Howitzer tool kit????

[dimwittedmoose51]

Hi: I'm new to this forum and am asking your wisdom on a military tool kit I fond at a yard sale in Iowa. I looked up the number and it's supposed to be for a "howitzer" but I don't have much more info than that. It's basically a canvas tool roll with leather tie straps that has a multitude of pockets for wrenches and screwdrivers perhaps, but what came with it was mostly Vlchek double open end wrenches.

What I'd like to know from the group is whether these wrenches were in fact part of the original kit and since many pouches are empty, what else was supposed to be in this kit..

I could post some photos of it just in case no one has seen one before. A guy told me that the "newest" it could be was WWI vintage due to the fact he knew that the leather straps were no longer used in WWII.

Anyone that can shed light on this would be greatly appreciated. Mr. Vlchek was a Czech immigrant from around the turn of the 20th century. Blacksmithing was his trade and eventually he started a tool business and was quite successful. I wasn't aware that he did contract work for the US government.

TIA

DM&FS

Information

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[browningautorifle]

We're going to need a bit more here. Maybe a stock number and hopefully a few pics. Then we can have a go at it. Otherwise we're guessing...

[dimwittedmoose51]

Photos on the way!! The exact lettering on the canvas is ROLL, TOOL M-4 D-5103. The canvas seems to have shrunk over the years as the wrenches are a pretty snug fit in there, or they could have been designed to be that way.

Take a look at the photos and let me know what you come up with.

Thanks

DM&FS

[dimwittedmoose51]

It certainly appears that the tool roll in the De Classified manual for the M-3 has none of the items located in my tool roll. I probaly have a wood handled Trimo 12 " and some of the other bits, but I'm thinking osmeone converted this roll for personal use. The manual said it was de classified in 1944, but didn't say when they were made. To me, that's pretty much all the mystery left in this thread.

Thanks for hearing me out.

DM&FS

[browningautorifle]

I think you're about right. The wrenches I think came later, I'm used to those rolls from my days as a machine gunner. They held a plethora of small parts but nothing like what you have there.

[dimwittedmoose51]

Thanks Jim. I also came across an "Army Green" E J McAleer tool box that I was wondering if it had some history to it? No model number that I can see, came wit ha home made wooden top tray. Probably just use it to store some vintage sockets or wrenches.

Thanks again

DM&FS

[browningautorifle]

Haven't seen that one either...we had local purchase tool boxes to some extent and some of them were painted green through time. This looks like something the same. A military contract would have a Federal Stock Number...I'm pretty sure.