Barracks Bag, 4th Inf. Rgmt. Va. NG

[everforward]

Picked up this duffel bag recently 'cause it's right up my alley of interest.... It is a WW1-era duffel bag, ID'd to 1st Lieut. (later Capt.) Robert P. Stickley, 2nd Bn. 116th Infantry, and was a Dentist in the Regiment. He was from Lynchburg, Va. and had a private dentistry practice there all of his working life....he died in 1977 and is buried in Lynchburg as well.

 

The duffel bag had belonged to someone else previously in the pre-WW1/116th days as the markings of the 4th Infantry Regt. Va. National Guard appear on the opposite side. I took a pic of the markings on the inside as well, which is more than likely the maker mark on the bag....no military contractors marks that I can see.....my question is just much further back can the bag be dated to, and is it a typical style that was available and used....? Thanks for looking....

 

[everforward]

And the inner marking.....

 

[everforward]

Actually, I think the above pic is the marking on an entire bolt of fabric and maybe/maybe not the maker.......

[General Colt]

Nice find! Not very often do you find WWI 29th stuff.

[world war I nerd]

As near as I can tell, the Army first adopted a "Barracks Bag" for enlisted men in 1885. The specifications were changed in 1894, 1896, 1904, 1909, and then again in 1917 or early 1918.

 

According to my notes:

 

The 1896 Barracks Bag, size unknown, was made from brown cotton duck material.

 

The 1904 Barracks Bag measured 22 X 28 inches when laid flat and was made from white cotton duck material

 

The 1909 Barracks Bag measured 21 X 30 inches when laid flat and was made from olive drab cotton duck material.

 

Early in WW I, due to the urgent need for olive drab cotton cloth of all types, wartime Barracks Bags were made from blue denim material. The 1917 or 1918 Barracks Bag measured 24 X 27 inches when laid flat.

 

Period photos show that white (1904), olive drab (1909) & blue (1917 or 1918) Barracks Bags were all used during the war. Earlier Barracks bags may also have been used during WW I, but I have no evidence showing that this was so.

 

The 1904, 1909 & 1917 Barracks Bags were all closed by means of a drawstring sewn into the top of the bag. They did not have metal eyelets, such as your bag. In regard to the earlier 1885 & 1894 Barracks Bags, I can't say as I have no information on either.

 

The 1904 White (left), 1909 OD (center), & 1917 Blue (right) Barracks Bags in use circa 1917 to 1919.

 

PS ... I've seen bags similar to the one posted above referred to as a "Laundry Bag", but I have no information on such a bag. I've also seen a early 1918 dated photo of a WW I era Marine sitting next to a white canvas "Sea Bag" / "Laundry Bag " with metal eyelets around its top edge. Not sure if that bag was a USMC issued "Sea Bag" or if it was the so called "Laundry Bag" or if it was something else.

 

Barracks Bags of any pattern were not technically issued to commissioned officers of the Army by the Quartermaster Corps. Officers were required to purchase their own storage & traveling luggage. Most opted for a "Trunk Locker" and a "Clothing Roll or "Clothing Bag". This by no means rules out the fact that an officer could have acquired a barracks, sea or laundry bag in which to pack his overseas belongings.

[world war I nerd]

1909 OD Barracks Bag (left) & 1917 Blue Denim Barracks Bag (right) - Photos courtesy of Griffin Militaria.com (left) & Bay State Militaria.com (right).

[Brian Keith]

Very interesting topic. Thanks WW I Nerd for sharing your notes!

BKW

[everforward]

WW1 Nerd, great post..! Thanks for all of that, very informative....

 

In light of what you have said, I have to theorize that it may be of earlier manufacture and not a barracks bag, but maybe used as some sort of personal storage. I measured mine, and from the bottom seam to the top lip is 44" while the width laying flat is 28", much larger than any of the bags you have posted info about. This bag is not a lightweight, it is canvas...almost feels like some of the early Mills gear I've handled, pretty tough.....also re-purposed from an earlier time (Mexican Border service or earlier) and re-named to Stickley...

[robinb]

Here are a couple from my collection. The brown one is unmarked. The white is unit marked to the 159th Infantry.

 

[world war I nerd]

Everforward,

 

I have a feeling that your bag might be a laundry bag. I know I read something about laundry bags somewhere, but I didn't make any notes. At the time laundry bags weren't of great interest to me. I'll see if i can dig up anything on the earlier Barracks Bags to see how they compare to your grommeted bag.

 

Does anyone have any information on WW I era "Laundry Bags" - if there was such a thing?

 

It would also be nice to see what a WW I era USMC "Sea Bag" looked like ... Does anyone have one or at least a photo of one they can post?

