October  |  1850s Artillery Knapsack

A knapsack was essentially a backpack in which a Soldier might carry items such as extra clothing, a blanket (held by straps on the outside), and a shelter half (tent). Knapsacks were either rigid such that they held their shape even when empty, or lightweight and pliable depending on construction materials. This artifact dating to circa 1855 is a rigid construction style known as gutta percha. This style first came into use in the US in the early 1850s, and in 1855 the Quartermaster General ordered a large number of experimental items such as canteens, knapsacks, and haversacks to be made this way.

A gutta percha knapsack such as this has a wooden frame of white pine to which a waterproof canvas covering is glued and tacked. Straps on top allow the user to secure a blanket on the outside of the pack, though this left it unprotected from rain. Another set of straps were in place on the back to fasten the cover flap closed, and carrying straps were attached for the user to wear the item. As the equipment performed poorly in the field, items made of gutta percha were disposed of by 1859. This particular knapsack is marked “1st Battery” with yellow paint on the back, indicating the Soldier belonged to an artillery unit, and is missing some of its straps.

September  |  Flash Fuel Tester

The safe storage, transportation, and delivery of fuels is one of the greatest logistical challenges the Army faces. These critical operations vital to the functioning of so much of the Military's equipment is handled by the Quartermasters. The artifact here is a Pensky-Martens Flash Tester used to test the flash point of various fuels and other petroleum based products in order to determine their volatility.

The substance being tested is slowly heated and stirred while being periodically exposed to an ignition spark. The temperature at which the vapors given off by the substance ignite is it's flash point, a measurement which provides useful information about the nature and condition of the particular fuel. In the field, the Army establishes mobile laboratories where this and other tests can be performed to assure the quality and safety of the Army's fuels.

August  |  Field Telegraph Buzzer

This is a Model 1914 field telegraph buzzer, produced for the US Army Signal Corps during World War I by the American Electric Co. of Chicago. With the flip of a switch, this piece of equipment could function as either a telegraph or a telephone. Having first been used by the Army in the Punitive Expedition with Mexico, these continued to be an important means of communication for the Army in the field during the First World War, as hand held radios were not yet widely available.

It features a separate mouth and earpiece for phone communication as well as a M1914 Field Telegraph Buzzerservice buzzer for sending telegraph messages, with both signal types transmitting over the same lines. As it lacks a crank or ringer, it had to be actively monitored for incoming messages. To place an outgoing communication, the user typically keyed the buzzer many times to get the attention of station operators. The user could then key (using Morse Code) the call sign of the station which he wished to communicate with, as well as whether he wished to do so by telegraph or phone. While it was a valuable form of communication on the Western Front, it was not without problems.

These units tended to cause interference in other nearby telephones, telegraphs, and radios. The German army was also able to pick up transmissions using certain radio receivers. The Army eventually solved this by increasing the insulation of some of the electronics. Although such signal devices as these would eventually become displaced by portable radio systems, they served an important function for the Army during World War I.

July  |  M1912 Pistol Cleaning Kit

This M1912 pistol cleaning kit is designed to clean the standard Army M1911 Colt .45 caliber pistol. The kit consists of a blued steel sheet case with the letters “US” embossed on the lid, ten brass cleaning rods with brush attachments, and a wood block with two slots hollowed out to hold a brass oil can (which contained a lubricant known as “cosmic grease”) and a small round brass box for spare parts. The Army began producing these in 1912 to clean the newly adopted M1911 pistols, and continued to use them for many decades. This example likely dates to around the time of World War I, as such details as the blued steel case and the wooden insert used at this time would change in subsequent years of manufacture. This type of cleaning kit is referred to as a “squad” kit because it was made to be used by a trained armorer to clean the weapons of a particular company or regiment as opposed to use by an individual soldier.

June  |  WWII POW Bugle

After the surrender of Japan in August of 1945 that ended World War II, a group of American POWs held in a small camp on Mukiashima Island raised the very first American flag on the soil of the newly defeated nation. Having been set free by the Japanese guards, the US soldiers wanting to raise a flag realized that they did not have one. Colonel Ralph Artman, one of the prisoners in the camp, suggested making one from parachutes, and the soldiers quickly set about sewing one together using local Japanese tailor shops. Accounts vary, but at 11 am on a morning in late August or early September, the soldiers lowered the Japanese flag and raised the American one they had made.

