A389
M1923 rifleman's cartridge belt has mixed dark, medium and light olive drab canvas and web with good clear "U.S."
stencil, mixed set of blackened gray metal and blackened bronze hardware, and 1943 dated maker's stamp - appears to
be "HINSON". Shows normal light wear and storage soil. Dark olive drab in 1943?!?! I'm reasonably certain this one
will be purchased by a group of 'khaki fundamentalist' reenactors, for the sole purpose of stoning it to death. II
$85
WWII Rifleman's Cartridge Belt: 1943
A390
Good, original example, light olive web pouch has matching edge trim, flap with lift-the-dot fasteners and "U.S."
stencil; body with "POUCH, AMMUNITION, SHOTGUN." Interior has 1943 dated Jeffersonville Quartermaster
Depot maker's stamp. Interior has shell loops, base has grommet drain hole, and reverse has khaki web belt loops.
Original pouch in excellent unused condition - just a hint of storage wear. I
$325
WWII Shotgun Ammunition Pouch
A391
One of our best friends in Europe recently uncovered a small cache of US WWII M1936 combat suspenders. He
described having to cut through the original paper wrapping inside the crates to get at these, and what he found was a
real time capsule! M1936 suspenders that we typically find always have corrosion on the snaps, rings, etc., even if the
canvas is in decent shape, but these are as nice today as they were the day they left the manufacturer's warehouse in
Waterloo, Iowa in 1942. The only way I can describe them is "brand-spankin' new." The metal fittings retain 99%+
blackened finish, and the strap components were made with a mix of different shades of light olive web. All are clearly
marked "U.S. / HINSON MFG. CO. / 1942". The last time we had a set even remotely this nice it was 10 years ago.
They sold for $85, and had numerous 'seconds' requests from buyers who missed out. Though we do not expect our
stash to last long, we can make sure that nobody goes away disappointed this time, AND we can sell them for $50 -
that's 40% less than they sold for a decade ago. In fact.. if you want three or more pair, we will adjust your invoice
and make them $45 ea. Mint, unissued. I+
$50
WWII M1936 Combat Suspenders: Mint Unissued 1942
A392
Rubberized fabric poncho has green and brown camouflage sides with olive painted snap closures. Early pattern
produced without hem grommets. Soiled from use, still pliable enough for easy display. No visible markings. II
$95
WWII USN / USMC Camouflaged Poncho
A393
Rubberized fabric poncho has green and brown camouflage sides with olive painted snap closures. Early pattern
produced without hem grommets. Edge on the green side has partially legible Navy contract stamp. Mint, unissued
example with good strong color, and as pliable as the day it was made. I
$175
WWII USN / USMC Camouflaged Poncho: Mint
A394
Footlocker and more from Second Lieutenant James O'Connor, Co-Pilot of the B-25J "Yankee Doodle Dandy",
43-27670,
shot down February 13, 1945 over the Poe Valley in Italy. Six Mitchells of the 486th Bomb Squadron each
dropped four 1000-pound bombs on a rock outcropping over a railroad line in Brenner Pass, northern Italy, in an
attempt to block the track and disrupt German supplies flowing into the Italy. After the bombs were released, the Lt.
Colonel from Group HQ flying left seat in the lead aircraft, directed the planes to make a slow banking turn back over
the target area for bomb damage assessment. Now sure of the range, German flak intensified, and "Yankee Doodle
Dandy" was struck by an 88mm shell which dismounted the entire left side engine. When they dropped out of
formation, loosing speed and altitude, flak damage intensified, and a loss of hydraulic pressure led to the gear and flaps
coming down. With the mountains around them higher than they were, the only option was to bail out. O'Connor
and the rest of the crew spent the remainder of WWII as guests of the Reich. They were liberated on April 29 by
elements of 14th Armored, 36th and 45th Infantry Divisions. Lt. O'Connor's group is extensive. Uniforms include
one officer's four-pocket dark olive drab wool coat with Second Lieutenant rank insignia, "U.S." and Aviation winged
prop lapel devices, 12th Air Force patch on the right shoulder, Presidential Unit Citation ribbon, Caterpillar Club pin,
AAF winged prop embroidered on wool patch on the left shoulder, clutch-back Pilot wing badge, and five medal ribbon
bar including Purple Heart and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign with two stars. Has a different last name
written on the tag inside, as is fairly common. His officer's Ike jacket of dark olive drab wool has the same insignia,
with a nice "AMCRAFT" pinback Pilot wing. Uniforms include two dark olive drab wool shirts with AAF shoulder
insignia, three ties, two pairs of 'pinks' light OD trousers, one pair of dark OD trousers, one enlisted overseas cap, one
dark olive and one 'pink' officer's overseas caps. Includes nice standard Army officer's visor cap with thick visor and
dark olive drab crown; also one true 'crusher', with highly flexible single-ply thin leather visor and khaki wool crown;
interior has "FLIGHTER" Bancroft trade name. Paperwork includes a number of flight maps from his pilot's training,
Pilot's Information File book, B-25 Pilot Training Manual, a stack of class souvenir books including one from
Maxwell Field, Turner Field, GA, Dorr Field, FL, and others. Medals include cased Purple Heart and Air Medal, neither
one engraved. Other bits and souvenirs include a large Third Reich vehicle identification flag, Pitot tube cover,
airspeed computer, Luftwaffe marked spoons, several Nazi armbands, empty ration containers, extra officer's cap
insignias, a Mexican made fighting knife, North African souvenir knife, AAF and Aviation Cadet patches, a pair of
AAF leather gloves with wool knit inserts and silk bottom layer gloves, and a brown leather Army Special Services
baseball glove. His archive binder includes the citation letter for his Air Medal and a number of personal letters written
home to his family explaining what they knew (at the time) of his loss over the Poe Valley. Other important material
includes his Caterpillar Club certificate, another AMCRAFT pinback Pilot wing (has catch damage), his ID tags
including his Stalag Luft VII/A German-issued ID tag, and a bullion embroidered 12th Air Force shoulder insignia. Also
includes a nice large 8"x10" photo of Lt. O'Connor. Modern research copies of the missing aircrew reports are
included, as is correspondence with family from other members of the crew, and a copy of "YANKEE DOODLE
DANDY: The Final Mission of 6Y", a privately published soft-cover book written by James Davidson, who was tail
gunner on the plane that day. Sgt. Davidson specifically mentions the photo prints which are included in Lt.
O'Connor's group also - photos taken by another aircraft in the formation showing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" after the
flak hit and before they dropped out of formation. These photos are also mentioned in several of the period letters
written home to O'Connor's family as a cause for hope, indicating that the damage was largely confined to the missing
engine, which the other crews took as a 'good sign' that they likely bailed out in good shape and were simply prisoners
of the Germans rather than casualties. Wool uniform items show normal light wear but I did not observe any readily
apparent mothing. Very nice complete group, and from a collector / display perspective, a unique opportunity to have
a POW / Caterpillar Club group that includes a photograph of the aircraft seconds after receiving the damage that
doomed the flight. II
$4990
WWII 12th Air Force B-25 Co-Pilot's Uniform & Medals: Caterpillar Club POW
