Unboxing WW1 Soldier's Trunk!
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OK let's see. Firstly, Officers had to buy their own uniforms, so finding labels from various civilian makers is totally normal. The larger bucket is a water bucket, not a horse feedbag. The shallow thing is a washbasin. The jacket is just a civilian made coat, and I doubt it is flight gear, although with WW1 flight gear nearly anything is possible. (I'm pretty weak on WW1 flight gear, so somebody correct me about that if I'm wrong). The rolled cloth are Puttees, which was actually the regular issue for US soldiers overseas, the canvas leggings were pre-war and were not normal issue during WW1, puttees are easier to make and much cheaper. The hat, your assistant failed to point out, is a J.B. Stetson and even ragged out has some value. The trousers are normal US Officer private purchase kit, and actually have nothing to do with cavalry as all US Officers wore these. The uniform coat is the Khaki Drill version of the US uniform and was likely not worn in France. Still it has Bullion Embroidered pilot's wings, so this guy was not only a pilot, but obviously pretty well off financially. Overall, a really nice uniform grouping of a US pilot from WW1. His picture shows an overseas stripe in the photo so he did indeed go "over there". That's a really cool trunk. BTW...the whisky bottle is in excellent shape and has value as well. Oh, and the rank on the overseas cap is Second Lieutenant. A lot of this stuff is probably things that got left behind when he went overseas, with a few things that he brought back after the war. Overall though a really, really nice grouping.
Excellent overview. Thanks for your help with these items. We are offering for sale at $2500 if you know anyone interested. Hardest part is shipping.
You took the words right out of my mouth! That canvas bucket was something I saw still floating around in an Army supply in the 80s, so I knew exactly what it was. And for somebody who is a veritable expert on military weapons, I’d suggest getting at least a bit more familiar with military uniforms-at least with ranks. Gold bar = Second Lieutenant (Ensign in the US Navy); Silver bar = First Lieutenant (Lieutenant Junior Grade, or Lt JG in the Navy). Silver is always the higher rank in the US military officer’s insignias. The leg wrappings were used by all the Allies at some point, and you’re right about that campaign hat too, they were made by Stetson, and they are always worth money!
Do some homework Tom!
@@mhmt1453 i would much rather have an interactive video and get you involved. Thanks for your input.
WW1 pilots commonly wore leather jackets in flight both for wind protection and to protect uniforms from the caster oil used for engine lubricant. WW1 aircraft engines sprayed a continuous spray of oil.
WW1 allied pilots didn’t have parachutes.
Air Service was a section of the Army Signal Corp but the green and black overseas cap piping doesn’t match.
Green should have been detached service.
@@allangibson2408 Not sure about that. I had an US Army air corp campaign hat cord that was green and black. Didn't know which branch it was until I showed an old time collector at our annual get together.
Lt Sigward, thank you for your service
Na that guy did nothing
@@jayoutdoors1534 what you do lmao
@@jayoutdoors1534 you do
What is it with Americans thanking everyone in a military uniform for their service? If I thanked a British soldier I’d expect him to say F off ya dick & he’d walk away laughing.
So I enjoyed the video and will give my two cents worth on a couple of things as a militaria collector, and former men's clothes Sales Associate.
The white cloth collar is not from a discarded outfit or for a preacher. It is a white coat collar. Our suits and sports coats of today aren't high collar anymore. The collars got turned down (literally) by men's tailors/clothiers during and after WWI. So the piece of white cloth is for the white dress shirt collar under the dress coat. Whether for the summer or fall/winter dress coat. If you guys watch movies then you can observe Tom Cruise replace one in the Valkyrie movie before he tries to kill Hitler. This collar gives you the look of a dress shirt under your dress coat, one like in WWI that had high collars. You could wear a tee shirt under your military dress jacket without having to wear the whole white shirt in the hot summer. Back in WWI you added your collar to the top of the neck of the dress shirt or it was attached directly to the jacket. The white collar had buttons or metal studs or stays on the coat collar to hold it in place. The collar then comes off for ease to clean, press and starch before wear. Since it would get stained with sweat.
The belted jacket with the unusual buttons, and funny groomets is pretty rare and an officers short skirt trench coat, not an NCO coat. It's short skirted for ease of wear in the cockpit of a plane or marching. The longer ankle officers trench coats in WWI had buttons to pull the long skirt up to near your waist for ease in walking/marching. This coat was tailored without the long ankle skirt. The longer ankle men's Trench Coat would be hard to climb and get into a plane cockpit.
The coat is for officers, NOT NCO's. Burberry of London gets the credit for designing and making the original Officers Trench Coat in WWI and made famous by actors like Michael Douglas in the movie Wall Street. The grommets are for the hangers for your officers sword that NCO's wouldn't wear.
The jackets interesting buttons are called vegetable buttons and are standard on WWI and WWII Officers coats like the Trench Coat, the heavy winter wool coat and the officers WWI Melton wool Jeep or Makinaw coats. Think of the buttons as the same material as old radio knobs since they are the earlier form of plastic, called bakelite. They were to immulate a look of ivory without having to kill any animals. So look up Burberry tan trench coat and look at the belt and grommets, cause Burberry carries this tradition on even today with the grommets for the hangers for the officers sword.
A dead giveaway of that jacket being an officers coat are the belted cuffs with buckle. And I do really believe that LT Sigward wore that short skirted trench coat while flying.
