It seems that half of the things on this list are only relevant to guys who served in Europe. I would love to see a list of gear loved by the Marines or soldiers in the Pacific
Good comment, hopefully he's also knowledgeable about the Pacific Theatre too, but even if he's only specialized in the Western Front he's nonetheless awesome. Hopefully he is knowledgeable on both, or will endeavor to become so.
In fact the Majority of the U.S. Army was in the ETO. The PTO would have been greatly enlarged for Olympic and Coronet, then one would have maybe seen a change in these. But Japan had a rather cool climate like Europe.
I was stationed in Germany in the middle 80’s, and a lot of the field gear you mentioned-or at least variations of these things were still issued. We often wore the brown sweater; typically, over top of the BDU shirt. It was a compromise from wearing a field jacket all the time (especially if one were going from inside to outside often). Every soldier was issued a shelter half, but many times we erected GP Medium tents complete with kerosene heaters in which a dozen troops slept on cots. The shelter half canvas was reserved for use as a tarp (because it rained so damned much over there). Staying dry was a constant battle in the field… on training exercises that could last over a month. Since we were all issued the new Kevlar helmets, many of the uses people found for their steel pots could no longer be done, and the design of the new helmet made keeping one’s head warm underneath difficult. We did not have the WW2 “Jeep caps” by then, so most used watch caps, or these head covers that came with the sleeping bags. They were thin canvas head coverings that covered the ears down to Velcro straps that attached under the chin. One could loosen their helmet bands to wear the helmet over top these head covers. We of course did have suspenders as part of the LBE (Load Bearing Equipment), before the advent of MOLLE gear, and WAY before soldiers were issued body armor. Typically, on the suspenders one had the first aid pouch (a field dressing in a pouch) attached to the suspenders up near one’s shoulder, and a canteen/cover/cup with two magazine pouches hooked to the pistol belt. This was a standard uniformity that looked nice in formations, while in the field, far more items were attached. For example, some carried compasses in a similar pouch to the first aid kit (on the opposite suspender); most carried two canteens; many carried knives like the pilot survival knife sold in the PX, or butt packs attached to the pistol belt in the back containing miscellaneous stuff like candy bars, 100 mile an hour tape, lighters, etc., while others wrapped rain jackets or ponchos around the belt. The entrenching tools we were issued (“E-tool”) were usually either attached to, or kept inside the soldier’s Alice pack. I do not remember those being as beloved as the troops in World War 2 might’ve claimed. They folded into three sections, and frequently failed at some point. They did have a serrated edge which made them good chopping tools for thin branches or roots (probably leading to them becoming bent or broken much faster). We usually liked to sneak a few long-handled shovels along in our deployments for the daily chore of digging fighting positions… “Daily” because each day the soldiers were required to “move their fighting positions,” which invariably means filling in the old foxhole and digging a new one. E-tools we’re not ideal for this level of excavation. We were still issued the wool shirts and trousers, still issued the “Mickey Mouse” boots, and still issued the long underwear-all items in use during WW2, but other than than the long underwear, I don’t think I ever took any of the other items to the field. It’s interesting now to see interest in these relics of that bygone era. At the time i was in the Army, we were 40 years removed from the war (as much time as has passed since). We didn’t think much of the gear the Army issued. We simply assumed that’s what you got. Things like Gore-Tex jackets were coming on the scene, but unless one bought it themselves, the wool sweater with the rain jacket easily sufficed. As soldiers, we always looked for ways to make wearing or carrying the gear more comfortable, but we seldom thought better options were available. The field gear was just part of Army life, and we just took it in stride.
I was in Babenhausen with the 41st FA BDE. loved my tried and true wool field gear. Even the odd wool pants with the button-in liner. No matter how old, dirty or worn that stuff was it still kept me warm. Toasty warm. I can remember sleeping on the ground at Graf in the winter and being warm and cozy in my wool outfit. I'd take the extra 20 mins of rest rather than bedding in somewhere. Even in FL I have my wool OD green blanket and wool OD sweater. I use them every winter. Now, if I could just find my OD Green socks.
I hated our entrenching tool because there was no sensible way to carry it without the long handle becoming a pain in the ass. I wanted one of the cool all-metal folding ones. Then I got one. So handy to carry - so shitty to use! I went back to the wooden one. LOL.
I was Army stationed stateside in the 90's. We weren't issued the sweaters but I bought one and LOVED it! I was Infantry and would wear polypro top, sweater, and field jacket liner under BDU top. That would keep you warm in 20-deg weather.
What always amazes me about WW2 gear is just the sheer amount of cloth the factories must’ve gone through. I mean literally everything is canvas, wool or cotton and millions of troops had 10-20 pieces of gear all made of the stuff. Not to mention the different versions that got phased in and out. Just incredible
My wife had a couple of relatives working in one of the factories. I'd wonder if they made any of the stuff I had, but one was a secretary and her husband was a handyman, so they didn't actually make any web gear themselves. The brother of the lady was in the army, although it was the Wehrmacht as my wife's relatives were immigrants from Germany a decade before WW2.
They were US citizens by that point and he was registered for the draft but was a bit old to be likely to be called and was much more useful to the war effort keeping the machines that made web gear running.
The War Production Board forced the cotton growers to use mechanical cotton pickers so they could plant more acres in cotton and sell it for less due to now having much lower labor costs. The WPB also was able to buy wool from around the World after the US entered the war. The US Government economists figured out just what neutral countries needed to sustain their economies so the US Navy could restrict what they were receiving so the excess cargo wouldn't be passed on to Germany, Italy and Japan. The US in turn bought up their excess production of fibers, leather, foodstuffs, rubber and metals.
My dad had some of those. But remember that back then a lot of materials we have today did not exist. No plastics, no polyester, etc. Just metal, leather, cotton, wool.
It's the classic American look. Contrasted by the bearded hipster dudes of these recent generations. The old'school clean look is underappreciated I guess.
It’s because he’s clean shaven with good haircut! In the videos where he’s growing his beard he looks like any other white guy you’d see on the street haha
Your interest and knowledge of WW2 is beyond words. I love seeing a young man so interested in history no matter what aspect of history it is. WW2 was a major event in the history of the world so i love your enthusiasm and knowledge in this time period. Thank you for all the work you do to bring these things to our undetstanding.
My father, a US Marine in WW II, told us that one of the uses of the shovel was combat. The edges would be filed sharp. That helped cut roots when digging, brush when moving, and the enemy when in CQC conditions.
The folding blade of the shovel also came in handy as a kind of portable toilet. They could dig a hole, bend the blade over, sit one cheek on it, and bombs away! I know several army & marines from serving in WW2 all the way to Iraq 1 who spoke about using them this way as it beat squatting with no support.
During my Dutch Army days one of our soldiers had to take a dump, so he went into the bushes. When he was finished, he looked down and there was nothing there. He was totally flabbergasted. Of course, another soldier had followed him and placed his shovel under him. Collecting the brown stuff and quietly moved out. The greatest joke of my Army days. 😆
Thank you for the video. My father was in WWII. The interesting thing is that he wore suspenders most of the time that I knew him and we had that same folding shovel for digging the car out of snow. His group didn't have winter coats or boots for a long time so they cut holes in their sleeping bags and wore them upside down. One of his favorite memories was getting to sleep in a barn in France one night instead of in the snow. One of the other reasons for the suspenders was that they didn't get much to eat, so it kept their pants up as they got really thin.
That last paragraph made me laugh. Through some of our training, I lost 15 pounds (fat) then gained 10 (muscle) over 4 months. I bought suspenders for my combat pants. They were actually meant for mess dress (basically a tux), but they fit and reduced belt chafing a lot.
One aspect of the M43 folding shovel that was not likely to be mentioned in reports was its innate suitability as a close quarters weapon. It became a part of the training regimen for special units to learn how to wield it effectively when required in combat situations.
100 % right you are, I warned a friend of mine who joined the Military Police, that a shovel is deadly weapon. He laughed at it first, then I told him that the sharp narrow side of a shovel can go through his flesh and bone. He was not laughing any more.
