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WWI M1918 Belts


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So I have a bad habit... Once I start collecting I cant help myself! Reenacting and collecting militaria has been an addiction since I was really little. My padre had me and my brother when we were just kids in hand made 17th Century clothes at St. Marys, MD reenacting as soon as we could walk. Doesnt help I grew up watching Sands of Iwo Jima and Battleground. Any who, it turned into expanding on padres collection and now we have every US conflict covered and Im filling the gaps. Recently, I was in an extremely fortunate position to purchase a Colt M1918 SLR from the late Sandys wife Karen earlier this year. Who is an absolute joy to converse/deal with. This has lead to hunting down all the related equipment that a soldier or Marine would have had during WWI, inter war period, and WWII. Just the other day I hit a mile stone of finding all original round flap magazine belts and bandoliers. Since some of these were virtually unknown to me before researching a BAR team during WWI I thought Id share them here for reference if anyone wanted to see them. Whats unique is these were all manufactured by LONG in 1918 only a couple months apart. Each once is vastly different in color.

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Nice collection . There is one that you are " missing " :happy: .

When I had BARs I put a grouping like yours together , thought I had them all . Then I saw a film of battle scenes . In it a camera man was on a dike with water filled fields on both sides . A row of soldiers was approaching him . He stepped off the dike to let them pass , filming them go by . Last man was the BAR man . He wore a pocked web bandoleer , six pockets across the chest up front and six across the back ( camera man continued to follow them down the dike ) . Never saw one before and I had to have one . Everyone said I was crazy , such a thing never existed . I never found one .

Years later , after the BAR was long gone , I found one . It was a D-Day paratrooper's smoke grenade bandoleer . I would guess that each pocket would hold one BAR magazine , but he could of had grenades in them .

Chris

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Very nice, I started a similar collection some years back but with WWII contractors and dates. There may be some odd ones out there but it has been several years since I have run across an example that I did not already have. I believe there is a sticky with my list of WWII contractors.

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Very close to that , but more like a pair of regular WW2 belts made as one piece with the shoulder pad and prob'ly a buckle of some sort .

Chris

 

BTW , nice M1936 chemical grenade bandoleer !

Edited by emmagee1917
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So Ive been pouring through combat footage from the Normandy breakout and I havent had any luck so far for finding this elusive bandolier that has really peaked my interest! I wonder.... Ive seen a few examples of bandoliers that were made from WW1 US grenade vests which were cut horizontally between the 2 rows of pouches and then sewn together end to end. Unfortunately Im a few states away from the majority of my collection and can't test fit a BAR mag into one of the vest pouches right meow. Hmmm... the hunt continues! -The following photo(s) is/are not mine. I just pulled it from the ole Google.- and 2 others because who knew BARs could fly!... fall... Eh, either way Id hate to ride one in and PLF on a DZ with it haha.

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I had never seen one till that one film on TV. No one knew what I was talking about among all the collectors I knew . Several years ago someone put one on eBay and ID'd it . It went for several hundred dollars . Then over the next six months or so , a dozen or so came out of the closets , then you never saw them again .

Sad , Chris

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You've missed one. The Monitor BAR pouch. I've only seen one since I've been looking for one.

I think Big Al owns it.

Darryl

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You know, you fellas are a bad influence! Haha! Here I was just thinkin its ok lil wallet. The onslaught is over for now. Then BAM! To be honest if I find a Monitor belt I will pick it up and pass it along as I wouldnt appreciate it as much as some of the collectors here who really study and love the Monitor. Now... a 6 pocket round flap modified WW1 belt with the large buckles!? Different story. Speaking of which does anyone have a photo of a 6 pocket round flap magazine belt that still utilizes the large buckle?
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You know, you fellas are a bad influence! Haha! Here I was just thinkin its ok lil wallet. The onslaught is over for now. Then BAM! To be honest if I find a Monitor belt I will pick it up and pass it along as I wouldnt appreciate it as much as some of the collectors here who really study and love the Monitor. Now... a 6 pocket round flap modified WW1 belt with the large buckles!? Different story. Speaking of which does anyone have a photo of a 6 pocket round flap magazine belt that still utilizes the large buckle?

 

A Monitor belt really would not fit into a collection of military issue items.

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Dan,

Maybe Big AL will post some photos. Yes. I tried to purchace it from him, he was very proud of it.

I didnt want to do what I did with the color fold out Monitor flyer, paid stupid money for it.

Darryl

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just returned from local gun show and brought home a interesting BAR belt.

It has 6 pockets like a typical WW2 belt and is marked as follows.

Left pouch set,-----1613

Plant Bros & Co

Browning- Colt

2nd Asst

Left

9-1918

 

Right pouch set not marked. no U.S. on front flat.

 

Connecting belt marked,------LCC& Co 12-18

 

In other words it looks like a typical WW2 set except no US stamped on front right flap.

On closer inspection, it appears that the 45 mag pouch was removed and replaced with a BAR pouch.

Very professionally

done and not in the Ballou book.

Jim C

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Yeah Ive seen quite a few of those recently. Some will have mix matched round flap and pointed flap pouches. Ive also seen them retain the large WW1 buckles or modified to a WW2 pattern. A lot of the ones I see modified were done by Avery Co. Annnnnd a first for me to see is a Marine with a cut down 10 pocket belt section added to his BAR belt!

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Ok here is an odd one... I have an Instagram page called Cosmoline & Canvas. Another collector called The History Hoarder, that posts regularly uploaded photos of this pouch. These are the only 3 photos of it before someone bought it from him. There is a screenshot of the description he had along with the pouch. Have you guys seen these before? Very neat lil pouch.

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  • 9 months later...

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