Hi, picked up a box of items including these things in the two pictures below along with a nice BAR belt, mountain rucksack, and some civilian slings I believe. Is the first picture w/ammo label a BAR bandolier? If so can anyone tell me more about it? Also, the third picture is of a burlap-type bag and I don't know if it is US military or homemade. It does have a faint stamp under the 46 that I can't read. Have you seen one before? thanks Tim

 

Here is the burlap bag - thanks Tim

 

Your bandoleer is a standard item used for 30-06 rounds. Follow this link for other examples:

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...mp;hl=bandoleer

If I remember correctly the burlap bag is a gas mask bag and I think it was Swiss but can't be sure. They were available in the thousands in surplus store 20 years ago and no one wanted them.

Hi, picked up a box of items including these things in the two pictures below along with a nice BAR belt, mountain rucksack, and some civilian slings I believe. Is the first picture w/ammo label a BAR bandolier? If so can anyone tell me more about it? Also, the third picture is of a burlap-type bag and I don't know if it is US military or homemade. It does have a faint stamp under the 46 that I can't read. Have you seen one before? thanks Tim

 

 

The Bag is for a Civilian Fixed Canister Gas Mask, IIRC British

 

C.6 Special Service Respirator I had bought one in 1983 in Texas just for less than 10 Bucks new.

 

The White Tape carry strap had sewn in pleats to allow for lengthening.

The burlap bag is British (and/or Canadian), originally intended to carry civilian gas masks, then also used for other civil defence items. Later still, they show up general purpose carrying bags in the military -- I recall a photo of them stuffed with loaves of bread in Italy and in a jeep apparently for on-board equipment.

Thanks everyone for the information. I thought that since the bandoleer had ten round cardboard holders it was for a BAR and didn't even think about 1903 use. I have M1 8 round bandoleers so I'm familiar with the 8round version. I looked at the bandoleer link Craig listed http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ind...mp;hl=bandoleer and saw that bandoleer also had the black coated brass? safety pin attached like mine. What is up with the pin? Did they fasten the bandoleer to the uniform to keep it from bouncing or some use like that? Thanks again Tim

That was one use of the safety pin, but more to affix it high or low enough for easy access to the ammo. The same effect was generally achieved by tying a loop in the tape to shorten the bandolier. Many GIs saved the pins after using up the ammo -- for use as safety pins! One use of such saved safety pins was as field expedient hand grenade pins. I fone had pulled the pin, dropped the pin and then dwecided not to throw the grenade, such a pin helped render it safe, until future use