I have a WWII US Armored officers full length olive trench coat with the vegetable buttons and belt with the groomets and it includes his tailor made hood with button holes to attach to the coat collar so it would fit over the M-1 helmet 🪖 for winter wear !!
As a former men's clothier sales associate, Kuppenheimers Men's Clothier is up there with tailors like Saks Fifth Ave, Bergdorf Goodman, Hart Schaffer and Marx, Abercrombie and Fitch , Burberrys and Brooks Brothers. So it's very high end stuff.
I wish he still had his olive winter twill wool officers dress coat with the metal wings in the picture. And look close at the picture and see if he isn't wearing the white collar. It would be barely visible at the top of the coat collar.
Loved the video,
P51Matt
Yes detachable collar a must for that stile of wool jacket if you did not have them within a week you would of rubber your neck raw . My units silk cravat was dark blue I used to wear one around my neck when I had to wear my hussar monkey jacket or I'd suffer the same fate although in period time it would of been a white cotton cravat because I wore mine low it did not show over the high jacket collar also it had hook and eye fastenings at the front the cravat also stopped sweat from getting ingrained into the jacket collar so preventing the collar from sinking of sweat which to me was important so I did not have to suffer the stink of previous use in hot weather in the summer I would have the monkey jacket cleaned after every long use where I hand worn it during the day to me I could never understand why someone would wear to war one of these torture devices sweat like a stuck pig in summer and freeze like a brass monkey in winter
Hi Matt
In the RAF, at least before, during and for some time after WWII, shirts were issued as you describe. By the time I joined, in 1975, we were issued 'Shirts, Collar attached'. My Father, also served in the RAF, used to quote a phrase to indicate completeness. It went, "Knife, fork, spoon, front stud, back stud and cuff links!"
Army Great Coat Karki issue although not on general issue anymore it was still available for public duties the unit I was with wore them in 1980 December for public duties Buck house St James's Palace and the Tower of London we had half belts folded back and into slots at the side of the coat so your white duty belt it holds the bayonet could be worn without hanging up on the coats half belt they were normally of a rough wool make the difference between the officers were the wool was shaved down to make it soft and appear smooth on the left was a slit so the sheath could be worn inside the coat with just the basket and hilt showing all coats had side to stop belts from dragging down the idea was to have the belt on just tight enough to have a snug fit not a tight fit this would make material to bunch and look if the coat did not fit you are also forgetting Warren officers they too wore swords although on public duty only the Regermental Sargen Major would wear one although in Regemental Parades the WO2s would also wear there swords as well as carry dress caines depending on occasions they could be of light colour wood like Ash or Ash caines with black lacquer applied the RSM would carry a Pace stick this was originally used only by the Artillery to measure out gun positions from wheel to wheel this was so you would get the right distance of kill zone from shells on indirect fire the infantry found that useful in measuring the distance in the length of pase for marching ie 32 inches
Interesting Video! Sylvester Lewis Sigward shows up in the August, 1918 edition of "Air Service Journal," listed in the Appointments to the Air Service - "Carlstrom Field - Sylvester L. Sigward, 2300 North F Street, Elwood, Indiana" Carlstrom Field was in Arcadia, Florida. He also shows up on a Passenger List of Air Service Personnel leaving from the Port of Embarkation at Hoboken, New Jersey, on the transport Katomba on September 1, 1918.On his draft registration card Sigward lists his occupation as "layout sheet metal" for the Cadillac Car Company." Sylvester L. SIgward died November 23, 1953, and is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Elwood, Indiana.
Thank you for the information, it makes the story better. I would have thought that LC would have done a better job of getting the info correct,
Just looked it up on Find A Grave. Looks like one of his children (Theodore L.) died in 2012 aged 70. It's possible there are still some children living. Nieces and nephews are mentioned so some grandchildren should be alive.
Get this back to his family. Internet do your thing
Thanks for the history component, l like to know those things
Know exactly where that is in Elwood Indiana that's amazing
Collapsible water bucket followed by a collapsible wash basin. Canteen is post WW 1. The tunic with the embroidered wings is the key piece.
As always. Thanks for your help.
Concur about canteen. I think all WW1 canteens were made completely of aluminum (including the cap). Both the cup and canteen should have manufacturer date.
The wings indicating a pilot. My grandfather was an enlisted man in the 96th Aero Squadron. His tunic didn't have the wings since he wasn't a pilot.
@@billcrenshaw6245 I agree. The canteen looks to have a plastic cap. Don't know precisely when they came about, but I believe it was post war.
LISTER BAG
The Stetson company kept records of the hats they sold and their customers. That numbered chit in the inner hat band referenced back to the hat design, size, color and hat band.
Green and black piping on cap indicates Air Service, a real gem in that collection. Kuppenheimer was a well known American men's clothing manufacturer and retailer. They would have made private purchase uniforms of varying quality during the war.