The old style folding shovel - yes. The new E folding shovel - not so much. Too flimsy and the handle is not designed to hold like an axe being a D ring.
In Marine Corps boot camp during the summer of 1975 instructions on how to use the M1943/M1945 included both lethal (shovel extended, used as an axe and a short spear) and non-lethal (shovel folded to form a shield for the knuckles and the handle used like a nightstick). Advanced baton techniques with the E-tool included using the handle to immobilize a limb or reinforce a neck hold.
The Wehrmacht entrenching tool was meant to be used as a weapon. In the book "Hitler Moves East" close quarters assault is referred to quite a bit as "Pistol, grenade and entrenching tool work"
In WWI and WWII I believe most were killed by artillery. In Viet Nam a lot of soldiers said once the M-60's and M-2's opened up they couldn't hear their own M-16 and stopped shooting. I spent time in war zones. No combat zones. Just sayin'.
I definitely agree with the part about the sweater. When I started reenacting, I stuffed a modern sweater in my pocket so it wouldn’t look empty, but I ended up wearing it nearly every night at nearly every event because it’s much warmer than even my wool blanket.
If you spend a lot of time outside wool is good because if you sit it keeps you warm. If you move it breaths a bit, if you sweat you are warm when wet, it wicks sweat away from your skin. I would put in bold -> wool keeps you warm when wet!! I’m a big wool fan. All my socks are wool. All. They last longer and don’t get smelly as easy. Did I mention they keep you warm when wet.
i love these gear type videos, just as archeologists learn more from a refuse pit than a mosaic floor, you learn from about army life from their gear than from their weapons
I 100% agree with what you said ar the end. Simple equipment just works. Ive probably spent what amounts to years in field environments, and one of my favorite pieces of equipment is the humble canteen cup. Shave out of it, eat out of it, pair it with something like a jet boiler, and you can cook/have hot drinks.
I’m not a military person but I like the choices you made. As a power lineman for 41 years I can appreciate the train of thought that infantry men had. Sometimes the best tools are not the expensive fancy modern varieties. 😁 Sometimes they are! Men can usually see a “need” and find a way to fill it. Then after some use tweak and modify it to perfection. Bless all service people!
Two points: G.I. wool sweaters are awesome and very warm. A very similar version was still being issued in the 1980s in brown. An entrenching tool is invaluable when you need to defecate and there is not a restroom or outhouse nearby, especially if you were in a defense and had to stay close to where you were making a deposit. It's called digging a cathole.
When I was in Bosnia (IFOR 95-96) I wore my polypropylene long johns, my sweater, and BDU's throughout the winter. I only used my Gortex when it was raining. I stayed nice and warm without overheating. That sweater was also a 5-button design and was in brown. Shelter half's I only used in Basic Training (OSUT) and one time when I was active duty in Korea. That time was because my Platoon Sergeant threatened me with an Article 15 if I tried to sleep on the ground outside of my shelter half. An incident on that field problem ended his career, but that's another story.
The same sweater in the same olive drab was in production for decades. As reenactors we loved that as we could have an original one in the collection plus one to actually wear. Ideally you'd go for a 1950s or 60s one as the 70s and 80s ones were a synthetic mix.
@@wbertie2604 I had one from my service in the late 70s and used it for state military and reenacting. Kept you warm even wet. Always had it in my kit.
Ditto on 5-button sweater love. My problem was getting one in my size from CIF (extra large-extra long), they were still issuing the wool ones in the late 80’s, at least in the ROK.
I was infantry in Vietnam. We still used barter and field expediency for our equipment. We all had web gear which was a suspension system on an outside web belt. Electrical tape was used for everything (duct tape not invented yet). We made silent slings out of GI green handkerchiefs and electrical tape. For ammo and grenades we used canteen covers. We bastardized two kinds of packs to get a decent rucksack. I got four sets of camouflage gear from a departing Marine as the Army did not issue camouflage fatigues. I traded for a Marine KBar knife as the Army knife was ridiculous. The trade may have involved an AK-47 or liquor. I can’t remember. I really wished someone had thought of knee and elbow pads. That would have been a godsend. Thanks enjoyed the video:) PS I don’t know when the Army started issuing web gear. But I’m pretty sure the C-rats were from the 50’s:)
I still have the suspenders and web belt I was issued in Vietnam. Great piece of gear. I once used my m-43 shovel in hand to hand combat. Used it mostly to fill sandbags Heat tabs. M-34 can opener. Canteen kits with metal cups. C rations.
I just restored (properly) my dad's 1965 pioneer shovel. It is Nam ,but sort like the WWII. I always remember it being around since childhood. I finally restored it. De rusted/cleaned, oiled, then lathered with ren wax. They are cool shovels. I kinda like the Russian sf sperry shovel a little better.
I bought a 5-button sweater shortly after enlisting back when we had the woodland/M-81 BDU's. By that time they were acrylic rather than wool, but they were still warm. I bought a few wool originals a couple years later. While the focus is on WW2, I would enjoy seeing a video covering some of the later changes in gear (Korea, Vietnam, etc.) that covers the improvements and made to adapt the gear to how the troops used it. Like the suspenders that showed up in the 50's.
As a former security officer, I can vouch for the usefulness of the sweater. It is more comfortable than a jacket while being just as warm, and it improves an officer's appearance as well. Sweaters were extremely popular with my co-workers, so the company stopped issuing them.
All of these make a lot of sense as they're almost all items that are generally recommended for just basic survival situations. Having a shovel, a tarp and warm clothes especially that which can keep the wind out of your face is essential in winter survival scenarios. Having some better way to distribute weight like suspenders is always useful.
Joined the Army in 1985 was issued a brown wool sweater with my TA-50, loved it bought my own. Sadly as time passed they became a mixed blend and not all wool. But man before goretex and poly pro those things were absolutely gold!
It's all about those small comforts. Hands down the best thing I was ever issued was a THICK wool shirt/jacket. That kept me warm in so many situations, it was my favorite piece of gear. I also really liked having one or two ponchos/shelters (the shelter half's descendent). They're light, pack down small, and can be used as an adequate shelter, poncho, waterproof ruck cover, litter, sleeping/bivvy bag, all sorts of stuff.
If I remember correctly there was a report that the folding shovel saved many lives as on could be used lying down while under fire and still be able to dig in without having to be upright and a bigger target. with a regular shovel you at least have to be somewhat upright to some degree.
My first field exercise was to Alaska in January of 1981. My unit issued the five button sweaters and they were like gold. Not everyone had them and I got many offers to buy the one I had. At 35 below zero, the difference between a parka with a sweater under it and a parka without seemed much like the difference between having a coat and going bare-chested. I hope those are still issued to cold weather troops. It was one of the best pieces of gear I was ever issued.
Great video! Very informative. My dad was in the 99th Infantry Division. They left Camp Maxey in Paris, Texas in August of 1944. It was over 100 degrees when they left Texas. After some additional training in England, they became the first full division to land at the repaired harbor in Le Harve, France in October of 1944. The 99th was moved into a “quiet” sector in the northern Ardennes. The division was still waiting for their cold weather gear when the Germans counterattacked during The Battle of the Bulge. The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention”, was certainly true in the ETO in December of 1944 and January of 1945. The lack of PAC-boots led to many cases of trench foot and frostbite. The cold was as deadly (on both sides) as enemy fire. The GIs improvised all kinds boot wraps to try and keep their feet warm. Dad always said, “The US Government, especially the Army, needs to be reminded every few years, that water freezes at 32 degrees.” Thanks again for a very informative episode.
Interesting, well put together, to the point and clear audio. I don't think Ive seen any of your other videos but I'm definitely check them out after this one.
I loved to wear that sweater under my BDU shirt. I also liked suspenders. I used the suspenders that were issued with extreme cold weather pants. They formed an x Iin the back over the shoulder blades. You put your arms thru them and they resembled a shoulder holster rig. On each side under your arm a strap came down with a small hook on the end. You would tuck the hook between your trousers and belt with the hook clasped under the bottom edge of your belt. They were very stretchy and because the hook was tucked in like that, as long as your belt was buckled, it was virtually impossible for them to come unhooked. Loved those things.