During the flag raising ceremony, the tune “To the Colors” was played on this bugle that had been confiscated from the former Japanese guards. In all, ninety-nine American soldiers (of the one hundred who had arrived at the camp a year earlier from the Philippines, some even survivors of the Bataan Death March) were in the prison at the time of this moment of freedom, as well as seventy-eight British soldiers.

May  |  WWII Fishing Survival Kit

This survival kit that was issued to an Army Air Force soldier stationed on Tinian Island in the Pacific during World War II. During the war, these kits were made standard on many types of life boats, rafts, and floats used by the US Navy, the Army Transport Corps, the Coast Guard, and the Army Air Corps. This particular soldier served on a B-29 aircraft flying missions in the Pacific Theater.

The kit consists of an olive drab cotton roll with twelve pockets that hold various fishing gear including different sizes of fishing cord, hooks, a net, a knife, and instructions for use. The cotton roll has straps and is made to be worn as an apron. There were a few different variations on these kits, some of which had only eight pockets of equipment, and they were usually contained in a sealed metal cylinder. Should a soldier or sailor find himself stranded on an island or floating in the Pacific Ocean, these fishing tools could have provided access to a valuable source of food.

April  |  Civil War-Era Snare Drum

April of 2015 marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War. To highlight this event, this month’s artifact is a Civil War-era army snare drum. While drums and other army band instruments play an important, if symbolic, role in today’s military, they were a critical communication device during the time of the American Civil War. When commanding troops in the field, particularly during battle, it could be difficult for those giving orders to get their message heard by the ranks.

Drummers played specific beats to communicate such orders to soldiers as the need to attack, retreat, or enter a certain formation. Eventually, such a system would become unnecessary as technological advancements including battlefield radios and telephones came into existence.

This drum features a maple wood shell with skin drum heads. A black band with a gold “Greek” fret pattern adorns the head and foot of the drum shell. A gold, brown, and white US eagle holding a motto strip in its mouth is also painted on the face of the shell. The instrument has rope and leather cords for tightening the drum heads.

March  |  Pair of Flintlock Pistol Holders

This pair of holsters, which dates back to the early 19th century, is designed to hold flintlock pistols for dragoon soldiers mounted on horseback. The holsters were originally attached to each other by a leather strap (now broken), and would have been draped over a horse’s back in front of the rider’s saddle. The flintlock pistols used by these soldiers were large compared to a typical modern handgun, and thus required these relatively outsized holsters. The flintlock mechanism had been in common use in firearms for a couple of centuries, but would soon be overtaken by percussion cap weapons.

These holsters are made of leather that is five inches wide at the top and tapers to a width of two inches at the bottom. The bottom part is round with a brass covering. Part of the strap that once connected the two holsters still remains attached to one of them. Near the top of each holster are five metal cylinders, encased in a leather pocket, which serve to hold the paper cartridges used in firing the weapon.

February  |  WWII Cloth Army Air Force Escape Maps

Here are two double-sided cloth escape maps used by the Army Air Force during World War II. These types of cloth escape maps were originally invented by the British at the outset of the war. The goal was to create a map that could be folded up or otherwise compacted into a very small form, heavily creased, and even gotten wet, without compromising the map’s ability to be read.

The American Army Air Force began producing its own cloth maps to give to soldiers who might get shot down, and would thus need a map which could be easily hidden and still be useful in an escape attempt.

The cloth on which these maps are printed is made from rayon-acetate. They measure 24 ½ inches by 23 inches. Both maps display sections of the Japanese islands and the general vicinity. One depicts the areas around the city of Hakodate on one side, with Nemuro on the reverse. The other shows the city of Nagasaki and its surroundings on one side, and Kagoshima on the other. These are two of thirteen sheets which comprised the Army Air Force’s Eastern Asia map series.