As a long time collector of WW1 artifacts this is my take on what I have seen in the video. The canteen is an assembly of WW1 and WW2 items. The canteen itself is from WW2...how do I know that you may ask? Very simply the WW1 canteen screw on lid is made of metal lined with cork. This canteen has a black plastic lid which dates it to WW2. You would have to check the date on the cup....they were the same for both wars. The shorts do not look to be period for WW1 and may not even be military issue, check for a quartermaster stamp on the inside. This man was an Officer and a Pilot.....not a mechanic. The wings denote his his pilot status. The heavy jacket I believe to be a flight coat however I would need to inspect and check reference data to be sure. The rest of the uniform items appear to be period WW1, However I would caution that people are very clever to put together groupings of items together to get more money for them. I am very suspect of this grouping since a WW2 canteen was stuffed into a WW1 assy. plus all the items are very minor and can be found literally at military shows everywhere. I would have expected to see more personal items, some things seem to be thrown in as attention getters like the bottle of booze, and the war art shells. One more thing, you said you would be respectful of the soldier, the first thing you did was make fun of his name by associating him with a Sponge Bob Squarepants character. Then you disparaged the trunk as being broken as some sort of Ironic feature because the company that made it was called "Never broken". Lets see how you look after 100 yeras plus and after 2 World Wars.....I think the trunk has done very well for itself. Show some respect and don't be a bunch of ass hats.
I picked up on the WW2 canteen immediately too. I smell BS on this...
@@marcb.9492 I don't think he's the type to scam anyone, HOWEVER, the person who sold them this on the other hand.....
@@wellthen6177 - they seem very unknowledgeable and clumsy, definitely scammers!
Your comment made me decide not to watch the video. Sponge Bob Squarepants, indeed!
Well said Atomic Frost.
The flying jacket is typical of the period. the stains are from all the oil and grease which blew off the engine in flight and landed on the pilot. some of it may have come from the machine gun which was mounted in front of the pilot or on the engine. Back then flying was a messy business. Some engines did not have "valve covers" so the rocker arms were out in the open. Some were greased and some were lubricated with castor oil or both. Open cockpit flying was bitterly cold. The standard rate of cooling is two degrees per thousand feet. A 60 degree day at sea level would be 40 degrees at 10,000 feet PLUS the wind chill factor of the 80 to 120 mile per hour speed of the airplane. Flying was a dangerous job in the military in the states. Add combat and your chances of living weren't very good. He was a very lucky man.
According to my grandfather who was a "mechanic" in the 96th Aero Squadron, the Breguet 14 never went much above 19,000 feet and usually tried to keep bellow 12,000 feet for the reasons you cited. They had a machine gun mounted in the back seat. These were used for bombing missions and so weren't "fighters" though they could shoot down another aircraft and did on occasion. The aircraft of the period had a variety of nicknames, my grandfather called them "flying trash cans." Some pilots used the term "flying coffins."
The canteen cap is post WWI. WWI canteen caps are aluminum. The puttees are cool.
Yeah, I thought that the plastic screw-type cap on that canteen looked suspicious. I believe that is probably late-WWII, and there should be a date stamped underneath the canteen itself.
I am suspect of this grouping do to the ww2 canteen in it.
The "to duplicate" tag is there in case the individual could not make it to the store in person. Bette stores would keep records of what their customers bought and with the number could send the proper order including size, style, and color. It is also possible a hat would be custom made for an individual. In that case, the store could duplicate it exactly.
Very interesting. I actually watched it to the end. I don't know anything about this stuff, but it is important to preserve the history.
Kupenheimer still around, I bought a suit from them when I lived in Phoenix in the 80s
I recognized the puttees immediately. There was a regiment of men from Newfoundland sent over to fight during WWI that either could not procure the cloth in the right color, or wore blue in tribute of a regiment that fought in the Boer War (1899-1903), nobody seems to be quite sure. They became known at the time as the "Blue Puttees".
When I was a small child my uncle had his trunk full of German helmets ,steel and spiked.uniforms and metals, brought back from France in the First World War we played army and and had a great time ,after he passed at 99 the trunk went to his son a ww2 pilot and vet himself I’m sure one of my cousins owns the collection now ,thanks for sharing brought back memories of a happy family and a happy time
You do realize you were goofing around with the helmets, accessories, etc. of dead men, and your uncle, or whoever the trunk originally belonged to, took that stuff as trophies off the soldiers he killed, or at least looted their bodies after someone else killed them, right?
@@joshchelf7729 And your point is?
1. All soldiers have taken souvenirs of their service, especially if in a war zone.
2. Most items were usually picked up by someone else and gifted, bartered or sold in the rear.
3. Many of those items are picked up from discarded equipment where no one knows whether it was from a casualty or not, many items were traded by POWs for things much more important to them at the time like food, etc...
4. At times equipment is given to soldiers from their units/commands of captured or relinquished surplus items of the defeated after the end of hostilities.
5. The mental gymnastics for a child to comprehend the origins of something like military memorabilia is near impossible.
6. After so many years or perhaps not knowing the origin of the souvenirs the owner likely cared less as is normal for humans to do.
So, why are you really trying to shame them? Is this is a trigger for you or is it that you are the most righteous person on earth who grieves every death and casualty of every person through the history of mankind and therefore any items ever used by them is now a sacred object? Dude, seriously.... Not every souvenir was from a casualty and there is absolutely no reason for anyone to immediately jump to that conclusion.
@@jonjdoe Not trying to trigger or guilt anyone. Just think it's kind of creepy and morbid.
@@joshchelf7729 What a tool you are. Why were you even in here. Shouldn't you be hanging out on Sesame Street Channel. I bet the bumper sticker on your car says "It Is OK To Be A Gentle Man."
@@joshchelf7729 A sheltered life, this one lives.