I'm a geographer, in my field we use WW2 shovels to dig field wells, for tsunamis investigations. They have the perfect size, weight and resistance to be carried on the field!
The sweater...in the early 80s troops lobbied to be allowed to wear "wooly pullies", but the Army modified them to be black and worn with class Bs. Then we were issued with brown 5 button sweaters...the samw as wwii issue. We loved them.
Great video, I remember reading Richard Matheson's 'The Beardless Warriors' and the characters spend a lot of time describing the gear they like and the kit they hate. His experience as an infantryman in the Huirtgen and Ardennes comes though very strongly. Loved the vid, thank you.
I have an old German entrenching tool... I use it for most everything, chopping, fire place making, and a weapon according to Katz on "all quiet on the western front"!😮
In my collection, when I had one, a WW1 German shovel in a WW2 US Army T-handled shovel. They came to me like that and I assume a GI must have replaced his own shovel with it, although hard to say. The German design was a bit of a heavier head, and seemingly designed to be even, at a push, chop small trees with, whereas the USA issued a hatchet (which I had) and a pick axe (which I did not but a friend did).
I had a winter hood in Missouri in the winter at Ft. Lost in the Woods. Everybody tried to buy it off me. I was using surplus shelter halfs as a boy scout in the 1960s and found myself the unit expert at basic and ROTC on them in the 70s.
My father served in Italy, He kept his sweater for use on his delivery route in his business in the 1950's and 60's. When I went with him, I always wondered why the men and women who had served in in the European theatre smiled differently at him when they saw him coming. He was a BAR man as well, but did not need the suspenders ( he kept his uniform for 20 years.) to support the weight of his product we delivered. The sweater finally wore into a one armed vest. I remember him carrying it out and burning it, like he had lost a friend. This was in my 20's.
@6:14 "soldiers who wouldn't let go of shovels because they liked them so much" Yeah.... those were probably "shell shock" casualties, what we call PTSD and TBI today. Under intense shelling troops would literally dig for their lives and fixated psychologically on what saved them.
My father served in Korea and died when I was a kid. We had a bunch of his gear when I was growing up. I remember loving his entrenching tool, in particular. I played with that thing a lot. Alas, it was finally lost. Wish I had it back, for nostalgia, if nothing else.
I LOVE that sweater and had 2 of them but gave them to an ex-military guy at a time when I didn't value it as much. I wish I had one now. I still have and love the M-1951 wool pants and Canadian issue wool shirts used well into the 80's.
Another popular item was apparently the M1938 enlisted man's waterproof raincoat, which was made in a few style, colour and material variations. I only had one, and when a storm blew through a reenactment, it was very handy. The OD7 pup tent was also useful as I'd scotch guarded mine and it was the only one that was waterproof. We got five of us in it at one point
My dad was in the 35th Infantry Division, Patton's Third Army. I remember him talking about some of this gear. He had a lot of good things to say about the old steel helmet, especially about being able to fill it with water and place it on the radiator of a Jeep, for cooking or cleaning purposes. He carried a Tommy Gun briefly but preferred the M1; he said that it was the perfect weight to carry and yet batter down a door.
We loved our '60's/70's sweaters. A slightly cheaper version of the WW2 version. Served in the Army's Special Forces and never went to the field or on deployment without it in the bottom of my truck, sealed into a waterproof bag. Lots of us wore Brit Commando sweaters, but the U.S. version had covering for the back of the neck. Summers/tropic deployments we used the Vietnam Era Jungle Sweater. Still have both and wear them working outside. Shovel? Handy, even for Spec Ops types. Digging has to get done plus it makes a GREAT Battle Ax. Yup, still carry one in my vehicles.
I picked up some of this stuff from the surplus stores in the 1970s. The suspenders belts and pouches, a folding shovel with the pick, a few sweaters, some nice jackets, canteens with cups, and a good field knife. I'm sure I still have them somewhere.
As a PRTL (Dutch version of the Gepard AA Leopard 1 tank) conscript driver & gunner trainee in 1981 we had much the same kit you describe. I wore the shovel upside down and it was very comphy. Alas, I had to part with my shovel for a new lighter smaller one in a plastic holder. I thought it stupid. Sleeping in a puptent as we called it a week at - 20oC using straw as an extra on the ground. The wollen sweater was English style and fine with indeed extras. The new style iso cloating stupidley meant to be worn underneath the combat jacket instead of Russian style over everything. Anyway in my 14 months of service I luckely had two summers and very little wind and rain during combat excercises. The Netherlands can be very wet and windy. Anyway, the artillery had large heated tents and the Leopard 1 a heater that was very carefully operated.
My dad, a Marine BAR carrier in the Pacific, said the shelter halves his unit carried were made of substandard canvas. If you set it up as a tent in rainy weather, you had to be careful where you touched the fabric. Wherever you touched the cloth, a leak would form, and make you miserable. I was a combat Marine in Vietnam. I notice pictures of soldiers and Marines carrying grenades attached on the outside of their packs or attached to the outsides of jackets or on their suspenders. I shudder. If something caught on the spoon (the handle) or the ring the grenade can go off. BOOM, and you end up having a really bad day. The flak jackets we wore in Vietnam had these smallish pockets sewed on the outside. I think they were meant for cigarettes, but they were perfect for the good old M26 grenade. That’s where I carried mine.
I enlisted in 1983, my TA-50 had wool blend sweaters and a 1951 Wool OD shirt and fishtail parka as cold weather gear. I ended up finding a khaki 100% wool sweater in a surplus store. In the 1990’s we deployed to Iraq in the winter and in the bottom of my pack I had a WW2 wool lined tanker jacket and my 5-button sweater, wore it with my desert BDU bottoms. I was in an IPW unit, most of us were Warrant Officers and a couple of guys in my section had M41 field jackets, they were khaki and wool lined as well. My Battalion XO used to call me ‘General Patton.’
I love your work. It's so informative. I always learn so much from your channel. I tend to stick to learning about logistics and engineering, but sometimes you trigger my interest in things I never would have thought to search about World War II.
I've got one of those M43 shovels and can confirm they're the GOAT. In tight spaces like in crawl space they dig better than anything else I've tried. The Hoe feature is great for digging trenches and pulling dirt out of holes. The construction is extremely tough, I've had to chop through thick tree roots and break rocks and it's held up with no damage. I can see why they were so popular.
As I understand it, number 7 on your list might easily be the lightweight gas mask bag. With several internal pockets, a great item. A friend of mine on private reenactments of a weekend of urban fighting, etc., tended to dump all his web gear but that bag, and stow canteen, ammunition, etc., in various sections. He seemed to make it work for him. I can vouch for the gas hood being potentially warm, although mine was unissued and covered in original anti gas compound, so I never really put it to the test. The USAAF had a "mechanics cap" that was much like a jeep cap without the brim, and I found I much preferred that. The later M1943 cap had a fold down, lined skirt which wasn't bad, but it wasn't easy to get a good fit for it under a helmet as it was slightly squared off. An item I loved were the gaiters as they could give really good ankle support. The buckle boots look smart (hard to get back when I was reenacting although Italian army surplus ones were very close) but seemed less supportive.
It is so amazing to see such a young person interested in history as much as you are. I love history but none of my kids cares anything about it. Your videos are very interesting and entertaining. Thanks!
We still had the folding entrenching tool in the USMC during the 60s. It doubled as a close in fighting tool as well. The shelter halves were still in use also. When you see Marines with marching packs, the tubular wrapping around the pack is the folded shelter half and blanket rolled and tied for easy transport.
