M1903s on Range in WWI

[thorin6]

When I go to Antique Malls with my wife, I look for old stereoviews of the Spanish American War and WWI. Found one that was titled "Mess Time Out on the Rifle Range of a Southern Cantonment" that showed two stacks of M1903s, along with the soldiers eating chow.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the M1903s all had Kerr Slings. Then I looked at the rifle stack on the left, and at the left most rifle, and saw the scope. I assume this is a Winchester A5, but someone might be more knowledgeable about what this is.

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[Rick the Librarian]

Neat picture. The soldier on the right looks like he is wearing a cheap reproduction of the British "tin hat", later adopted as the M1917.

[Bolo Badge]

I believe they may be Marines as the man in the center appears to have an EGA device on his campaign hat and he does not have a hat cord.

[Calif-Steve]

No earplugs anywhere. Everybody got out with bad hearing!

[Jim Tarleton]

When I go to Antique Malls with my wife, I look for old stereoviews of the Spanish American War and WWI. Found one that was titled "Mess Time Out on the Rifle Range of a Southern Cantonment" that showed two stacks of M1903s, along with the soldiers eating chow.
Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the M1903s all had Kerr Slings. Then I looked at the rifle stack on the left, and at the left most rifle, and saw the scope. I assume this is a Winchester A5, but someone might be more knowledgeable about what this is.

That is a picture of a group of Marines eating at a southern cantonment (temporary military quarters) of unknown location, although it is probably France (due to the steel helmets if for no other reason, as the Marines were issued their steel pots upon arrival in France). Also, the Marines had "Camps" versus Army "cantonments" (33 Army cantonments in USA in WWI). In France, the Marines trained at numerous "cantonments". The rifle on the left is a Niedner type sniper rifle. The rear scope mount is mounted on the receiver ring and the mount knobs are too large to be commercial #2's.The orginal photo shows a much larger group of Marines and a chow wagon in the background.

The picture is part of the Keyston View Company Set of 1917 - 1918, picture #66 in the set of 100.

Just my humble opinion. It is a very interesting photograph to me for numerous reasons.

Semper Fi,
Jim

[Fredtheobviouspseudonym]

that's not one.

IIRC there were a number of firms that made various kinds of protective headgear for private sale to servicemen.

That must be one of them. It's not a 1917 or a British as the dome is far too high.

[Rick the Librarian]

I remember seeing a picture of Charlie Chaplin in a quickie war movie produced in 1918 - he had a helmet on that looked identical - as Fred said, the "dome" is way too high.

[Jim Tarleton]

that's not one.

IIRC there were a number of firms that made various kinds of protective headgear for private sale to servicemen.

That must be one of them. It's not a 1917 or a British as the dome is far too high.

Note the number of those pots in the original picture. There is a lot of them.

Now look at the previous picture of "Marines Through the Wheat". Note the Marine in the middle. He is wearing one of those odd pots with an AGE attached as are some of the other Marines.

Col. Catlain made note of the fact that the Marines were issued their steel pots upon arrival in France.

Only the Shadow knows, but there was obviously a variation of the 1917 helmet used by the Marines.

Jim

[Jim Tarleton]

Sorry about the lousy cropping. I can re-post any of the pictures with a better one if anyone desires.

Jim

[Mike in Wis.]

I think they may be very early Brodie Helments.... maybe the Type A which had a wider brim. Maybe they took their "steel hats" and squashed them a bit to make them look like the beloved felt campaign hats they wore previously... flattening out the brim even more.