The coat is a standard officer's trench coat. It's called that because this now iconic piece of garb gained its big initial popularity with Allied officers in the trenches of WWI. Its transparent buttons are probably made from celluloid, a predecessor to Bakelite and plastic. It was sort of a status symbol garment as most enlisted ranks, by contrast were issued only wool greatcoats. As an aviation officer, he may have used it for flying in some weather conditions, as well as everyday use. Regulation military flight uniforms were less common back then, so aviators often wore a mixture of privately purchased cloth and leather outerwear uniform pieces while in the air. If a person really wanted to get into detail, they could have it tested for traces of aircraft exhaust. The khaki cotton tunic and pant set was for wear in warm climates. The fact that the breeches are a riding style doesn't necessarily mean that he rode horses. That was simply the standard U.S. Army BDU type combat pant of the era, infantry, cavalry and almost everyone else wore them in the field. The puttees are probably U.S. issue. Our forces did make extensive use of them in WWI, in addition to gaiter leggings. The felt Montana hats are pretty forgiving; you should be able to gently press it back into its proper peaked top shape with your fingers. The fabric bucket was probably for carrying water and the shorter, wider one was probably for use as a wash basin. The overseas cap is a very nice private purchase quality example. The green and black piping is for the Air Service, making it very rare and desirable. If there’s one other gleaming gem in this whole amazing grouping, it’s the custom made bullion embroidered flight wings. I’m surprised they’ve survived generations of people sorting through this trunk. The fact that this guy was an aviator and that you have so much of his stuff still intact makes this set quite the treasure. It’s also amazing that he carried a copy of your book while on campaign. It shows that he was a man of intelligence and discernment who was far ahead of his time.
A huge help ! thanks so much. This will all be offered at $2500 if you know of someone who might be interested. Shipping will be an issue, but we will figure it out.
That is a bucket with a rope hand. The next item was a wash bowl to wash your hands face etc.. the coat looks to be extra long for a field coat. I would th8nk that is a pilot or crew members coat.
I'm amazed of the modern look of the labels on his clothes. They are more than a century old, but still labels and brand tags look like these. At least in more quality clothing, you could take one of these and no one would guess their age. It's details like this, that amaze me and are really cool 😀
Officers bought their own uniforms in WWI and as long as the uniform conformed to army regulations, they could hire any tailor to make it for them and the wealthier ones did. Some manufacturers specialized in "off the rack" uniforms for officers but most ended up taking them to a tailor to have them altered mostly to look good in them. The finer ones would have had nice labels. A well off officer would have multiple uniforms for a variety of occasions including a best uniform they would only wear when meeting someone important or upon their return home so they could look their best. Such best uniforms would have had almost no wear and tear and would have been kept neatly folded and wrapped in a clean cloth of some sort. Enlisted men's uniforms not so much. My grandfather was a WWI vet and I have most of his uniform components and they were all obviously well worn but still in good shape as most of it is wool and were well protected in his foot locker.
@@nunyabiznez6381 Officers still purchase their own uniforms, per a friend who is a US Naval Academy alum
A gold bar, or "butter bar" is a second lieutenant. Benson and Hedges are still around.
Thank you Tom Kirt Randy!!! For your input and videos!!!
Sadly, I had some rather unfortunate issues at home while attending my 3rd and 4th year of HS because of a drunk single parent that was hospitalized on a few different occasions due to excessive drinking. My part-time Mc Donald's job became full time so I could help with food and a few bills. This meant I went to class off and on. As a result of all of this and in order to graduate on time, I had to go into a Alternative Education program. There, we had a History Teacher that was retired but working part-time. He was in his mid 80's and served in WW1. This was in 1987. One day as part of one of his history lessons, he brought his WW1 "Doughboy" uniform with the gas mask and it looked absolutely incredible. Will never forget that day and yes, it smelled like it was 100 years old. This was in Topeka, Kansas. Also, the Kansas Museum of History has the same uniform with gas mask on display. God bless him, tho, I forget his name. Hard to imagine that we had WW1 soldiers still teaching High School in the mid 80's but, we did, although, probably very uncommon to see.
Wow, your childhood sounds like my dad's. I am so glad you survived ❤️!
That brought back some memories of old great war vets I knew always griping about the only thing the army would feed them was mutton.
The campaign hat can be reshaped with a steamer. You can do it yourself or take it to a milliner.
Yes, my thought, too, was it will get better with steaming and re-creasing. Jedlicka's in Los Olivos, CA has the equipment and experienced personnel, as they do many hats for the Rancheros Vistadores, of which many, many famous and wealthy men have belonged and attended the annual ride in the Santa Ynez Valley of CA, including Former President Ronald Reagan. I'm sure there are other appropriate places to get it worked on especially in Cowboy Country.
I do believe the canteen itself is World War II era as it has a plastic lid/cap. The WWI canteens came with metal lids.
I think that the canteen lid is not plastic, but Bakelite which was in use during WW1.
I agree. WWI canteens always had one of three style of metal caps. Flat top knurled edge, flat top ribbed, or rounded top ribbed. All in aluminum.
Something about the welds look off to me, I may be mistaken but it looks reminiscent of the Japanese made canteens that hit the surplus market in the mid ‘60s.
@@KeepItBrick I had that same feeling but without a closer shot it's hard to tell.
There should be a date stamped on the underside of the canteen.
On the booze bottle, "Kentucky" is abbreviated with two letters as KY.