Great video! I had forgotten about the wrap-around-your-face insulated caps they issued us in Korea in 1978. Very useful when I was a track-commander (T.C.) on road-marches. I still have mine and have used it while civilian camping and other activities. We were issued what the Navy calls "watch-caps" instead of "Jeep-caps" with a bill (also still use mine). The problem with any hood is they were too close-cut to go over the helmet, and, well... have you ever tried to adjust the fitting inside of your helmet? Either it's too tight to wear the hood, or too loose without the hood. Same for the caps meant to keep your head warm. I think our 'wool' scarves were man-made materials (still have that!). And yep, still using shelter-halves in the 1980's; probably not a single change from WWII. Using them to wrap up in to sleep pre-dates using a poncho & poncho-liner (which isn't really long enough). Talking about the poncho-liner; they didn't issue sweaters any more (that I remember) and we had the civilian tailor make a sweater out of one. Those were a private-purchase; we still wanted our issue poncho-liner for the poncho! We also took water-proof bags and had those sewn into rain-jackets - which we would put over our poncho-liner sweaters. If I had been smarter, those two private-purchase items would have been made large enough to fit over my field-jacket. Field-jackets did NOT keep you warm when wet - and snow on your uniform melts. Looking back, I should have used another poncho-liner to turn it into a vest underneath everything; there is only so much room inside of your jacket-sleeves. The smartest thing I did as a civilian was to cut off the sleeves of a worn-out hoodie; that works great under a jacket because I can roll up the hood and it keeps the back of my neck warm. I wear a t-shirt (man-made material); a cotton shirt (to wick away the sweat); a full-zip sweater (man-made material) so I can ventilate; a fill-zip hoodie, and then a coat. With the extra layers you can release body warmth to an outer layer without losing it entirely. If the shirt and vest is a Medium, the hoodie is a Large and the coat is an Extra-large to provide freedom of movement. We had those skin-tight field-jackets and either froze or looked like the Michelin Man. You want jacket-pockets big enough to hold your gloves / finger-mittens, and watch-cap. As you move you get warm and want to dump stuff; only to stop moving and get chilled from your sweat.
That sweater got issued into the 90s with only a few changes. Like bigger buttons. My dad has a few from his time in the Army and gave me some and they are actually pretty great. I still wear it every now and then for hiking, hunting, and you can even get away using it at events where you need a sweater. There's better gear out there but if you can pick up one of these Army sweaters in good condition for a good price you won't be disappointed.
I served in the USMC from 1984-1988. The wool sweater was known as yhe Wooly Pooly! Even under just my BDU'S ( Battle Dress Uniform in woodland camouflage) ? It was awesome! Now I have to Get One! Shelter halves were Great for the pencil pusher/ bean counters! Only half the cost! Until you were the odd number! Ha ha! Invention is the need for neccetty! Everything is Fair game when you need something!
My father was with the 8th Army Airforce in England as a Navigator and top turret gunner. He describes his 911 45 Cal pistol and "It weighed a ton and no one could hit anything with it. He told me that, late at night, on the transport ships to England, there would be lines at the rail waiting to discreetly dump them into the 'Atlantic. Everyone was issued a machete made of mild steel. chop or hit anything and it would bend. He said it made a good egg turner if it didn't get too hot in which case, it would droop
My brother and I have 2 USMC WW2 shelter halves. We used them for bed spreads in the dorm. Our uncle who died of Beri Beri in Cabanatuan P.O.W. camp was reinterred in the national cemetery north of Manila in a shelter half. I found this information from graves registration/
My mom has a M-1910 pick that she loves for yardwork. It is 1943 dated and she has had it for 60+ years, we had to find a replacement handle last year because the old one finally fell apart too much.
I still have my Dad's musette bag he hooked on his suspenders (he was a BAR man in Europe). I still have an M43 entrenching tool in the trunk of my car. Nothing better to dig a car out of sand or mud or snow.
Video request please🙏🏻 I used to love geocaching and hiking deep into nature with the scouts and was always fascinated how soldiers navigated the terrain overseas considering they've probably never experienced those levels of isolation away from towns and cities. Could you do some in depth stuff involving their training with that? Thank you!!!
I was issued a 5 button brown sweater at FT Lewis in 1991. My buddies and I loved them. The stylish way to wear it under the BDU blouse was to roll the cuffs over the end of the BDU sleeve to cover the button cuffs. Then I replaced it with the Norwegian Army Shirt you could buy at Clothing Sales(good piece of kit) then replaced that with the nylon field jacket liner. Except for BT I never wore a field jacket in all my AD time.
I find it very interesting that the shelter half was well liked during WWII because when I was in the Marines during the '90s, I hated them. I found them to be heavy and a huge PITA to put together and they were very cramped. When I went through MCT they were testing new nylon tents like the ones you'd find in civilian use except that it was 2 parts. The sleeping compartment was one part and there was rainfly of sorts that made up the other part and was supposed to be where you stashed your pack. But this meant that the actual sleeping area was only half of the actual tent. But I wasn't able to see how light the were or how easy they were to setup since they were already setup for us. But it had to be better than the stupid shelter halves which I'm not sure that the Corps ever adopted since I saw a video shot a few years back showing Marines still using shelter halves.
The folding shovel is/was a great H2H combat tool, and you can also use it to sit on, using the blade as a seat, and the handle with your two legs forms a 3 legged stool.
When I was in the Boy Scouts in the mid 60s when mt dad was stationed at Ft Meade Maryland our Scout Master was an Army quartermaster. We had the shovels and the shelter half’s.
My father's Winter headcover, at the time of the Battle of the Bulge, was a leather German pilot's headcover. He kept it and used it up into the mid 70's; I do not know what became of it. It was black leather (with a very small sort of 'bill' that would never shade your eyes), very light weight, grey fabric lining. The whole cover wrapped around the throat with buttons or snaps so no wind or snow would get in.
It seems that half of the things on this list are only relevant to guys who served in Europe. I would love to see a list of gear loved by the Marines or soldiers in the Pacific
Good comment, hopefully he's also knowledgeable about the Pacific Theatre too, but even if he's only specialized in the Western Front he's nonetheless awesome. Hopefully he is knowledgeable on both, or will endeavor to become so.
They all loved your mom.
In fact the Majority of the U.S. Army was in the ETO. The PTO would have been greatly enlarged for Olympic and Coronet, then one would have maybe seen a change in these. But Japan had a rather cool climate like Europe.
You should never make fun of someone’s mother
@@Godlovesyaj40 was your mom not as popular?
I was stationed in Germany in the middle 80’s, and a lot of the field gear you mentioned-or at least variations of these things were still issued. We often wore the brown sweater; typically, over top of the BDU shirt. It was a compromise from wearing a field jacket all the time (especially if one were going from inside to outside often). Every soldier was issued a shelter half, but many times we erected GP Medium tents complete with kerosene heaters in which a dozen troops slept on cots. The shelter half canvas was reserved for use as a tarp (because it rained so damned much over there). Staying dry was a constant battle in the field… on training exercises that could last over a month. Since we were all issued the new Kevlar helmets, many of the uses people found for their steel pots could no longer be done, and the design of the new helmet made keeping one’s head warm underneath difficult. We did not have the WW2 “Jeep caps” by then, so most used watch caps, or these head covers that came with the sleeping bags. They were thin canvas head coverings that covered the ears down to Velcro straps that attached under the chin. One could loosen their helmet bands to wear the helmet over top these head covers.
We of course did have suspenders as part of the LBE (Load Bearing Equipment), before the advent of MOLLE gear, and WAY before soldiers were issued body armor. Typically, on the suspenders one had the first aid pouch (a field dressing in a pouch) attached to the suspenders up near one’s shoulder, and a canteen/cover/cup with two magazine pouches hooked to the pistol belt. This was a standard uniformity that looked nice in formations, while in the field, far more items were attached. For example, some carried compasses in a similar pouch to the first aid kit (on the opposite suspender); most carried two canteens; many carried knives like the pilot survival knife sold in the PX, or butt packs attached to the pistol belt in the back containing miscellaneous stuff like candy bars, 100 mile an hour tape, lighters, etc., while others wrapped rain jackets or ponchos around the belt. The entrenching tools we were issued (“E-tool”) were usually either attached to, or kept inside the soldier’s Alice pack. I do not remember those being as beloved as the troops in World War 2 might’ve claimed. They folded into three sections, and frequently failed at some point. They did have a serrated edge which made them good chopping tools for thin branches or roots (probably leading to them becoming bent or broken much faster). We usually liked to sneak a few long-handled shovels along in our deployments for the daily chore of digging fighting positions… “Daily” because each day the soldiers were required to “move their fighting positions,” which invariably means filling in the old foxhole and digging a new one. E-tools we’re not ideal for this level of excavation.
