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(Medical) backpack


Peter B
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Hy Flage Guy,

 

I have the Yukon style pack-board on my shopping list, and therefore I am very curious about the webbing versus leather reinforcement, do you have some pictures ?

 

Thanks, Peter.

 

 

Don't have too many photos of the Packboards sitting around here, but enough to help out a little.

 

Here is one made in 1942 by Osborn & Ulland, Inc. ...leather reinforcements at the sides, cloth trim at the entry for the shoulder harness.

post-3226-0-39373500-1457118615.jpeg

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The shoulder harness is made of web Pistol Belting; the buckles are the 1912 Anchor Brand slide-locks.

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With the Pack partially pulled down, showing the method of backpad tensioning.

Also note the lashing rope tied to the upper horizontal brace.

post-3226-0-91812500-1457120839.jpg

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The makers' stamp, located in Seattle, Washington.

 

More photos to come...

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Thanks a lot fore the explanation, its clear with me what you meant! And now I know, I will pay much more attention on the militarya fair tomorrow :) You are a serious pack board collector, in photo three I see four of them.........

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LOL...I guess you could say I'm serious about Packboards; I think I have about 9 of them, including a Plywood model made in December of '43.

 

Below is a more common Yukon, this one stamped "BOYT -43-" inside. Leather reinforcement is used throughout, and the steel caps at the top of the uprights have been eliminated.

post-3226-0-13681200-1457165562.jpeg

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Here is a better shot of the Yukon Board with all fabric reinforcement, made by Huttig Sash & Door Co. in 1943.

post-3226-0-38121100-1457165973.jpeg

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Don't have too many photos of the Packboards sitting around here, but enough to help out a little.

 

Here is one made in 1942 by Osborn & Ulland, Inc. ...leather reinforcements at the sides, cloth trim at the entry for the shoulder harness.

 

'Flage Do you know if Osborn and Ulland made the canvas and then subcontracted the frames or are there other variations of the same manufacture? I too have an Osborn same as yours with leather on the side reinforcing and canvas trim around straps with anchor buckles but tops of frame are bare wood with no steel capping, and it does not appear it ever had metal caps, think this was a mod to save metal for war effort?

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Ski, thanks for that input. So there is a variant among the '42 Yukons then, and the most sound explanation would be (IMO) that they weren't necessary at the upper end, and as you suggested, conservation. I have a few "BOYT -43-" Boards, and non of them has the upper caps, and the "Huttig Sash" with web reinforcements doesn't even have them on the bottom (I'm guessing that this was the last variant of the Yukons).

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It's the other way around. The metal caps were added to protect the wood, not conserve metal. Field use proved that the wood was prone to damage.

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There was no yukon backboard on the fair, i dit find a few nice items and this early (1941) rucksack is one of them, sadly its missing the cushions on the suspenders and lower back. And the hip strap has been repaired and shortened.

 

 

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I love this Forum. Learn something new all the time. I have two Yukons, After reading this posting I got them out and found one has the cloth reinforcements and the other has the leather reinenforcements. Awhile back I found my plywood packboards were different also. Thanks people

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Also found a Bag clothing waterproof 6-6-44 (made on d-day) A usmc ammo pouch and a Dust gun 1944 . :)

 

 

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Lieutenant, the pleasure is ours! Does your fabric-reinforced Yukon have metal caps on the ends of the uprights? Mine has none, for some reason.

 

Peter, looks like you hit a good show; some killer stuff you snagged! The seller had the Rucksack's suspension rigged upside-down, however, but it looks like all the components are there. Nice Pack!!

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Flage guy thanks for the info !!, when I bought the rucksack I dit notice that there was something strange about the webbing, just could not figure what :D Can you pherhaps tel me a little about the felt padding that is on the suspenders, was it something they added at the manufacture or was it issued along the way ?

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Peter, that's a good question, likely better answered by one who is more well-researched than I! All of the examples of these I have seen which were in nice condition thus far had these pads, and it seems to be the consensus of opinion that they were an original part of the Pack. The website I've linked below shows a pristine '41 Rucksack which has a pad on the waist strap as well as the shoulder harness. I've tried fitting a shoulder pad onto the waist strap, but it wouldn't happen...maybe this is a specially fitted pad only for that purpose..?

 

http://www.mountaintroops.us/history_rucksack.html

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Here are my 3 Yukon pack boards. One with no metal end caps, one has them just on the bottoms, and the last has them on both ends. All are dated 1942.

 

MVC-094S.JPG

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Here is a photo I took in a museum in Belgium, two soldiers carrying a yukon board with a very heavy load... The soldier last in the row carries a pack board with a metal cap on both ends.

 

post-161542-0-37186200-1457633555.png

 

 

 

 

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Maybe a cut-out (modified) DR-4 Wire Reel?

You could be right, is looks the same ! That is a rather clever way to reduce weight and to have visibility from the site when used in a a-frame or a rl-35, i love it !

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