We started abbreviating all states with two letters in 1963 so the booze bottle isn't any older than 1963. Oh, and that bag with the handle on it is a WATER BAG for people or general use.
My guess is they hodge-podged a bunch of gear together and are trying to pass it off as something period or authentic
Water bucket and utility bowl for washing/shaving. Flight suits were necessary or altitudes over about 7000 ft. WW1 many aircraft could reach 15000 -19000 feet. It's cold after 4000-5000
My grandfather was in the 96th and they flew Breguet 14's and they had a ceiling of a little over 19,000 but my grandfather told me they tried not to fly above 12,000 due to risk of frost bite. One pilot who spent too much time at too high an altitude lost two fingers to frostbite when they got back after a bombing mission and that was the summer of 1918.
When I was 10 years old my best friend took a photo album out of his WWII trunk. It was horrible. It was photos of a NAZI concentration camp his unit captured. Neither of us ever mentioned it again. The most horrifying thing I ever saw. Far worse than anything I ever saw in newsreels and historical documentaries. Opening those trunks can be shocking.
In my estimation the album should be made open to the public. The atrocities of WWII SHOULD never be forgotten,. Horrible as they were, they were nothing compared to being there.
The long rolls of cloth are called "puttees" .
The rolled up "bandages" are "puttees " alright most Allied Troops used them at some time Officers used Flash leather gaiters,, the Trench Art" shells look like original Maxim 1 Pounder shells used by both German & allied Forces for anti aircraft defence It was the original "Pom Pom" gun --simply an upscaled standard Maxim machine-gun ,,, could be hochkiss but look maxim . The heavy coat was most likely a flying suit ,it was hellish cold up in the sky & several layers of clothing was Essential! overalls on top also as the rotary motors were 2 stroke fuelled & coated the whole plane with OIL!! if he was lucky maybe he got a later engined plane the oil coated ones burned real bad! & the Brits discouraged parachute as it could encourage pilots to jump out (bad show old chap go down with the ship man ..stiff upper lip man!) strange no goggles they used thousands of them on account of the oil!...I knew 3 ww1 flyers ..Whisky for the airmen? soldiers got RUM ...My Dad buried 3 demijohns of rum at end of the war ..always said he could find them ..never got the chance... New Zealand
shells are for 37mm cannon.
When I was in service, the buttons for our dress greens / winter & summer , as well as dress blues had removable buttons. They had clips through a loop on the back. Don't remember the name for that type of button arrangement. When storing or shipping the uniform jackets, we were supposed to remove the anodized buttons to prevent scuffs / damage to them. Hope this helps, it may or may not apply here. Great video.
The hat was custom-fit. The store had a ledger with the measures of each order. In case you wanted another, you didn't have to go all the way to the store, just mention the order number.
My custom hat maker in Santa Fe, NM has a similar system. Hats are custom made to specific head measurements, in the case of my NM hat maker it is measured using a vintage/antique pin device from Paris, France which punches your specifics on a card that is recorded and kept for future use on additional orders. So I can contact them and have a new hat made to order simply with a phone call and payment. Custom hats aren't inexpensive, by any means, but mine fits like a glove! Money well spent, indeed!
CF
A puttee is a covering for the lower part of the leg from the ankle to the knee, alternatively known as: legwraps, leg bindings, winingas, or Wickelbänder. They consist of a long narrow piece of cloth wound tightly, and spirally round the leg, and serving to provide both support and protection.
Mr. Lundberg is correct on all counts. canvas bucket, canvas wash basin - I saw those even up until post Vietnam since easily collapsible into the (sorta) modular packs and shelter halves also used until at least the late early 1970's - we used such packs in USMC Basic School. Wool puttees were warmer, more durable, wool is warmer when wet (which the trenches always were), easier to dry out, and surprisingly protective of the lower leg. My Dad was an open cockpit bomber pilot in the early 1920's, they did wear heavy leather coats to protect from the castor oil used in engines - he told amusing stories' about keeping mouth shut when flying and oil splattered. The old silent movies all show pilots faces covered in oil. The coat is the WW1 Officer's trench coat, private purchase. My Dad had one like it. The metal canteen and cup were used, again, until about the 1980's when changed canteen to plastic - but kept the cup. Along with the two part metal mess tin and the knife and Spoon. Had two of those canteens back of belt for almost my entire 25 yrs as a Marine officer. The 1911 holster and web magazine pouch also never changed a bit, until the 1911 .45's were phased out for the 9MM.
Those are Puttees. Puttees wrap from the bottom to the top, and tie at the top. And yes, American troops used puttees. I did a lot of research on surgery during World War One, and saw lots of photographs of medical corps soldiers and doctors, and combat soldiers, and they wear puttees.
I was hoping this wouldn’t turn out to be a repeat of Geraldo opening Al Capones vault.
hello there: I grew up in Omaha and as a little kid Kupenheimer's advertised on tv all the time selling men's suits. It was a men's clothing store. Really enjoyed the video thanks
I still have a Kupenheimer suit hanging in my closet. It is a nice suit but I need to lose a few pounds to fit in to it again.
that bucket is a field gun muzzle cover that they would use to make water buckets for washing etc.
Amazing to see a grouping like that still together after so many years! Also, the condition of the items is amazing! I hope it will always stay together like this, lots of times people buy things like this, and sell the items separately to get more money.. That just breaks my heart. Hope it goes to a museum!