We were still issued the wool shirts and trousers, still issued the “Mickey Mouse” boots, and still issued the long underwear-all items in use during WW2, but other than than the long underwear, I don’t think I ever took any of the other items to the field. It’s interesting now to see interest in these relics of that bygone era. At the time i was in the Army, we were 40 years removed from the war (as much time as has passed since). We didn’t think much of the gear the Army issued. We simply assumed that’s what you got. Things like Gore-Tex jackets were coming on the scene, but unless one bought it themselves, the wool sweater with the rain jacket easily sufficed. As soldiers, we always looked for ways to make wearing or carrying the gear more comfortable, but we seldom thought better options were available. The field gear was just part of Army life, and we just took it in stride.
We’re from the same era and place- I was stationed in Hanau .
I was in Babenhausen with the 41st FA BDE. loved my tried and true wool field gear. Even the odd wool pants with the button-in liner. No matter how old, dirty or worn that stuff was it still kept me warm. Toasty warm. I can remember sleeping on the ground at Graf in the winter and being warm and cozy in my wool outfit. I'd take the extra 20 mins of rest rather than bedding in somewhere.
Even in FL I have my wool OD green blanket and wool OD sweater. I use them every winter. Now, if I could just find my OD Green socks.
I hated our entrenching tool because there was no sensible way to carry it without the long handle becoming a pain in the ass. I wanted one of the cool all-metal folding ones. Then I got one. So handy to carry - so shitty to use! I went back to the wooden one. LOL.
This dude would be so cool to hang out with
He is!
A range LARP with this guy would be bad ass.
Yeah
I bet this guy has some stories retained from sitting and listening to old vets wish more of them told their stories
@ he does:)
A wool sweater was the best under a BDU top when in Germany. This was in 83-85. Kept you warm, but no need for a bulky field jacket.
Hell yes!! I LOVED my 5 button brown sweater.
I was Army stationed stateside in the 90's. We weren't issued the sweaters but I bought one and LOVED it! I was Infantry and would wear polypro top, sweater, and field jacket liner under BDU top. That would keep you warm in 20-deg weather.
The same held true in Korea in the late 90s. Excellent piece of kit.
add a good drive on rag and you were G to G
The brown sweater was a welcome item every winter back in the 80's.
What always amazes me about WW2 gear is just the sheer amount of cloth the factories must’ve gone through. I mean literally everything is canvas, wool or cotton and millions of troops had 10-20 pieces of gear all made of the stuff. Not to mention the different versions that got phased in and out. Just incredible
My wife had a couple of relatives working in one of the factories. I'd wonder if they made any of the stuff I had, but one was a secretary and her husband was a handyman, so they didn't actually make any web gear themselves. The brother of the lady was in the army, although it was the Wehrmacht as my wife's relatives were immigrants from Germany a decade before WW2.
They were US citizens by that point and he was registered for the draft but was a bit old to be likely to be called and was much more useful to the war effort keeping the machines that made web gear running.
That's why there was Rationing of civilian clothing.
The War Production Board forced the cotton growers to use mechanical cotton pickers so they could plant more acres in cotton and sell it for less due to now having much lower labor costs. The WPB also was able to buy wool from around the World after the US entered the war. The US Government economists figured out just what neutral countries needed to sustain their economies so the US Navy could restrict what they were receiving so the excess cargo wouldn't be passed on to Germany, Italy and Japan. The US in turn bought up their excess production of fibers, leather, foodstuffs, rubber and metals.
My dad had some of those. But remember that back then a lot of materials we have today did not exist. No plastics, no polyester, etc. Just metal, leather, cotton, wool.
I like this kid. He knows his stuff, and has a certain clean-cut, corn-fed, Arsenal of Democracy look about him.
He really does look like you grabbed a guy his age out of the forties and stuck him in front of a camera, huh?
It's the classic American look. Contrasted by the bearded hipster dudes of these recent generations. The old'school clean look is underappreciated I guess.
@@aeg9462some would say aryan look…
@@TexasNationalist1836Hahahaha yeah totally
It’s because he’s clean shaven with good haircut! In the videos where he’s growing his beard he looks like any other white guy you’d see on the street haha
Your interest and knowledge of WW2 is beyond words. I love seeing a young man so interested in history no matter what aspect of history it is. WW2 was a major event in the history of the world so i love your enthusiasm and knowledge in this time period. Thank you for all the work you do to bring these things to our undetstanding.
My father, a US Marine in WW II, told us that one of the uses of the shovel was combat. The edges would be filed sharp. That helped cut roots when digging, brush when moving, and the enemy when in CQC conditions.
I heard it was used quite a lot that way in the Korean war where so much fighting from entrenched positions occurred.
The folding blade of the shovel also came in handy as a kind of portable toilet. They could dig a hole, bend the blade over, sit one cheek on it, and bombs away! I know several army & marines from serving in WW2 all the way to Iraq 1 who spoke about using them this way as it beat squatting with no support.
During my Dutch Army days one of our soldiers had to take a dump, so he went into the bushes. When he was finished, he looked down and there was nothing there. He was totally flabbergasted. Of course, another soldier had followed him and placed his shovel under him. Collecting the brown stuff and quietly moved out. The greatest joke of my Army days. 😆
@@mardiffv.8775
LOL.
Asshole.
Those entrenching tools also could make a handy weapon for hand to hand combat.
Thank you for the video. My father was in WWII. The interesting thing is that he wore suspenders most of the time that I knew him and we had that same folding shovel for digging the car out of snow.
His group didn't have winter coats or boots for a long time so they cut holes in their sleeping bags and wore them upside down. One of his favorite memories was getting to sleep in a barn in France one night instead of in the snow.
One of the other reasons for the suspenders was that they didn't get much to eat, so it kept their pants up as they got really thin.
That last paragraph made me laugh. Through some of our training, I lost 15 pounds (fat) then gained 10 (muscle) over 4 months. I bought suspenders for my combat pants. They were actually meant for mess dress (basically a tux), but they fit and reduced belt chafing a lot.
That's pretty interesting I've never seen pictures of US troops utilizing German suspenders
One aspect of the M43 folding shovel that was not likely to be mentioned in reports was its innate suitability as a close quarters weapon. It became a part of the training regimen for special units to learn how to wield it effectively when required in combat situations.
100 % right you are, I warned a friend of mine who joined the Military Police, that a shovel is deadly weapon. He laughed at it first, then I told him that the sharp narrow side of a shovel can go through his flesh and bone. He was not laughing any more.
The old style folding shovel - yes.
The new E folding shovel - not so much. Too flimsy and the handle is not designed to hold like an axe being a D ring.
In Marine Corps boot camp during the summer of 1975 instructions on how to use the M1943/M1945 included both lethal (shovel extended, used as an axe and a short spear) and non-lethal (shovel folded to form a shield for the knuckles and the handle used like a nightstick). Advanced baton techniques with the E-tool included using the handle to immobilize a limb or reinforce a neck hold.
Shovel vs. rifle.... A shovel can be used as a weapon, but a rifle makes a very poor digging tool. 😮
The Wehrmacht entrenching tool was meant to be used as a weapon. In the book "Hitler Moves East" close quarters assault is referred to quite a bit as "Pistol, grenade and entrenching tool work"
Don't get me wrong the entrenching tool and great melee weapon but I would still rather have a rifle in almost all cases
@@dbmail545There are accounts of trench raiders in WW1 arming themselves with grenades and an entrenching tool.
