December  |  WWI Model “A” Field and Camp Telephone

This artifact is a World War I-era Model “A” Field and Camp Telephone. The phone features an oak wood case with a black metal hinged cover. Inside the case are the hand set and the battery that powers the phone. When in use, the hand set can be hung on a hook situated on the outside. The outside also has a speaker and a crank, the latter which can be wound to generate power to charge the battery. A leather carrying strap is attached to the case, and adorning the top is a brass plaque that reads “Camp Telephone Model A Signal Corps US Army.”

These telephones were used on the battlefield to communicate directions among troops, allowing the coordination of much larger armies than had been previously possible. Although sometimes they were connected to existing civilian telephone wires, typically Army forces would string their own communication wires, known as outpost wire, through which these phones could be connected.

At one point during World War I, the Army estimated the need for outpost wire to connect these phones to be 68,000 miles worth per month. During both World Wars, telephones were preferred over radio for communication, which was usually reserved for mobile units or situations where wires were not yet in place.

November  |  Wolf Fur Mittens

In order to contend with the extreme low temperatures of environments such as Alaska, the Army began experimenting with various species of fur and hides in the effort to produce clothing that provided proper levels of warmth, comfort, and dryness. Soldiers serving in these conditions needed gloves and mittens that would protect them from the cold while allowing them to perform tasks requiring manual dexterity. At times, materials such as reindeer skin, horse hide, and lamb’s wool were all used. Wolf fur, the material of which these mittens are made, was valued both for its warmth and for its resistance to freezing.

During World War II, soldiers in the US Army Air Corps flying over the Arctic Circle were exposed to the effects of severe cold, and many were issued pairs of these wolf fur mittens. However, as this material was expensive and in limited supply, the Army had to continue experimenting with other materials.

These particular mittens feature green leather palms and a covering of wolf fur. The inside is lined with olive drab wool and the cuffs have brown leather binding. A neck cord connecting the two mittens secured them to the wearer’s neck, allowing for their removal without fear of losing them. A stamp on the left mitten thumb bears the mark of the Seattle Quartermaster Depot from which this pair was issued.

October  |  Gas Masks

One hundred years ago, the trench warfare of World War I brought with it the specter of chemical weapons. Though theoretically in violation of international treaties that banned the use of projectiles with asphyxiating and poisonous gases, German, French, British, and American forces all eventually made use of these weapons during the war. The use of gas attacks quickly established the need for protective masks to shield soldiers from these types of assaults. In part because of the availability of these masks, gas attacks contributed a relatively small percentage of the deaths occurring in World War I. By World War II, the Geneva Protocol had more definitively outlawed the use of poison gas in war, and these weapons did not play a significant role in combat during that conflict. However, the US Army did continue to produce this protective equipment in case of necessity.

The artifacts here are gas masks from the two World Wars. The World War I model has the bright green canister while the World War II model (known as the M2) is uniformly olive green. Attached to the WWI model is its use and maintenance instruction card. Each features a mask that covers the eyes, nose, and mouth. The wearer breathes through a valve that is connected by a hose to a small canister. The canister contains a mechanism for filtering chemical agents from the air.

The main improvement of the WWII mask over the WWI version is the use of an all rubber face piece instead of one made of cloth material. Though it successfully provided needed protection, the WWII model was thought to be too heavy, and the Army would replace it with a lighter model before the end of the war.

September  |  West Point Headgear

For many, the month of September is associated with a return to school. Since 1802, the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York has been a school for educating officers for service in the US Army. As officers in training, these students are required to wear various uniforms particular to their status as cadets. The artifacts here represent two forms of headgear worn by these cadets. The first, a shako style hat (sometimes referred to as a “tar bucket”), is used predominately for parades. A version of this hat has been used by the US Military Academy since its beginnings, although it has undergone alterations over time. This particular piece was manufactured in the 1950s. It features a 5 ½” inch high crown made of leather, with the leather around the sides covered with wool. There is a 1 ½ inch visor on the front which slants downward, and two chin straps, one made of chain metal and the other of leather. A gold-colored West Point insignia adorns the front of the hat and a pom-pom protrudes from the top.

