Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 96:
Description
WWII US Infantry Combat Rig: M1936 Suspenders, M19. WWII US Infantry Combat Rig: M1936 Suspenders, M1923 Garand Belt & M1910 Canteen A complete U.S. Army World War II infantry field rig – M1936 combat field suspenders, M1923 ten-pocket dismounted cartridge belt, and M1910 canteen with matching canvas cover – representative of the standard load-bearing equipment issued to the American rifleman armed with the M1 Garand. This grouping brings together the core web components used by GIs across the European and Pacific theaters to carry ammunition, water, and field essentials. The suspenders bear a partially legible contractor stencil consistent with a reading of "U.S. / [CENTRAL?] / [SLIPPER?] CO. / 1943," along with a separate depot or personal laundry-style stencil reading "D-5707" on one strap. It is offered as a well-matched representative combat configuration rather than an attributed grouping. The M1923 belt’s ten cartridge pockets were sized to each hold one eight-round .30-06 en-bloc clip, giving a Garand rifleman 80 rounds immediately at hand – the backbone of the American infantryman’s fighting load from the hedgerows of Normandy to the jungles of the Pacific. The M1936 suspenders’ front D-rings allowed attachment of the M1936 musette bag or other suspended equipment, helping distribute the considerable weight of a loaded cartridge belt across the shoulders during long marches and sustained combat. Gear of this pattern was manufactured under contract by numerous firms racing to outfit millions of soldiers, and it saw hard service in every theater of the war; the blackened hardware and Lift-the-Dot fasteners were engineered specifically to withstand mud, saltwater, and constant field wear. The khaki-web M1936 suspenders feature adjustable straps, wire hook attachments, and two front D-rings, with the contractor and depot stencils noted above appearing on the reverse of one strap, though softened with age and not fully confirmable without closer physical inspection. The M1923 cartridge belt is fitted with ten flap-covered ammunition pockets each secured by a Lift-the-Dot snap, with a "U.S." ink stencil visible on at least one pocket flap, and retains its brass hook-and-eye belt closure in working order. The M1910 canvas canteen cover has quilted vertical stitching, a stamped "U.S." to the front panel, and a snap-secured flap, housing an aluminum canteen with intact screw cap and steel retaining chain. Condition throughout is good and service-consistent: the webbing is structurally sound with expected fading, light staining, and edge wear at the pockets; metal hardware and snaps show moderate surface oxidization and patina typical of the period; and the stencils, while genuine, are only partially legible. A solid, display-ready example of the classic American combat load-bearing rig that armed the Garand rifleman across two theaters of war.
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