And grab a rock to touch up the edge of the e-tool to keep on un-aliving people... 😁👍
In WWI and WWII I believe most were killed by artillery. In Viet Nam a lot of soldiers said once the M-60's and M-2's opened up they couldn't hear their own M-16 and stopped shooting. I spent time in war zones. No combat zones. Just sayin'.
I was in 1999 to 2011. Loved my poncho liner the most.
I have had one since Vietnam ( they wear out ). Everyone in my family gets one from me
I definitely agree with the part about the sweater. When I started reenacting, I stuffed a modern sweater in my pocket so it wouldn’t look empty, but I ended up wearing it nearly every night at nearly every event because it’s much warmer than even my wool blanket.
If you spend a lot of time outside wool is good because if you sit it keeps you warm. If you move it breaths a bit, if you sweat you are warm when wet, it wicks sweat away from your skin. I would put in bold -> wool keeps you warm when wet!!
I’m a big wool fan. All my socks are wool. All. They last longer and don’t get smelly as easy. Did I mention they keep you warm when wet.
I prefer a woman; they are warm when wet.
i love these gear type videos, just as archeologists learn more from a refuse pit than a mosaic floor, you learn from about army life from their gear than from their weapons
I 100% agree with what you said ar the end. Simple equipment just works. Ive probably spent what amounts to years in field environments, and one of my favorite pieces of equipment is the humble canteen cup. Shave out of it, eat out of it, pair it with something like a jet boiler, and you can cook/have hot drinks.
Nice Video. Some of those items were still issued to me when I joined in 1976.
I’m not a military person but I like the choices you made. As a power lineman for 41 years I can appreciate the train of thought that infantry men had. Sometimes the best tools are not the expensive fancy modern varieties. 😁 Sometimes they are! Men can usually see a “need” and find a way to fill it. Then after some use tweak and modify it to perfection. Bless all service people!
i joined the army in 1983. was issued a shelter half. putting two together was called a pup tent.
We were still issued them at Ft. Drum up until 2003 or so. The only time we used them was at NTC.
Two points: G.I. wool sweaters are awesome and very warm. A very similar version was still being issued in the 1980s in brown. An entrenching tool is invaluable when you need to defecate and there is not a restroom or outhouse nearby, especially if you were in a defense and had to stay close to where you were making a deposit. It's called digging a cathole.
When I was in Bosnia (IFOR 95-96) I wore my polypropylene long johns, my sweater, and BDU's throughout the winter. I only used my Gortex when it was raining. I stayed nice and warm without overheating. That sweater was also a 5-button design and was in brown. Shelter half's I only used in Basic Training (OSUT) and one time when I was active duty in Korea. That time was because my Platoon Sergeant threatened me with an Article 15 if I tried to sleep on the ground outside of my shelter half. An incident on that field problem ended his career, but that's another story.
well, whilst you're at it you might as well tell the other story, can't just leave the people hanging now can you?
The same sweater in the same olive drab was in production for decades. As reenactors we loved that as we could have an original one in the collection plus one to actually wear. Ideally you'd go for a 1950s or 60s one as the 70s and 80s ones were a synthetic mix.
@@wbertie2604 I had one from my service in the late 70s and used it for state military and reenacting. Kept you warm even wet. Always had it in my kit.
Ditto on 5-button sweater love. My problem was getting one in my size from CIF (extra large-extra long), they were still issuing the wool ones in the late 80’s, at least in the ROK.
Nice job,informative
I was infantry in Vietnam. We still used barter and field expediency for our equipment. We all had web gear which was a suspension system on an outside web belt. Electrical tape was used for everything (duct tape not invented yet). We made silent slings out of GI green handkerchiefs and electrical tape. For ammo and grenades we used canteen covers. We bastardized two kinds of packs to get a decent rucksack. I got four sets of camouflage gear from a departing Marine as the Army did not issue camouflage fatigues. I traded for a Marine KBar knife as the Army knife was ridiculous. The trade may have involved an AK-47 or liquor. I can’t remember. I really wished someone had thought of knee and elbow pads. That would have been a godsend. Thanks enjoyed the video:) PS I don’t know when the Army started issuing web gear. But I’m pretty sure the C-rats were from the 50’s:)
Nice job! That was 14 minutes of worthwhile history that I just stumbled across. 👍
I still have the suspenders and web belt I was issued in Vietnam. Great piece of gear.
I once used my m-43 shovel in hand to hand combat. Used it mostly to fill sandbags
Heat tabs. M-34 can opener. Canteen kits with metal cups. C rations.
My grandpa's outfit made good use of the jungle sweaters. They came in very handy in the Burmese mountains!
I love my old folding shovel. I've had it for years and it's dug many a hole in my garden. It works great! 👍
I just restored (properly) my dad's 1965 pioneer shovel. It is Nam ,but sort like the WWII. I always remember it being around since childhood. I finally restored it. De rusted/cleaned, oiled, then lathered with ren wax. They are cool shovels. I kinda like the Russian sf sperry shovel a little better.
That folding shovel was standard issue when I was in the Army 1972. It was simple and effective.
I bought a 5-button sweater shortly after enlisting back when we had the woodland/M-81 BDU's. By that time they were acrylic rather than wool, but they were still warm. I bought a few wool originals a couple years later.
While the focus is on WW2, I would enjoy seeing a video covering some of the later changes in gear (Korea, Vietnam, etc.) that covers the improvements and made to adapt the gear to how the troops used it. Like the suspenders that showed up in the 50's.
As a former security officer, I can vouch for the usefulness of the sweater. It is more comfortable than a jacket while being just as warm, and it improves an officer's appearance as well. Sweaters were extremely popular with my co-workers, so the company stopped issuing them.
I used to have two of those folding shovels. I got myself unstuck from a snow drift in my car with one.. I had one in each car.
All of these make a lot of sense as they're almost all items that are generally recommended for just basic survival situations. Having a shovel, a tarp and warm clothes especially that which can keep the wind out of your face is essential in winter survival scenarios. Having some better way to distribute weight like suspenders is always useful.
Today’s soldiers love the poncho liner or woobie. I own a few myself and they are incredibly useful blankets.
Yes indeed
Hi world war wisdom! I love the channel and great video!
Joined the Army in 1985 was issued a brown wool sweater with my TA-50, loved it bought my own. Sadly as time passed they became a mixed blend and not all wool. But man before goretex and poly pro those things were absolutely gold!
I joined in '84 and you are 100% right on the money, loved my 5-button sweater and my sleep shirt, too.
It's all about those small comforts. Hands down the best thing I was ever issued was a THICK wool shirt/jacket. That kept me warm in so many situations, it was my favorite piece of gear. I also really liked having one or two ponchos/shelters (the shelter half's descendent). They're light, pack down small, and can be used as an adequate shelter, poncho, waterproof ruck cover, litter, sleeping/bivvy bag, all sorts of stuff.
If I remember correctly there was a report that the folding shovel saved many lives as on could be used lying down while under fire and still be able to dig in without having to be upright and a bigger target. with a regular shovel you at least have to be somewhat upright to some degree.
My first field exercise was to Alaska in January of 1981. My unit issued the five button sweaters and they were like gold. Not everyone had them and I got many offers to buy the one I had. At 35 below zero, the difference between a parka with a sweater under it and a parka without seemed much like the difference between having a coat and going bare-chested. I hope those are still issued to cold weather troops. It was one of the best pieces of gear I was ever issued.
Great video! Very informative.
My dad was in the 99th Infantry Division. They left Camp Maxey in Paris, Texas in August of 1944. It was over 100 degrees when they left Texas. After some additional training in England, they became the first full division to land at the repaired harbor in Le Harve, France in October of 1944.
The 99th was moved into a “quiet” sector in the northern Ardennes. The division was still waiting for their cold weather gear when the Germans counterattacked during The Battle of the Bulge. The old saying, “Necessity is the mother of invention”, was certainly true in the ETO in December of 1944 and January of 1945.
The lack of PAC-boots led to many cases of trench foot and frostbite. The cold was as deadly (on both sides) as enemy fire. The GIs improvised all kinds boot wraps to try and keep their feet warm.