Regarding parachutes, WW1 pilots didn't use parachutes. Thought it cowardly.
My paternal grandfather was a soldier in WWI, grievously wounded in France, his legs troubled him the rest of his days (which sadly didn't last until my father was even out of his teens). My father (a late-in-life child) was born in the 1930s, all of his siblings served in WWII (his brothers were all Navy SeaBees). My dad went into the Navy during the Korean war. So, I grew up with a plethora of WW1, WW2, and later military gear to play with. I wouldn't take anything for the memories, BUT I sure wish maybe I hadn't played with those things (especially the trench knife, canteen, mess kit, ... alas ...).
Anyway, while this was from an officer, not a private, and a pilot, not a mud muncher, lol, it was cool seeing a look at those times.
I remember playing army in the 1970’s with a few of these items. I never knew the significance of them. I also remember talking with WW1 Veterans and not knowing how important it was to talk with them. I was very fortunate and never knew it.
yeah so did we, we used to go to the army surplus store an pick up heaps of gear in the 70s to play with. it was all aussie stuff and a little different from the poms. i had some lighthorse leather ammo pouches you wore across your chest i think and the pommy dish helmets were only a couple of dollars each. i recently saw a militaria magazine an the prices of the stuff we played with as kids made me sick. my best friend had a WW1 german helmet a relative had brought back from france. right now im the sole resident of an old mill town built in 1939 and closed in 1989, i just know theres a box buried under one of the cottages with a luger or mauser broom handle in it that some digger brought back.
Yes, Aviators wore riding breeches just like the Cavalry did. The belt and buckle were for the pants, it's considered an under garment (funny, the design hasn't changed in over 100 years, except for the color). I;m pretty sure he flew in that great coat in the fall and spring. The rest has already been commented about and I don't wish to duplicate the answers.
Very interesting time capsule you have there…. Thanks for sharing
Gold bar, Second Lieutenant. Silver bar, 1st Lieutenant. Twin silver bars Captain.
And the canteen cup like that one was used up until the later Vietnam War Era, and beyond, mixed with WWII, Korea, and Vietnam War stuff. I know, I had one when I was stationed in the Army in Germany during the 1980's. And, likely, still have one.
Benson & Hedges were a British tobacco company as far as I was aware as evidenced by the coat of arms (which may or may not be a pseudo-Royal Crest (I cannot remember)). I used to smoke B&H back in the eighties/nineties whilst serving. They were sold in a distingtive gold carton. I have long since gave that game up though.
The whiskey bottle was labelled SHipping Port, as opposed to Sipping Port and the 'green slime' is pronounced "Ver di gree". I was issued puttees too and very similar to the pair you have there. I would say that mine were shorter as we wore them just between the bottom of the trousers and the top of the boot and not up the leg as they did in WWI. They fell out of use, or I dont remember exactly but it would have been around the time of the issue of Boots, Combat High which replaced the Boots, DMS (a short boot that was, frankly, shite), somewhere in the eighties.
Interesting find, all the same and I'll bet you enjoyed that.
Hi Ian, smoked B&H from the 70's at school for too many years. The crest was a Royal Appointment mark, still got a beat up packet in My apprentice toolbox with brush gear springs in it.
😁👍❤️🏴
The shell casings are french 37mm model 1885, the flaming grenade symbol was also used by the french army. The markings are acronym for 37 mm Modèle 1885 Parc d'Artillerie De Paris lot 314 1er Trimestre 1917 (37mm mod.1885 made by the Paris artillery workshop, lot number 314, during the first trimester of 1917). 37mm Quick firing and automatic guns were often used as ligth AA guns, as well as infantry close support guns.
We had one in the 70's that had been painted blue, dad kept his saw and tools in it. I think it was my grandfathers. The lock was broken in the same way.
My great grandfather was a Major in the US Army mustered out after being severely wounded in Meuse-Argonne. His son, my grandfather, was a Officer on a destroyer in the Pacific. I believe my grandfather had one in the same condition laying around when I was a young. No doubt was WW1 issued as well. Broken just like that, too.
I had that same cup/canteen combo in 1964. Spats is what the leggings were called. French 37 mm trench art. Belt buckle same as current Marine. Re- block campaign hat.
All in good fun. I found a footlocker from WWI about 30 years ago in a building I was cleaning out. The insects sure loved those wool uniforms ! Wool because of wools natural flame resistance. I still have the round , aluminum dog tags and the hat acorns(akerns).
