Jump to content

Unusual M1967 suspenders or something else?


USMC_ROB
 Share

Recommended Posts

I picked up these suspenders today and when I got them home realized that they are different from my other M1967 nylon suspenders. They have snaps on the back straps and strange mini Davis type buckles on the front. They need a little cleaning bit are otherwise in decent shape. Another unusual aspect is that the markings are stamped on the top side of the harness straps. Check out the pictures and please let me know what you think.

4E0D1BD6-CEA8-4E2B-954C-17AE9E9113B7.jpeg

6B929E58-F48E-456B-ACB1-602F49E9153B.jpeg

38135958-CAA4-430D-A537-97F483F38578.jpeg

24F79838-6191-4E1D-A8FE-F479115FCFF1.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those are the suspenders for the USMC M1967 load bearing equipment.  The hooks and snaps correspond to a special butt pack.  There is also a small haversack that was part of the system.  The mini Davis buckles are quick releases.  Marine Corps equips for amphibious operations.  The design allows a Marine to quickly get out of is gear if he falls in the drink while climbing into a landing craft.

 

 This gear is well documented on the Forum.  It was developed in the early 1970s, but never widely issued and consequently hard to find. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, GUDMAR1975 said:

Those are the suspenders for the USMC M1967 load bearing equipment.  The hooks and snaps correspond to a special butt pack.  There is also a small haversack that was part of the system.  The mini Davis buckles are quick releases.  Marine Corps equips for amphibious operations.  The design allows a Marine to quickly get out of is gear if he falls in the drink while climbing into a landing craft.

 

 This gear is well documented on the Forum.  It was developed in the early 1970s, but never widely issued and consequently hard to find. 

Thank you, I'll do some digging around the forum. If you have any links it would be appreciated. I'm somewhat familiar with the nylon M1967 gear made to replace the M1956 gear, but had never heard or knew about special USMC M1967 gear other than there is a nylon version of the M1941 pack. So this gives me some new stuff to get familiar with!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a link to a post I did a long time ago about the USMC M1967 gear.

 

 

 

What you have is the most difficult piece of the set to find. The Combat and Cargo packs are rare but the suspenders are nearly impossible to come by. Yours is maybe the fourth or fifth set I've seen in many many years of collecting. One of the oddities of this set is that the suspenders are contract dated 1968 and the packs are contract dated 1970. Excellent find!

Tim

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The June 1971 Leatherneck Magazine has a few photos of the gear and a small article but information on the testing or actual use is scarce.

Tim

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry to keep adding to the post but there is one more oddity with these suspenders as well. If you notice there are two slots on the horizontal back strap. I read somewhere ( long forgotten where) that the Marines wanted to carry the entrenching tool on the suspenders attached to the shoulder strap. What's odd is that the spacing of the slots on the M1967 USMC suspenders ONLY correspond to the M56 nylon experimental entrenching tool carrier. This carrier had a unique swivel attachment and wider spaced belt clips. The standard M1956 and M1967 Army e-tool carriers don't fit. It's my belief that the Marines got a hold of a set of the Army M56 nylon test pieces and used the e-tool carrier as a pattern for the slot spacing. When the tri-fold e-tool was adopted in 1967 the need to carry the tool on the shoulders as opposed to the belt went away but the slots were never changed.

Tim

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for posting up those links Keystone, it's exciting to discover something new that is also from my same branch of service. I'm also glad to have the suspenders first, since it appears they are so difficult to find! Gives me hope that I may be able to put together a display set over time. The fun is in the searching and finding, the knowledge is necessary to know what one is looking for! Thank you again for the links! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took some more pics for anyone that might need the information. Note that on one strap it says "LOT 4" and I also thought it was neat that some of the Anchor marks on the clasps were rotated, one as much as 90 degrees from straight up and down. Also on the nomenclature marking, now that I know it says USMC at the end of the top line I can kind of see that, but it was stamped on while the fabric was wrinkled and is hard to read. If someone needs a more specific picture or other info, let me know and I'll post it.  

M1967 USMC - 5.jpg

M1967 USMC - 6.jpg

M1967 USMC - 7.jpg

M1967 USMC - 8.jpg

M1967 USMC - 9.jpg

M1967 USMC - 10.jpg

M1967 USMC - 11.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
Quote

Definitely a great score!   I just got my hands on the M-1967 USMC Combat Pack after decades looking.  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...