Dad always said, “The US Government, especially the Army, needs to be reminded every few years, that water freezes at 32 degrees.”
Thanks again for a very informative episode.
Interesting, well put together, to the point and clear audio. I don't think Ive seen any of your other videos but I'm definitely check them out after this one.
I was in the Army in the late 1960's. All of these items we used with slight modifications.
I loved to wear that sweater under my BDU shirt. I also liked suspenders. I used the suspenders that were issued with extreme cold weather pants. They formed an x Iin the back over the shoulder blades. You put your arms thru them and they resembled a shoulder holster rig. On each side under your arm a strap came down with a small hook on the end. You would tuck the hook between your trousers and belt with the hook clasped under the bottom edge of your belt. They were very stretchy and because the hook was tucked in like that, as long as your belt was buckled, it was virtually impossible for them to come unhooked. Loved those things.
I'm a geographer, in my field we use WW2 shovels to dig field wells, for tsunamis investigations. They have the perfect size, weight and resistance to be carried on the field!
I still carry a M43 shovel in my 1990 Toyota Pickup that I use for fishing.
How does he simultaneously give good boy vibes and stoner vibes at the same time, it's magical.
Maybe he is a “good boy” that appreciates a little MJ❤
The sweater...in the early 80s troops lobbied to be allowed to wear "wooly pullies", but the Army modified them to be black and worn with class Bs. Then we were issued with brown 5 button sweaters...the samw as wwii issue. We loved them.
Great video, I remember reading Richard Matheson's 'The Beardless Warriors' and the characters spend a lot of time describing the gear they like and the kit they hate. His experience as an infantryman in the Huirtgen and Ardennes comes though very strongly. Loved the vid, thank you.
Superintresting video! Thank you!
I have an old German entrenching tool... I use it for most everything, chopping, fire place making, and a weapon according to Katz on "all quiet on the western front"!😮
In my collection, when I had one, a WW1 German shovel in a WW2 US Army T-handled shovel. They came to me like that and I assume a GI must have replaced his own shovel with it, although hard to say.
The German design was a bit of a heavier head, and seemingly designed to be even, at a push, chop small trees with, whereas the USA issued a hatchet (which I had) and a pick axe (which I did not but a friend did).
I had a winter hood in Missouri in the winter at Ft. Lost in the Woods. Everybody tried to buy it off me. I was using surplus shelter halfs as a boy scout in the 1960s and found myself the unit expert at basic and ROTC on them in the 70s.
My father served in Italy, He kept his sweater for use on his delivery route in his business in the 1950's and 60's. When I went with him, I always wondered why the men and women who had served in in the European theatre smiled differently at him when they saw him coming. He was a BAR man as well, but did not need the suspenders ( he kept his uniform for 20 years.) to support the weight of his product we delivered. The sweater finally wore into a one armed vest. I remember him carrying it out and burning it, like he had lost a friend. This was in my 20's.
@6:14 "soldiers who wouldn't let go of shovels because they liked them so much" Yeah.... those were probably "shell shock" casualties, what we call PTSD and TBI today. Under intense shelling troops would literally dig for their lives and fixated psychologically on what saved them.
My father served in Korea and died when I was a kid. We had a bunch of his gear when I was growing up. I remember loving his entrenching tool, in particular. I played with that thing a lot. Alas, it was finally lost. Wish I had it back, for nostalgia, if nothing else.
I LOVE that sweater and had 2 of them but gave them to an ex-military guy at a time when I didn't value it as much. I wish I had one now. I still have and love the M-1951 wool pants and Canadian issue wool shirts used well into the 80's.
Another popular item was apparently the M1938 enlisted man's waterproof raincoat, which was made in a few style, colour and material variations. I only had one, and when a storm blew through a reenactment, it was very handy.
The OD7 pup tent was also useful as I'd scotch guarded mine and it was the only one that was waterproof. We got five of us in it at one point
My dad was in the 35th Infantry Division, Patton's Third Army. I remember him talking about some of this gear. He had a lot of good things to say about the old steel helmet, especially about being able to fill it with water and place it on the radiator of a Jeep, for cooking or cleaning purposes. He carried a Tommy Gun briefly but preferred the M1; he said that it was the perfect weight to carry and yet batter down a door.
We loved our '60's/70's sweaters. A slightly cheaper version of the WW2 version. Served in the Army's Special Forces and never went to the field or on deployment without it in the bottom of my truck, sealed into a waterproof bag. Lots of us wore Brit Commando sweaters, but the U.S. version had covering for the back of the neck. Summers/tropic deployments we used the Vietnam Era Jungle Sweater. Still have both and wear them working outside. Shovel? Handy, even for Spec Ops types. Digging has to get done plus it makes a GREAT Battle Ax. Yup, still carry one in my vehicles.
I picked up some of this stuff from the surplus stores in the 1970s. The suspenders belts and pouches, a folding shovel with the pick, a few sweaters, some nice jackets, canteens with cups, and a good field knife. I'm sure I still have them somewhere.
I was issued and used the shelter half tent during training at Ft Lewis in the early 70's. Since it rained frequently there it came in darn handy.
Love your vids bud, history and military gear. My favorite
As a PRTL (Dutch version of the Gepard AA Leopard 1 tank) conscript driver & gunner trainee in 1981 we had much the same kit you describe.
I wore the shovel upside down and it was very comphy. Alas, I had to part with my shovel for a new lighter smaller one in a plastic holder. I thought it stupid.
Sleeping in a puptent as we called it a week at - 20oC using straw as an extra on the ground.
The wollen sweater was English style and fine with indeed extras.
The new style iso cloating stupidley meant to be worn underneath the combat jacket instead of Russian style over everything.
Anyway in my 14 months of service I luckely had two summers and very little wind and rain during combat excercises. The Netherlands can be very wet and windy.
Anyway, the artillery had large heated tents and the Leopard 1 a heater that was very carefully operated.
My dad, a Marine BAR carrier in the Pacific, said the shelter halves his unit carried were made of substandard canvas. If you set it up as a tent in rainy weather, you had to be careful where you touched the fabric. Wherever you touched the cloth, a leak would form, and make you miserable. I was a combat Marine in Vietnam. I notice pictures of soldiers and Marines carrying grenades attached on the outside of their packs or attached to the outsides of jackets or on their suspenders. I shudder. If something caught on the spoon (the handle) or the ring the grenade can go off. BOOM, and you end up having a really bad day. The flak jackets we wore in Vietnam had these smallish pockets sewed on the outside. I think they were meant for cigarettes, but they were perfect for the good old M26 grenade. That’s where I carried mine.
I enlisted in 1983, my TA-50 had wool blend sweaters and a 1951 Wool OD shirt and fishtail parka as cold weather gear. I ended up finding a khaki 100% wool sweater in a surplus store. In the 1990’s we deployed to Iraq in the winter and in the bottom of my pack I had a WW2 wool lined tanker jacket and my 5-button sweater, wore it with my desert BDU bottoms. I was in an IPW unit, most of us were Warrant Officers and a couple of guys in my section had M41 field jackets, they were khaki and wool lined as well. My Battalion XO used to call me ‘General Patton.’
Good stuff. I appreciate you diving into history like this.
I love your work. It's so informative. I always learn so much from your channel. I tend to stick to learning about logistics and engineering, but sometimes you trigger my interest in things I never would have thought to search about World War II.
I miss the old M1943 Entrenching Tool.
I've got one of those M43 shovels and can confirm they're the GOAT. In tight spaces like in crawl space they dig better than anything else I've tried. The Hoe feature is great for digging trenches and pulling dirt out of holes. The construction is extremely tough, I've had to chop through thick tree roots and break rocks and it's held up with no damage. I can see why they were so popular.
As I understand it, number 7 on your list might easily be the lightweight gas mask bag. With several internal pockets, a great item. A friend of mine on private reenactments of a weekend of urban fighting, etc., tended to dump all his web gear but that bag, and stow canteen, ammunition, etc., in various sections. He seemed to make it work for him.
