From: Ronald Gillen (gillen@nconnect.net)
Date: Fri Mar 30 2001 - 13:30:28 PST
This was an adjustable sturdy woven web belt about 3" wide and 1/4 inch thick with a hooked crude buckle that couldn't come loose, it had many series of black painted brass eyelets a uniform distance apart along it's length. A whole array of devices could be hung from this belt like a 45 cal pistol holder, different sized cartridge holders, a canteen cover (holder) complete with a canteen and a cup. The original canteen was aluminum as was the canteen cup that fit around it, infantrymen complained that it could rattle and as a result later on in the war the canteen was changed to a sturdy plastic type. The aluminum canteen was deemed better for drinking water as the plastic canteen had an odor about it. The two dog tags also rattled so one was usually removed from the beaded neck chain and inserted in one's boot. Pouches containing medical compresses, bandages, sulfa wound antibiotic powder (actually a German discovery), an entrenching tool holder (which was a small shovel), all could be hung from the belt. The most useless device was the bayonet, it was most often used to open cans and pry open boxes. Cartridge cases for the .30-06 Garand rifle were hung from the belt. The cartridges came in a clip of I believe 8 bullets (IIRC) and when the last round was fired from the semiautomatic Garand rifle the rifle bolt in the receiver would lock open in a rearward position and the last spent cartridge case and the clip would be ejected. A fresh clip could then be presses down into the rifle and the bolt would close, this reloading had to be done properly else ones fingers or skin would be painfully pinched or some skin lost as the bolt automatically slammed closed with considerable force. This clip would make a distinctive pinging sound if it hit a hard object on the ground, experienced German infantrymen would listen for this noise and rush the unfortunate soldier who then had an unloaded rifle in need of a new clip insertion. Wily US soldiers would carry several empty clips and after firing several shots throw one of them on the ground making this sound but still having several rounds left in their rifle. The Germans often fell for this ruse and would rush forward towards the soldier who would dispatch them to 'a far better land' with a not so empty rifle. Much of this equipment, in fact most of it, was still in use when I attended the later show in Korea. We had many experienced WWII veterans with us there who regale us with stories of their exploits in WWII. The one notable exception was that Sulfa drugs had given way to modern antibiotics like penicillin. Regards ..... Ron Gillen Rg =========================== ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> Make good on the promise you made at graduation to keep in touch. Classmates.com has over 14 million registered high school alumni--chances are you'll find your friends! http://us.click.yahoo.com/03IJGA/DMUCAA/4ihDAA/rIBVlB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: timewitnesses-unsubscribe@egroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/