Original U.S. WWII & Korean War Era G.I. Field Gear Lot Featuring Machete, Cartridge Belts, and First Aid Pouches with Carlisle Bandages - 10 Items

Original Items: Only One Lot of 10 Available. A one of a kind lot of ten WWI / WWII / Korean War GI Field Gear pieces. All pieces are in original, unmodified, condition, and show signs of honest use and storage wear that has accumulated over the last several decades. Some will have additional issue markings added at the arsenal or by the soldiers in various places.

Items in this lot:

- Korean War Cartridge belt marked with 1951 date, good shape overall.
- WWI era bandage pouch with red WWII Carlisle bandage inside.
- 1944-dated green first aid pouch with Carlisle bandage inside. 
- Daco-lite hand-press flashlight - STILL WORKING! December 1944 Tropicalize date.
- USN Collins & Co. machete by Hotze, dated 1944.
-  WWI M1911 Magazine pouch, dated 1918.
- US WWII Canteen with cup, no cover. Canteen marked SM Co. 1943.
- Korean War M-1945 Cargo Field pack, dated 1951. Great unissued condition.
- Water bag
- USMC Floatation bladder bag. 
- Miscellaneous strap, we are unsure what it goes to. 

A great assortment of items ready for further research and display.

The United States Army in World War II had a distinct advantage over the Axis when it came to equipment. Both in terms of quality and quantity the power of American industry kept the GI’s well supplied.

For a Soldier, equipment is a matter of survival. Even something as simple as a button can make the difference between victory and defeat if it fails to function properly at the wrong time. For this reason Soldiers have a strong tendency to become attached to equipment they like, and to modify or discard equipment they find unreliable or useless. Among the Infantry, who have to carry their equipment wherever they go, this tendency is even stronger.

Soldiers must carry everything they need for combat operations with them at all times. Individual load carrying equipment is designed to allow the Soldier to carry a basic load of ammunition, food, water, and first-aid gear. The exact make-up of this load varies from conflict to conflict. In more modern times the load has grown to include additional equipment such as gas masks, maps, compasses, and radios.

Because of the cost of replacing equipment for Soldiers is high, equipment is usually replaced in phases, with front-line troops receiving the new equipment first. Support units typically receive equipment later as older equipment wears out or becomes obsolete. Because of this, Soldiers in World War II went to war using several different versions of the basic load bearing gear.