I can vouch for the gas hood being potentially warm, although mine was unissued and covered in original anti gas compound, so I never really put it to the test.
The USAAF had a "mechanics cap" that was much like a jeep cap without the brim, and I found I much preferred that.
The later M1943 cap had a fold down, lined skirt which wasn't bad, but it wasn't easy to get a good fit for it under a helmet as it was slightly squared off.
An item I loved were the gaiters as they could give really good ankle support. The buckle boots look smart (hard to get back when I was reenacting although Italian army surplus ones were very close) but seemed less supportive.
The shovel was also excellent in hand-to-hand combat. (My dad brought one back from Korean War and used it in the garden into the late 1970s)
I starting reenacting because of you
Wearing my 1990's vintage brown wool 5 button sweater as I watch this. Super comfy...😁
It is so amazing to see such a young person interested in history as much as you are. I love history but none of my kids cares anything about it. Your videos are very interesting and entertaining. Thanks!
The Shelter half would make a great video with more detail and models. Thanks!
FYI, the concept of the Shelter Half, goes all the way back to the Civil War.
We still had the folding entrenching tool in the USMC during the 60s. It doubled as a close in fighting tool as well. The shelter halves were still in use also. When you see Marines with marching packs, the tubular wrapping around the pack is the folded shelter half and blanket rolled and tied for easy transport.
Great video!
I had forgotten about the wrap-around-your-face insulated caps they issued us in Korea in 1978. Very useful when I was a track-commander (T.C.) on road-marches. I still have mine and have used it while civilian camping and other activities. We were issued what the Navy calls "watch-caps" instead of "Jeep-caps" with a bill (also still use mine). The problem with any hood is they were too close-cut to go over the helmet, and, well... have you ever tried to adjust the fitting inside of your helmet? Either it's too tight to wear the hood, or too loose without the hood. Same for the caps meant to keep your head warm. I think our 'wool' scarves were man-made materials (still have that!).
And yep, still using shelter-halves in the 1980's; probably not a single change from WWII. Using them to wrap up in to sleep pre-dates using a poncho & poncho-liner (which isn't really long enough). Talking about the poncho-liner; they didn't issue sweaters any more (that I remember) and we had the civilian tailor make a sweater out of one. Those were a private-purchase; we still wanted our issue poncho-liner for the poncho! We also took water-proof bags and had those sewn into rain-jackets - which we would put over our poncho-liner sweaters. If I had been smarter, those two private-purchase items would have been made large enough to fit over my field-jacket. Field-jackets did NOT keep you warm when wet - and snow on your uniform melts. Looking back, I should have used another poncho-liner to turn it into a vest underneath everything; there is only so much room inside of your jacket-sleeves.
The smartest thing I did as a civilian was to cut off the sleeves of a worn-out hoodie; that works great under a jacket because I can roll up the hood and it keeps the back of my neck warm. I wear a t-shirt (man-made material); a cotton shirt (to wick away the sweat); a full-zip sweater (man-made material) so I can ventilate; a fill-zip hoodie, and then a coat. With the extra layers you can release body warmth to an outer layer without losing it entirely. If the shirt and vest is a Medium, the hoodie is a Large and the coat is an Extra-large to provide freedom of movement. We had those skin-tight field-jackets and either froze or looked like the Michelin Man. You want jacket-pockets big enough to hold your gloves / finger-mittens, and watch-cap. As you move you get warm and want to dump stuff; only to stop moving and get chilled from your sweat.
Yes, there was an issue balaclava. I have one with a 1942 dated QM tag.
That’s awesome. Thanks for confirming!
Balaclava was a term first used for a head covering In the Crimean war in 1854.
Very , very , very informative video . I appreciate your attention to fine details . Thank you .
That sweater got issued into the 90s with only a few changes. Like bigger buttons. My dad has a few from his time in the Army and gave me some and they are actually pretty great. I still wear it every now and then for hiking, hunting, and you can even get away using it at events where you need a sweater.
There's better gear out there but if you can pick up one of these Army sweaters in good condition for a good price you won't be disappointed.
You are doing great work with this channel. Please keep it up.
I served in the USMC from 1984-1988. The wool sweater was known as yhe Wooly Pooly! Even under just my BDU'S ( Battle Dress Uniform in woodland camouflage) ? It was awesome! Now I have to Get One! Shelter halves were Great for the pencil pusher/ bean counters! Only half the cost! Until you were the odd number! Ha ha! Invention is the need for neccetty! Everything is Fair game when you need something!
My father was with the 8th Army Airforce in England as a Navigator and top turret gunner. He describes his 911 45 Cal pistol and "It weighed a ton and no one could hit anything with it. He told me that, late at night, on the transport ships to England, there would be lines at the rail waiting to discreetly dump them into the 'Atlantic. Everyone was issued a machete made of mild steel. chop or hit anything and it would bend. He said it made a good egg turner if it didn't get too hot in which case, it would droop
My brother and I have 2 USMC WW2 shelter halves. We used them for bed spreads in the dorm. Our uncle who died of Beri Beri in Cabanatuan P.O.W. camp was reinterred in the national cemetery north of Manila in a shelter half. I found this information from graves registration/
My mom has a M-1910 pick that she loves for yardwork. It is 1943 dated and she has had it for 60+ years, we had to find a replacement handle last year because the old one finally fell apart too much.
I still have my Dad's musette bag he hooked on his suspenders (he was a BAR man in Europe). I still have an M43 entrenching tool in the trunk of my car. Nothing better to dig a car out of sand or mud or snow.
Video request please🙏🏻 I used to love geocaching and hiking deep into nature with the scouts and was always fascinated how soldiers navigated the terrain overseas considering they've probably never experienced those levels of isolation away from towns and cities. Could you do some in depth stuff involving their training with that? Thank you!!!
The 5 button sweater is still in the inventory. I bought mine at the px back in 2008. Also, the jeep cap is still used.
I was issued a 5 button brown sweater at FT Lewis in 1991. My buddies and I loved them. The stylish way to wear it under the BDU blouse was to roll the cuffs over the end of the BDU sleeve to cover the button cuffs. Then I replaced it with the Norwegian Army Shirt you could buy at Clothing Sales(good piece of kit) then replaced that with the nylon field jacket liner. Except for BT I never wore a field jacket in all my AD time.
I find it very interesting that the shelter half was well liked during WWII because when I was in the Marines during the '90s, I hated them. I found them to be heavy and a huge PITA to put together and they were very cramped. When I went through MCT they were testing new nylon tents like the ones you'd find in civilian use except that it was 2 parts. The sleeping compartment was one part and there was rainfly of sorts that made up the other part and was supposed to be where you stashed your pack. But this meant that the actual sleeping area was only half of the actual tent. But I wasn't able to see how light the were or how easy they were to setup since they were already setup for us. But it had to be better than the stupid shelter halves which I'm not sure that the Corps ever adopted since I saw a video shot a few years back showing Marines still using shelter halves.
I also have an original of one of the high neck sweaters, and those things are awesome.
Bring back pass the M1 Shirt
It was the M1937.
@ M37 field shirt dubs. 😍
I have one of those folding shovels and have used it as a teen and keep in my truck. I'm 74 now.
when i was in the dutch army in 79-80, a lot of our equipment was WWII style, and my shovel actually was an M43, stamped 1944.
4:46 Haha, you made this review so cool.
The folding shovel is/was a great H2H combat tool, and you can also use it to sit on, using the blade as a seat, and the handle with your two legs forms a 3 legged stool.
When I was in the Boy Scouts in the mid 60s when mt dad was stationed at Ft Meade Maryland our Scout Master was an Army quartermaster. We had the shovels and the shelter half’s.
My father's Winter headcover, at the time of the Battle of the Bulge, was a leather German pilot's headcover. He kept it and used it up into the mid 70's; I do not know what became of it. It was black leather (with a very small sort of 'bill' that would never shade your eyes), very light weight, grey fabric lining. The whole cover wrapped around the throat with buttons or snaps so no wind or snow would get in.