US gear early WWII

[Harlan (Deceased)]

Below are three images taken during training just after the US entered WWII that I thought some might find of interest. Some of this early gear such as the denim fatigues has become very collectible and expensive.

This soldier is wearing the full M1928 infantry haversack with tail that was only a slightly modified version of the WWI pack and it was almost universally hated because of the difficulty packing it. It had to be disassembled to access gear inside. The old style blue denim fatigues were starting to be phased out as early as 1938 but the changeover to OD HBT wasn't completed until 1941. His helmet is the M1917A1 that was later replaced by the M1 helmet late 1941-1942. The M1917A1 was a modified version of the M1917 helmet of WWI, and it was only sightly improved with a better suspension system, and web chin straps with quick release hook buckle similar to those used on the later M1.




This mortar crew is wearing a mixture of the old blue denim and the new OD fatigues and they're wearing the new M1 helmet. The shells on the ground are painted in the early war yellow.




Early in the war, much of the training was based on experiences from WWI. Here two men attempt to cut their way through barbed wire wearing special gauntlets designed for the purpose. They're wearing the M1917 helmet and the faded web equipment is most likely left over from WWI, much like their bolt action 1903 rifles.

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