The Rooster Posted December 2, 2020 Share #1 Posted December 2, 2020 Greetings, I scored this today. A 1953 USMC Mitchell pattern shelter half. I was hemming and hawing over whether not to buy this.... But after some searching the only one I could find was a repro for the same price, so I figured they are hard to find and it was worth what I paid for it. Could an admin please fix my title... ? Should be shelter half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Flage Guy Posted December 2, 2020 Share #2 Posted December 2, 2020 😵 These Mitchell-pattern halves are scarcer than W.W.II Marine Halves...and with the tag, no less!!!! You scored big, IMO 👍👍👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M422A1 Posted December 3, 2020 Share #3 Posted December 3, 2020 I think I have two of these packed away somewhere. I don't see them for sale very often. I am surprised that they are being reproduced! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted December 3, 2020 5 hours ago, 'Flage Guy said: 😵 These Mitchell-pattern halves are scarcer than W.W.II Marine Halves...and with the tag, no less!!!! You scored big, IMO 👍👍👍 1 hour ago, M422A1 said: I think I have two of these packed away somewhere. I don't see them for sale very often. I am surprised that they are being reproduced! Thank you Flage guy... I thought these were scarce. They are being reproduced in China...... like everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Flage Guy Posted December 3, 2020 Share #5 Posted December 3, 2020 Being made in China, I wonder about the quality of these repros... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisusa1 Posted December 3, 2020 Share #6 Posted December 3, 2020 Very scarce, only made for a short period of time. Great score! -Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted December 3, 2020 Thank you all for the comments and thank you Matt for fixing the title !!! Im happy with this. Hopefully someday I can find another. I had a feeling it was a rare bird. Thank you for the confirmation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manayunkman Posted December 3, 2020 Share #8 Posted December 3, 2020 Never seen one. Excellent!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share #9 Posted December 3, 2020 1 hour ago, manayunkman said: Never seen one. Excellent!! I had never seen one either. And I really like the Mitchell pattern. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted December 3, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted December 3, 2020 Would this pole and stake set go good with this shelter half? I'm thinking there were plenty surplus WW2 poles and stakes still around in 1953? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collector Posted December 5, 2020 Share #11 Posted December 5, 2020 Those would work. Just about anything issued before the shelter half was made would be OK. All the various poles I have are WW2 and some survived my childhood and came from Marine stores including a couple of the folding ones. The attached shot shows Marines using the folding pole 1n 1941. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collector Posted December 5, 2020 Share #12 Posted December 5, 2020 The pic shows that those poles would be correct for a Marine shelter half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collector Posted December 8, 2020 Share #13 Posted December 8, 2020 Now you will need these. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share #14 Posted January 8, 2021 I just got this one. Its in real good shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWW Posted January 8, 2021 Share #15 Posted January 8, 2021 Boy have you been beating the bushes! Great find to give you a matching pair!! When the weather is fit, post a couple of pictures of it up!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted January 8, 2021 Author Share #16 Posted January 8, 2021 Yes Sir ! That is the plan ! I have 2 sets now of the WW2 poles and stakes and I have some ropes coming in. And with this half, I have a whole tent. I'l set her up this Spring and post some pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWW Posted January 8, 2021 Share #17 Posted January 8, 2021 I can't wait to see the bivouac area you set up! There is another post of the straps, I assume the "w/straps" on the label is referring to. Do you have those yet? Field gear like this is completely out of my wheelhouse! I do love seeing it and hearing about it and being happy for a fellow collector who finds things like this. If you found something for your collection, then there still has to be things out there for my collection!!! What would the straps have been used for? If it was just to put around the shelter half to keep it rolled neatly, I could see a lot of Marines "forgetting" to pick them up after the first time or two they took them off. When the Shoe Leather Express is your primary mode of transportation, the less unnecessary item you have to carry, the better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArchangelDM Posted January 8, 2021 Share #18 Posted January 8, 2021 Rare and desirable Dave great snag brother Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Rooster Posted January 16, 2021 Author Share #19 Posted January 16, 2021 This is a complete set now. Both halfs are in excellent condition with the one on the right seemingly un issued. Its minty. They both have WW2 folding poles and wooden stakes and are fitted with ropes. Being from 2 diff. makers, the colors are a bit different. The one on the left I have found only 3 very small holes in it. The one on the right has no holes. Neither one is ripped. The one on the right is still trailing a lot of thread ends and its really new looking tag and all. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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