can anyone find so pics of it being used in WWII, i hear there are about dozen that exist but ive had no luck finding them. My uncle was in the 2nd Armored Division during WWII and his gunner aquired one befroe they shipped out to england, he gave it to my uncle during the sicily campaign and he lost it when he was captured during the battle of the bugle. Pretty awesome story he told me two years ago

I just picked one of these up yesterday-that's how I found this thread. I could post some pictures tonight, but it's probably not necassary as there's already a few on here. Great info on here guys.

Mine is marked OMO 1917. Soiled on the outside, and the back looks like it held a book. Picture a bible or something of that nature with rounded edges.

Here is an image I found intermixed in with some other ordnance images that might further help this discussion dated May 1917

After re-reading the thread again one interesting point brought up was the absence of this pouch in QMC files and it should be noted I found this image in Ordnance files. This might be semi significant in identification of its intended purpose.

I got to thinking about the Ordnance connection and tried a BAR leather spare parts box in one of the pouches. It almost fits, but not quite. Another thing that no one has mentioned is why the 4 grommets are on the back of the pouch? None of them are located low enough to be an effective drain for water. Are they there to tie the pouch down and keep it in place?

If the pouch designed in 1916, the grommets on the back might have been intended to accept a rawhide thong, like the one that was initially used to attach the early half-moon shaped meat can pouches to the early haversack's flap ... Note the grommets on the back of this early meat can pouch that was sold by Bay State Militaria.

 

Also the so called "pouch for small article" probably fell under the domain of the Ordnance Department because they manufactured all of the Army's squad tools (shovel, hand ax, pick/mattock, wire cutters, etc.) as well as their carriers. The small articles pouch possibly fell into the same category because, like the tools, the items carried in the pouch were also shared by the squad.

I've read somewhere that the four grommetrs on the back of footpowder pouch were intended for aereation.

Artu 44, that's definitely another possibility. It would be nice to know for sure what the purpose of the grommets were ... drainage, ventilation, attachment???

As an observation and has been noted the placement of the grommets serve no real "drainage" advantage, one grommet at the bottom would be sufficient but four symmetrically placed? this leads you to deduce that there is an intended purpose. The two at the bottom you could make an argument for but the two at the top. The other point about "ventilation" does not make sense to me either, what other items of field gear have "ventilation" grommets? and four ventilation holes for a pouch that size? That's a lot of engineering to assure foot powder is stored in an optimal environment don't you think? .......just some thoughts.

Dustin, I agree with all of your observations. If the distance between the two rows of grommets was the same as that of the grommets found on the early meat can pouch and early haversacks, that would very likely indicate that the grommets were meant to be used to lace the pouch for small articles onto the haversack flap. But ... as I said, everything depends on the spacing between the grommets being the correct distance.

If the pouch is to be laced onto the haverscack, long strap and hook would have no sense. Actually they intended to hook it on the tab.

The hook and strap may have been intended to attach the pouch to a pistol or cartridge belt and allow it to hang just under the first aid pouch.

 

Until more information is found, we must all bear in mind that all of the above suggestions are, for now, just unproven theories, and any one or all of them could be proven correct or incorrect.