The second piece of headgear is a gray service cap, with this particular piece also being manufactured in the 1950s. The crown of the hat is approximately 10 3/8 inches wide and covered with gray wool. It features a 1 ¾ inch wide black headband wrapped around the base of the crown, and a black vinyl visor. A black leather chinstrap is attached on both sides by gold buttons, and a West Point insignia is top-center on the front of the cap.

August  |  Graves Registration Fingerprinting Kit

Since 1862 in the midst of the Civil War, Quartermasters have been tasked with the mission of caring for the bodies of fallen soldiers; a duty originally called Graves Registration and now referred to as Mortuary Affairs. One aspect of this is soldier identification, which has historically presented a significant challenge. Depending on the source one consults, anywhere from twenty-five to fifty percent of soldiers killed during the Civil War were never identified. The Army’s Quartermasters have looked to various methods to help with this process as technology has allowed, including identification tags, dental records, fingerprints, and most recently DNA.

This artifact is an example of a fingerprinting kit used by Graves Registration units dating to the late 1950s. As all soldiers were required to submit fingerprint records upon joining the Army, this identification method became a useful tool for Graves Registration units caring for those killed in action. The method is not without its challenges, as fingerprints could be difficult to obtain from the deceased. Among other reasons, hands undergo decomposition more quickly than the rest of the body. However, particularly before the advent of DNA technology, fingerprinting was a valuable tool in helping to vastly reduce the number of unidentified fallen soldiers.

This particular kit is housed in an olive drab metal box with a hinged cover, and contains inks, a roller, a mirror, and plates for use in obtaining fingerprints. It dates to the late 1950s, and was manufactured by the US Fingerprint Products Company. These kits were used by Graves Registration Research and Recovery Units. The results would be included with a soldier’s Report of Burial.

July  |  Army Field Stoves

Each July as Americans celebrate Independence Day, one of the most commonly practiced rituals is that of the cookout. People forego their kitchens for the simple joys of food cooked outdoors. Summer is also a time when many people like to enjoy camping in nature, which provides another opportunity for al fresco dining. In civilian life, such experiences are voluntary pleasures, but for soldiers in the field, an outdoor meal is frequently one of necessity. For this purpose, the Army’s Quartermasters have had to provide soldiers with stoves portable enough to carry into the field, but still effective in cooking a meal’s worth of rations. World War II was the first time the Army equipped its soldiers with such portable cooking devices. Quartermasters had seen the need for a stove that could work in temperatures ranging from very cold to very hot, used multiple fuel types, were compact in size, and weighed less than five pounds. Companies such as Coleman (familiar to modern day campers) were essential in working with the Army to develop these valuable pieces of equipment.

These artifacts represent a sampling of portable cook stoves for use in the field. With the exception of one dating from the Korean War era, these stoves are from the time of World War II. Each of these stoves is designed to use a variety of fuels including gasoline, which would generally have been on hand for use in various vehicles. With each model, the fuel is stored in a reservoir on the bottom, while the flame is produced through a single burner on top, upon which pots, pans, cups, or even cans could be set for heating. The user employs a pump to pressurize the fuel and get it flowing, and then lights it with a match. Three of the models feature small arms on top which can be folded out to increase the size of the surface used to support the item to be heated. Stoves such as these influenced the design of those that would come to be used by recreational campers and backpackers in civilian life.

June  |  Assorted World War I Artifacts

These artifacts represent an assortment of items a soldier might have used in his daily life while deployed to fight in World War I. Included are a safety razor, a candle holder, and a sewing kit. The United States initially took a neutral stance toward the warring powers, but would enter the war in April of 1917 in response to unrestricted attacks on US ships by German submarines (U boats), and a plot by the Germans encouraging Mexico to attack the United States.

One hundred years ago this month, on June 28, 1914, a Serbian nationalist assassinated the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. This set off a chain of events and engaged military alliances ultimately bringing about the beginning of World War I (or the Great War as it was once known) a month later.

The bacon can (second picture on the right, carried by Lieutenant and later Captain Benjamin A. Smith as evidenced by his engraved name), a first aid kit, and an empty fifty pound coffee sack.

