of 1918. I think that your instincts are correct: Stateside issue of overseas caps occurred later in 1918.

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world war I nerd

According to a 26th Division History, overseas caps were not issued throughout the division until February 1918. As the 2nd Division to arrive in France, the 26th definitely would have arrived wearing campaign hats.

 

I recall a diary entry of one 102nd Infantry soldier who complained about the fact that he had missed getting a Red Cross knitted helmet (woolen toque) before embarking for France. He claimed that he wished he had one to wear as the campaign hat was too cumbersome for the narrow hatches and cramped passageways onboard the ship.

 

Later in 1918, when there were sufficient quantities of the overseas caps, the troops were issued overseas caps at the staging camps near the ports of embarkation as part of the "the full equipment for overseas". Depending on availability, the articles were comprised of hobnailed trench shoes, gasmask, steel helmet, overseas cap, extra socks & underwear, another blanket, foot powder, and a shaving kit.

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world war I nerd

For the record, the first pattern overseas cap was universally hated throughout the AEF, as it was poorly designed and made from woolen fabric that was entirely too heavy for the purpose. Because of this the shapeless caps were unsightly when compared to the British Tommy's Side Cap and the French Piolu's Bonnet de Police.

 

Due to the fact that the cap, which shielded the wearer from neither sun nor rain, replaced the beloved "Chapeu de cowboy", as the French called the campaign hat, the Doughboys nicknamed the shapeless head covering the "go to hell cap". Due to its unsoldierly appearance the first pattern caps were immediately withdrawn and a more stylish second pattern was developed.

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Many thanks, Cavdoc83 and world war I nerd… Your info basically seals the deal on the decision to go with campaign hats for the Yankee Division's trip across the ocean on the Adriatic. I'm working on that illustration now.

In the meantime, I'm posting the final inked illustration of the subject that began this thread, when I had asked about what sort of satchel or knapsack might have been used on a 2-day pass by our subject, only hours away from reporting for his orders for overseas duty.
What seemed to work best both authentically and visually was a recruit's clothing bag as suggested by world war I nerd along with a very helpful photo, Thanks again! You don't see too much of this bag because of the angle at which our subject is seen, but it's there nevertheless. This illustration shows Private Phil Edwards on his last day of his leave, the neighborhood kids running along with him as he heads to his buddies' houses to pick them up so they all can report for duty, more training and eventual shipping out for Europe a few months later.

post-124327-0-86601100-1419732406.jpg

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world war I nerd

Nicely done Courtney.

 

If you so desire, send me a PM, an I will send you a couple of photos which will allow you to add a couple of extra details to the shoes and coat.

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world war I nerd

Here is the 1912 Service Coat with the two rows of stitching, which distinguish this coat from the later 1917 Service Coat which was adopted by the Army shortly after war was declared. It's difficult to see in the photo, but in real life the stitching is much easier to see.

post-5143-0-37448800-1419813839.jpg

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Hello all,

As I finish another illustration on the subject of Private Phil Edwards' WWI experience, the next piece I'm commissioned to do portrays the few moments just before Phil Edwards was fatally wounded by an enemy artillery fragment. He was only 23 years old.

 

Private Edwards' mission when he was struck down was as a "runner" … I assume carrying a message of some sort from his unit to another.

The date was July 21, 1918 near Chateau-Thierry. Photos taken of his unit on those days show some men in their wool pullover shirts, others with the Service Coat. Some have helmets, others have the overseas cap (this photo I speak of is of men in his unit at rest and eating)

As a "runner" I am guessing that Phil would want to be as unencumbered as possible in order to make the trip rapidly and without overheating in the July weather.

I am thinking of showing Phil wearing his helmet, without his service coat but wearing his three-button wool shirt - not carrying his .03 Springfield, but wearing a pistol belt with a .45. Of course, almost any combination of uniform elements might be possible.

What I don't know is what form a "message" might take.

Would the message be memorized in order to not give the enemy any solid information if captured?

Would it be written in code on paper?

Would Phil have been carrying any sort of message case, or would that be a dead giveaway to snipers or patrols looking for prisoners?

Would the message be theoretically any of these?

Naturally, I'd like something visual to show that Phil was a "runner", but also, I do not want to overly dramatize this scene at the expense of historic authenticity.

Thanks for your thoughts!

- C. Skinner

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I vaguely recall something from "Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die" which is a WWI Marine account. It's a third person memoir of the war by a Marine that was there as a runner. I want to say he carried small slips of paper, but it's been almost ten years since I read the book. I do recall clearly that he was armed with a .45, and goes into detail about how oil was scarce and his buddies in the line (If I remember, he was made a runner from a line unit) gave him hell for using more than a few drops when he sat down with them and cleaned his piece.

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