Today on Gus’ Gear I present a few more items that would be found in packs and haversacks, as well as a duffel bag, a couple of money belts and a hat tin. These are items that do not have the appeal of helmets and weapons, but every soldier carried some of his personal possessions in these.
Starting with a duffel bag used by Carson J. Lawrence of S.S.U 615. He was an ambulance driver for a unit that was set up to be the first Mobil Army Surgical Hospital.
This shows both sides of Carson Lawrence’s ditty bag, it measures about 10 by 15 inches and has a draw string closure and has a flap in the opening with a number of spare buttons sewn on it. Inside, there are four smaller pockets for organizing contents.
This is a light denim ditty bag used by Frank Frankenfield, an ambulance mechanic of Evacuation Ambulance Company #8. It measures 8 by 10 inches and has a draw string closure.
This is a U.S. Personal effects bag, used for a casualty’s personal items so they could be returned to their next of kin. It measures about 8 by 10 inches and has a draw string closure. After reading the label, one would hope that the personal items were not sent to the next of kin in this bag, but transferred to another container.
This is a U.S. ration bag, it measures about 4 by 6 inches and has a draw string closure.
This is a ditty bag of unknown origin, but at one point was used by an American soldier to hold his tent pegs and pole.
These are British ditty bags used by H.V. Donald of the Royal Navy. The large one is 12 by 16 inches and the small one is 5 by 6 inches. Both have draw string closures.
This is a British hat tin, used by H.V. Donald of the Royal Navy, He served at one time on the H.M.S. Europa and this tin would be used to store his caps when they were not being worn.
This is a money belt used by a seaman in the British Royal Navy. It is an item that came with the G. Wilson grouping, not an uncommon item as there were few places a sailor could keep his pennies safe while on ship
This is a money belt used by a soldier in the Austro-Hungarian Kaiserschützen, it is an item that came with the Ferdinand Holzner grouping.