The combat load of the American soldier, 100 years ago.

[Marchville1918]

Great pictures. The belts and rifles etc look pretty consistent from man to man, but look at the variety of leggings.

[Keystone]

I've added some new items to the collection since making this post. I've shown the shovel cover and pick mattock carrier before but recently acquired an original 1905 pattern pick mattock, as well as a 1906 dated ax carrier.

[Keystone]

2

[Keystone]

The pick handle and head are both marked "U.S." and are quite a bit larger than the 1910 model.

[Keystone]

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[Keystone]

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[Keystone]

Compared to the 1910 model.

[Keystone]

3

[Keystone]

The ax carrier is not the canvas type pictured in the 1908 manual but the earlier leather pattern.

[Keystone]

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[Keystone]

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[Keystone]

I know the original title of this thread refers to the "combat" equipment of the soldier but I also wanted to add the existence equipment as well. Although it was officially dropped from issue in 1902 the 1878 pattern blanket bag was still in use and being manufactured at least until 1911. This one is dated 1909. The shelter half poles are located as I've seen in period photos.

[Keystone]

The Blanket roll was the official method for carrying the "non-essential" equipment. It allowed the soldier to quickly drop the shelter half, blanket and poncho while keeping everything together for later retrieval.

[Keystone]

Here is the detail of the hand sewn buckle for the canvas tent strap to go through. The leather blanket roll strap set was adopted as a means of easily bringing the roll into the horseshoe shape for carrying. Note the large brass eyelet for the tent pole tip to go through while the smaller eyelet is for the guy rope. The smaller eyelet would be replaced on the 1910 infantry pattern half, and all subsequent Army pattern halves, with a canvas loop. The Marine Corps would continue to use the two eyelet pattern half up through the early 1950's Mitchell pattern tent.

[US Victory Museum]

Outstanding acquisitions!

 

When are you going to post photos of a mannequin in

field dress with accouterments?

[Keystone]

Outstanding acquisitions!

When are you going to post photos of a mannequin in

field dress with accouterments?

As soon as I get the mannequin, uniform, shoes and hat. Until then I'll let rayg show us the full setup!

Tim

[RustyCanteen]

Very nice!

[Marchville1918]

the original post for this section shows a round canteen which the member called a 1909 canteen. It has the hanger stitched to the canteen rather than hooked to rings on the canteen. Who can tell me more about this pattern canteen? I have seen a few like this but not many.

[Keystone]

See page 770.

Tim

http://books.google.com/books?id=VulXAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA770&dq=canteen+%22model+of+1909%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ssVVUtCbINKl4APIvgE&ved=0CD8Q6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=canteen%20%22model%20of%201909%22&f=false

[Marchville1918]

That answers my question exactly and I suppose it makes sense they would be scarce given that the 1910 gear came along the next year. Thanks again.

[Mitter2k1]

Great thread! I love all of the gear from this era leading up to WWI. Very informative and well done. Thanks for sharing

[dan_the_hun84]

VERY informative...I have always wondered what canteen was used in the era right before the M1910...I could swear I have seen some of this stuff in early WW1 pics?

[Marchville1918]

As to early WW1 pictures of this type gear---I have seen that too. There is a picture of a group of men identified as railway engineers on the dock at some French port with Krag rifles stacked and this early web gear with round canteens hung on the rifle stack. I suspect that it was rare but still seen early in the war with rear area troops. These engineers would have been among the first men to France because they needed to build railways to the American training areas. In the US the national guard probably started training with a lot of that older gear. I have seen a picture of our local national guard leaving for the Mexican boarder in 1916 all with the early web gear ( but at least they had 03 rifles).