Been there done that. My grandfather was in the 96th Aero Squadron and spent about a year in France. I inherited his trunk. Inside were his tunic, pants, boots, spats, dough boy hat and his trench helmet and all the insignia and medals. Also his kit. Everything except his 1917 Enfield which the army made him give back though I do have 37 spent cartridges and five live rounds. I have his radio tool kit as one of his duties was communications and that included repair and maintenance of radios, along with some spare parts. I have a few hundred photos he took along with several official portraits of the 96th Aero Squadron including a group photo with virtually the entire unit. I have some trench art he made and some he traded to obtain. I have his diary, a couple of declassified battlefield maps (declassified after he obtained them but before I inherited them). I have a couple of photos of some famous aviators. I have a hand painted Red Devil emblem he cut off the fuselage of a crashed Breguet 14 biplane. I also have a box of souvenirs he picked up in Paris which were of questionable legality and morality at the period and I don't think he intended any of his grandchildren to ever have but I've got them including a signed naughty photo of his favorite cabaret singer. Also included were such things as his standard issue manual that pretty much tells everything a soldier would need to know and some French newspapers in French and I don't think he knew French but why not? He also got some greeting cards that were hand made he intended to send to his family and a former girlfriend but never sent because he was shipped home a little sooner than he expected. Said greeting cards were made by George McManus the early 20th century cartoonist most noted for being the creator of Maggie and Jiggs, Jiggs being the emblem for the 11th Aero Squadron which was also part of the first day bombardment group. THAT was the treasure chest my Grampa left me. Also, he didn't call it a trunk he called it a foot locker. In WWII he built ships at the 4 river shipyard. In Korea all three of his sons served in the U.S. Navy including my Dad. He died while they were all aboard ships somewhere. Today he has over 200 living descendants including a judge, several doctors and lawyers and a member of congress and one actress who has portrayed a major character in a well known series. I wouldn't trade that footlocker for anything any of the above would have to offer, not all their fame nor glory nor wealth.
Wonderful. My grandfather was in WWI as well, but fought with the Canadian troops, because he was born in Canada but resided in the US. I’m so happy to hear about others that relish these family heirlooms and history. Some people could care less, and throw all of this stuff away.
Crazy how these stuff are still present
As kids, we had a bunch of cool WW2 gear. The canteen and cup is exactly the same.
Tom that is a pretty cool find! You always get really cool things! I am looking forward to the next video!
As a Belgain, my country was in the middel of WOI . I would say it’s a flight jacket. I am not 100 % sure. But in those days it was verry uncommon for An officer to do manual labour . Nice video. I’ve been to the “flanders fields” region verry often.
I have a WW1 leather trunk that belonged to a 1st AIF nurse that she took all her clothing and equipment in to the Gallipoli campaign. All her details were hand painted on in white. All the leather is in good condition but it doesn't have anything in it anymore. We still had almost identical dixie cups in the Australian army at least into the 1990's.
Kuppenheimer translates to “dome house.”
I wasn't even close
I have my Great grand fathers complete WW1 uniform. It was made in NY in 1917. Now being enlisted these were off the rack uniforms , officers were usually tailored to fit better. Most all soldiers returning from France were issued new uniforms as requested by Gen. Pershing since the uniforms they were issued overseas were rather tattered by wars end.
I have my grandfather's tattered one. He had it for over a year by the time he got back. He didn't mention getting a new one. Then again it wasn't actually in terrible condition since he was a mechanic in the 96th Aero squadron and mostly he operated and maintained radios. Most of the time they only put on the tunic during inspections or while being transported or in cold weather. His unit was mostly active May 1918 to October 1918 so not a lot of cold weather. Most of the photos of him there showed him in his pants and a t-shirt that I would guess was probably green. His pants were a bit of a mess though being split in a couple of the seams. His Stetson is in near mint condition but his doughboy hat is in rough shape. His helmet is in good condition though he more or less turned it into trench art as his unit didn't really see much in the way of combat except the pilots.
British Canadian Anzac and American doughboys used pattee leg wraps during ww1 canvas batters came in around g 1917 prior to that leather batters were used by some
Ps batters were a nick name for gattors which were meant to stop the shin getting battered!
That was a very cool presentation. The comments below are some great research the viewers have complied. Both video and comments were excellent!!! Thank you for a most interesting presentation. I totally enjoyed it...
Those are his pilot wings above the left pocket. Air Service devices are on his collar.
If I’m not mistaken that collapsible bag was used for carrying water. It is a collapsible water bucket. They were used in WW1 and WW2.
Correct Mr. Foxrow, and the other one is water basin
Probably mentioned before in the comments but the jacket maker: Kuppenheimer was American. "B. Kuppenheimer & Co., or simply Kuppenheimer, was a men's clothing manufacturing and retail operation based in Chicago, Illinois and later Atlanta, Georgia." (Wikipedia).
Enjoyed the hell out of this! As a young boy, it seemed WWII surplus stores were on every corner, so we had so much fun playing war with much of the "battle gear." Thanks again for the enjoyable early Friday morning's entertainment. (Two 1916 Luger owner)
aw yes. nothing like that smell of surplus gear as you walk in. 😊
@@gravitypronepart2201 Good times. We had several surplus stores around my town and me and my buddy would go in and look at all the cool things. I remember having a tan canvas W.W.2 bandoleer maybe for an M 1? Stamped 1943
trench art are candel holders
The rank insignia on the Garrison Cap ( we called it something else ) was a Butter Bar, in other words it was yellow.
That would indicate he was a Second Lieutenant. A first Lieutenant has a silver bar.
8:39 Historians in Pajamas hasn't the same ring to it!
The wrap arounds are called 'puttees' (India) we were still using them in the late 70's (shorter version)...1982 got issued with the higher 'Falklands boot' which was more waterproof, actually very waterproof
These 'Gaters' are called 'putties' in the UK military and I was wearing them in July 82 in the Falkland Islands .
