artu44 Posted January 30, 2007 Share #1 Posted January 30, 2007 I've heard of First Aid pouches modified to carry something different but this one, caught on ebay Italy, is quite an oddity. They unstitched a side and did a cut on the bottom adding a reinforcement to carry a hatchet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Greg Robinson Posted January 30, 2007 Share #2 Posted January 30, 2007 The question you have to ask is was the modification done while in military service or years later by a civilian making do with a surplus item. Here's a good example of a do it yourself modification. It started out as a USMC pistol magazine pocket marked "R M CO 1941". It was rigged into a single large pocket instead of two tubes to carry .45 pistol magazines. It baffled me for months until Carter Rila aka "webcat" suggested it might be an adaption to carry the lensatic compass. And guess what? the compass fits perfectly. Be typical of the frugal Marines to do this since they were always at the bottom of the supply chain. Quote **PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMMUNITY MEMBER, SADLY, HAS PASSED AWAY** http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/106069-rip-greg-robinson/ Link to post Share on other sites
craig_pickrall Posted January 30, 2007 Share #3 Posted January 30, 2007 The original hand ax covers were reinforced along the edge where the blade is. It will cut through the edge of that FA pouch fairly quickly as it is bumped and moves about in the pouch. Since the pouch isn't contured to the shape of the blade it allows more movement than normal too. If a GI shop did the modification I think they would have also reinforced the left edge as well. Quote PLEASE NOTE: THIS COMMUNITY MEMBER, SADLY, HAS PASSED AWAY Please click here to read the tributes to Craig Link to post Share on other sites
dustin Posted January 30, 2007 Share #4 Posted January 30, 2007 When I saw this thread I got a giggle. When I was a kid I did this same exact thing, went to the surplus store and bought a FA pouch and cut it to fit my hand axe. I did not put any reinforcment on it though. Quote Visit: https://wwiisurvivalequipment.com/ Link to post Share on other sites
Captainofthe7th Posted October 19, 2008 Share #5 Posted October 19, 2008 There's an entire barrel of these at my local surplus store....are they worth much? Rob Quote Exhausting & Dirty Work Interested in buying identified or re-searchable Korean War uniforms, groupings, medals and more. Link to post Share on other sites
'Flage Guy Posted October 22, 2008 Share #6 Posted October 22, 2008 Rob: If the ones at the surplus store are all identical to this one, they are worth something. There is no "U.S." stamp on the flap, indicating a Marine Corps item. Quote Support our troops...abandoning the War on Terror is not an affordable luxury.I'm so old, I still call W.W.II U.S. militaria "war surplus". God's blessings in the Name of our Lord Jesus- Jim Robertson Link to post Share on other sites
Corpl. Cleaver Posted October 22, 2008 Share #7 Posted October 22, 2008 Rob is talking about the modded first aid kits, not the .45 ammo pouches. Quote RIP Private Lester H. Scheaffer, 1913 - 1944. 29th Infantry Division, 175th Infantry Regiment, Company F. Killed In Action September 12th, 1944 in France RIP Sergeant Elwood F. Schaeffer, 1919 - 2001. 21st Engineer Regiment (Aviation) and 824th Engineer Aviation Battalion, attached to the Army Air Force in Iceland Link to post Share on other sites
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