 

RobinB, nice additions ... Thanks for posting the images. Just for the heck of it, when you have time, could you post the measurements (height & width) of your bags?

 

In the meantime here's a photo of troopers from the 5th Cavalry Regiment circa 1915 or 1916, moving or doing something with their Barracks Bags. The bags all appear to be of the OD 1909 variety.

[world war I nerd]

To this day, I've yet to come across a clear shot of a WW I era Barracks Bag.

 

This is a less than clear shot of 1st Division Barracks Bags on the move in France. It must be a MG Co. as a couple of the men are wearing Bolo Knives. These bags also look to be 1909 OD bags, but I suppose they could be blue denim.

[world war I nerd]

31st Brigade HQ Company on the move with what are probably blue denim Barracks Bags.

[world war I nerd]

As it turns out, I did have a photo of a USMC Sea Bag that was posted elsewhere on the forum. However, I did not note who the original poster was. By the way, that's a padlock at the top of the bag.

[world war I nerd]

Overseas probably thousands of Barracks Bags were lost, stolen, destroyed or fell simply apart (the first batches of blue denim Bags were made with under-strength thread which caused them to split at the seams when handled).

 

Anyway, any Doughboy or Marine whose Barracks Bag went missing would need a replacement. Rather than waste valuable cargo space shipping bundles of Barracks Bags to France; it might have been easier to purchase replacement bags from the French or British Governments. I'm not saying this actually happened, because I don't know ... but it's a possibility.

 

I'm posting this photo of a 1913 dated British "Kit Bag" just in case one turns up as part of a Doughboy or Marine grouping from the Great War. I've placed the unknown white bag that started this post next to it because of its similarity.

[world war I nerd]

In the lower right hand side of this image of USMC & French photographers is an unknown dark colored, barracks bag? - sea bag? - equipment bag?, which is clearly named to an American.

 

I've no idea if this bag was Army, Marine or Signal Corps issued ... Or if it was privately acquired by its owner.

 

If nothing else, it shows that storage bags other than those shown above were in use during that time period.

[solcarlus]

Bonjour.

 

my contribution

 

 

[solcarlus]

...

 

[world war I nerd]

Socarlus, great addition ... thank you.

 

If you can make out the specification number on the tag sewn onto your blue denim barracks bag (it looks to be just above the contract number), could you please post is, as I don't have that specification number and would like to add it to my notes.

 

Also the tag's location would be useful too.

 

Thanks in advance ...

[solcarlus]

Hi WWIn

 

The location

 

 

Specification number:

 

# 100?

 

solcarlus.

[world war I nerd]

Thanks Socarlus,

 

Could the Spec No. possibly be "1008"?

 

If so, that would indicate that the 1909 Barracks Bag, Specification No. 1008, adopted on February 11, 1909 was made from blue denim, not olive drab cotton duck, which is what I had written in my notes.

 

It could be that my notes and what I posted above are both incorrect.

 

A 1917 spec. no. would be in the 1200 range and a 1918 spec. no. would fall in the 1290 to 1300 plus range.

[Tennessee]

This is a cool thread as it addresses an item of equipment all the doughboys used but which is not very commonly saved in the groups we as collectors/historians are able to find them to preserve for posterity. I suspect they were so utilitarian as to have been used for other things after the war until they were destroyed- like most of the shoes! Thanks for sharing so much of this research!

David

[solcarlus]

Could the Spec No. possibly be "1008"?

Maybe, but I'm not sure.

 

Contract# 1544 (subject)

 

Date Oct 21/17

 

Another bag, but I don't know what it means "PRG 100 HOLD"? :

 

 

[world war I nerd]

Thanks again Solcarlus.

 

Neat bag that was once owned by Quartermaster Sergeant E, H. Barkley

 

Do you (or anybody else) know if the "FHS - 339 & Horse Head" stencil was a reference to an AEF Veterinary Field Hospital?

 

Is that "PKG or PRG 100 Hold" ... maybe the location or compartment below decks in the transport ship's hold?

 

Ft. Collins, Colorado was likely the bag's destination in America or where it was to be sent if lost.

 

Here's another blue denim Barracks Bag with the word "Hold" stenciled on it.

[solcarlus]

Bonjour WWIn.

 

This isn't "FHS" but "FRS".: Field Remont Squadron. I appreciate the horse head

 

 

Service of Supply unit

 

solcarlus.

[kfields]

Here is a duffel bag that belonged to WW1 soldier Sgt Melvin Dennie of Company K, 349th Infantry. The bag came with a rather complete grouping. It measures 18 inches at the opening and is 36 inches long. It has two metal eyelets. The fabric is a rough, heavy cotton weave. Color is an odd brown, mustard color. I suppose it could be OD.

Thanks for looking!

Kim