1911 Holster Question (Shoulder Strap Confusion)

[SilverStallion05]

Hey guys! I'm new to this forum, but not new to loving military stuff, especially vintage! I recently received this as a gift from a good friend that he found in a foreclosed house.

It's a standard WWII 1911 holster. Nothing strange there, but what got me was this shoulder strap. I have never seen one like this before. You would normally see something like this on an open top holster, but even then, the strap would be different, and (from my limited knowledge), those came about more in Vietnam.

Anyway, my question is, what am I looking at? Is this strap typical? When would it be worn? I'm assuming by someone walking around base who wanted to be armed, but didn't have their web belt on. Maybe a pilot? I'm just rambling... I'll let the experts take it from here!

Thanks guys!





Looks like this reads (US, J.O.M.D., 1941, J.B.). This is on the front top of the strap.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Clash77]

iirc, they were worn by officers.

[SilverStallion05]

iirc, they were worn by officers.

Didn't think of that. I've still never seen it before, so I'm curious how popular they were.

[browningautorifle]

Those side slings were for MP use. Check this out...half way down the page. Hayes Otoupalik

[SilverStallion05]

Those side slings were for MP use. Check this out...half way down the page.

Great find! Thanks a bunch Jim! Happy New Year to you!

[browningautorifle]

Always a pleasure...

[BlueTrain]

I have a photo of my father wearing one of those rigs. It is correct that they were for military police use and they continued in use at least until well after I left the army in 1968. A full set consisted of a garrison belt with a single prong buckle, a magazine pouch for two magazines and a pouch for a first aid dressing. I do not recall if the first aid dressing pouch had hooks that required another piece or not. Those I saw in the regular army were patent leather, while those I saw when I was in the D.C. National Guard, in an MP battalion, were plain black leather. Before the army switched back to black in the late 1950s, they were in brown, tan or russet. It would be difficult to say what was the official color because of the age of the originals that were not manufactured in black but the only one I ever owned was decidedly russet in color.

Although my father was wearing one of those in a photo, he was not an MP and moreover, he was wearing a revolver in a reverse draw holster, probably a .45 revolver. There was no sort of ammunition pouch or first aid pouch visible in the photo. He was wearing the regular OD service coat (not an Ike jacket) but without collar brass. In fact, he is wearing no collar brass in any photo I have of him in uniform.

[browningautorifle]

That sort of thing was something that would be swapped for and then used by individuals, thus seeing other trades using them.