While it has always been essential to equip soldiers with the uniforms and weapons of war, it is also important to supply them with the items required to attend to their daily needs. The US Army Quartermasters have long been responsible for providing such items that keep soldiers healthy and in good morale.

Since size and weight must be considered for any equipment a soldier must use, many of these items are designed to fit into compact kits.

May  |  M1952A Armored Fragmentation Vest

This is a Model 1952A Armored Vest designed to provide protection primarily against fragments from exploding weapons, such as anti-aircraft artillery, grenades, and land mines. This type of armor can be effective in stopping bullets under certain circumstances, but is not designed for this purpose. Armored vests had typically been made of metal such as steel or aluminum alloy, but were excessively heavy because of this and thus largely impractical for infantry. The problem of the weight accompanied by shortages in production prompted the military to begin experimenting with nonmetallic types of armor. During World War II the various branches of the armed forces, working with private industry, came to develop armor utilizing materials including fiberglass, plastic, and nylon. Such materials proved to be effective protection while significantly reducing the weight of the vests. Doron, named for BG Georges Doriot who was serving as the head Quartermaster in charge of research, was a fiberglass and plastic material developed during this time that began seeing service at the end of World War II. The military continued to use Doron into the Korean War, but also began using the even more effective ballistic nylon armor represented here. Tests by the Army showed these types of armored vests were very effective in deflecting various types of fragments and projectiles, and reducing the severity of injuries caused by those which they could not stop.

This particular vest is an example of the nylon based armor the military began using during the Korean War. The vest is made of olive green nylon, with locations for ballistic nylon armor inserts to shield the front and back. It features a zipper and snap front closure, and side strips with cotton drawstrings for side closure. The tag displays the maker (Textron, Inc), model (M-1952A), and size (large), as well as instructions for proper wear and fit.

Here is a piece of aluminum alloy removed from an armored vest that was struck by a bullet. As the evidence here shows, armored vests could occasionally stop such projectiles, although they were not designed to do so. The dent where the bullet struck is visible, and the striking bullet itself is exhibited.

April  |  Telescope

This telescope was used by Major James Clark Bush. Major Bush graduated from West Point in 1875 and served in the Army as an artillery officer. He was married to the Eleanor Adams Stanton, daughter of Edwin Stanton who had served as Secretary of War under President Lincoln during the Civil War.

When collapsed, it measures 10 ½ inches, extending to 37 ½ inches when fully deployed. Telescopes, known as field glasses in Quartermaster supply form nomenclature of the period, had been used for military surveillance purposes since the early 17th century after their invention by Galileo. After the creation of the Signal Corps in 1860, these optical devices were used to view signal flags and torches from long distances. This model is typical of the type issued by the US Army Quartermaster Department during the Civil War and Indian Wars periods. Although they coexisted for a time, they would slowly be replaced by the use of binoculars.

This telescope was manufactured by Thomas W. Queen of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attested to by an engraving on the narrow end that reads “USA Signal Telescope Tas W Queen Philada.” It is made of a thick, dark brass material with leather covering it in places.

March  |  Mold for M1858 Forage Cap

The artifact featured here is a wooden mold used for producing Forage Caps used during the Civil War. The caps were produced by the Army at the Schuylkill Arsenal in Pennsylvania, as well as by private contractors.

During the Civil War, the most commonly worn head gear by Union soldiers was the Model 1858 Forage Cap. This cap is characterized by its unstiffened top with a flat crown tending to slope forward, and a small visor on the front. While the cap was not universally approved of by Soldiers, with objections primarily being to its appearance and lack of protection from the sun, it was definitely more popular than the “Hardee” hat issued by the Army in the early part of the war.

It is actually made of six pieces which fit together to form the mold. Six different sizes of the cap were produced, and thus as many different versions of the mold were required for their manufacture.

This cap is often confused with the “McClellan” cap, which features a similar, albeit smaller and more tightly constructed, forward slanting top with flat crown. Unlike the Model 1858 cap however, the McClellan was not an official Army issued item.

January | No Artifact for this month

Sorry, we did not display an artifact for this month.