I was waiting for an old 1911 pull out 😄
The canteen bail was changed to the wire type in about 1940. The shorts are for swimming. The gold bar on the Overseas cap (with moth holes) is a 2nd Lieutenant, or "Butter-Bar". The legging wraps, called Putty's by the British were retained for some time, then replaced by the Gators before WWII era. Though if he were and Air Officer, why would he have leggings??? Officers were always issued sleepwear, being officers and gentlemen. Nope Colts pistols were made only by Colt in this period. but as an Air Service Officer he would have been issue a Revolver, not the frontline pistol such as the M-1911. I believe the three trench art shells casings are from a Flair pistol. The riding breeches were common field issue uniform for the officer's dress as well as NCO's., not necessarily for riding a horse unless he served in the Cavalry. The sweat band is marked John B. Stetson. Making this an authentic Stetson campaign hat. Take it to a Hatter, have it steamed and blocked it will be fine. the Water Bucket, not horse feed bag/gas mask. Were commonly used around the tents. The next item is a collapsible Washbasin for cleaning oneself and shaving in. Yes, the heavy coat is a flight-jacket/suit, were it a Great-coat it would be made of worsted wool, not canvas. Staining would be from the Castor Oil used in all aircraft engines for lubrication of the day. They would leak and spray the stuff like a crop duster. So, this is normal and desired, it shows use. Flight crews wore Overalls/Coveralls, not coats/jackets.
Gold "butter-bar" is 2nd Lt. and North American Arms (Canada) made about 500 1911 pistols but was never on contract. The trousers are called "britches". and that is a water bag not a feed bag. (no horses in the Air Service.
A
We still wore puttees in the British army up until the early 80's although not as long as those. The exception was in Northern Ireland where we were issued high leg patrol boots and jungle boots for Belize.
I don't think that is a feedbag. Feed bags have 2 looping straps that connect to each other.
If he was a pilot then the coat would be for flying also because it gets cold flying in a open cockpit.
That insignia is an aircrew qualification badge. The guy was probably a pilot as he was an officer. Not sure if other aircrew were re commissioned during WW1.
I've been flight crew, and things were probably very different a hundred years ago, but I would not like to be working in or around aircraft with all the floppy bits of that coat. Plus, I wouldn't have tools hanging off attachment points on a coat. A lost tool will ground a flight, and an unaccounted for tool can possibly crash a plane. Perhaps they were more relaxed about things like FOD and tool control back then. That's probably how we got the saying that checklists are written in blood.
Amazing, the design of the 1 qt canteen hasn’t changed in over 100 years. Canteen cup basically the same design. Leggings not gaters
Excellent presentation. There’s something bugging me about the whiskey bottle. I’m a former prop man w/ 16 years in Hollywood. The bottle is a personality piece but seems…I don’t know…almost contrived. Not by the gentlemen in the video but perhaps there’s a joke/gag dating back many years? If it was a commemorative drink my gut tells me there’s a story there for sure. I wonder if the low profile buttons on the flight tunic were manufactured to prevent impeding a harness, parachute or other flight gear? Oil stains definitely indicate it’s a pilots working (flying) uniform. Many others have already commented on the mishmash canteen. Great video. 👍🏼
Seriously nice grouping from a WW1 officer.
Reading through some of the comments after mine... DANG, your followers are the BEST! Learned a LOT!
It’s designed to seep water, this is a form of cooling by evaporation, so even in hot conditions you had cold water or you could put a bottle into the water and it and the contents would cool.
For what it's worth, the pants are called jodpers. They, initially were for riding but eventually became the norm.
Pilot here... the jacket would likely have been a flight jacket. The temperature drops the higher you get, so even in summer, it could get chilly. As far as the stains go, if they're more around the shoulders and collar, it's probably oil and such from the engine. Unlike modern engine, oil was a consumable back in the day, and a fair amount of, well, crap from the engine would have wound up on the pilot. Probably some sweat to from walking around on the ground in that thing prior to getting up to altitude.
There was a trunk in my bedroom. It was a civilian trunk. But it had maybe 4 clips of i guess now 03 ammo. I had an uncle in the Navy and another in the army
Are you guys reeeaaalllyy sure you didn’t add all that old cool stuff in the old suitcase??? Lol
This is cool to see because my grandfather lost his entire box of uniforms (guessing it was a case something like this one) when he moved from Iowa to California. He was upset about that until the day he died.. BUT I do have my other grandfathers uniforms from Korea, he was a Marine. I really wish I knew what all the marks, metals and stripes mean on his dress uniforms…
That Feed Sack For The Horse Is Awesome 😀😮😲😀
Kupenhimer was a mens clothing store in Indiana which moved to chicago. Officers probably had to private purchase their clothing from an approved vendor. Also Great Lakes and Fort Sheridan were only an El trip away.
Awesome video. "Kuppenheimer" is just a family name.
Puttees were a required part of my cadet uniform in the mid '60's. I expect the uniforms they gave us were WW2 surplus. This was in Eastern Canada.
lol, i still had em early 80's !
The leggings that they showed with the metal clips were issued to us in US Navy boot camp in 1986.
Exact canteen and cup I used in the early 80s as an Army Soldier. Didn't change and be reissued till the early 90s. I had a steel pot or helmet with liner not the Kevlar fit to each Soldier's head, which you can't carry water with, shave out of or pound tent stakes with. In WWI The Army used gators absolutely. Mayhap you should consult an actual older Veteran? Absolutely mind boggling how so called experts on military, never served and don't consult those of us who did and are private military historians because we lived, ate and slept it. Buttons, we're responsible for our own sewing back in the day so kept plenty of spare Buttons even in the 80s. Same duty belt I wore in the 80s as well. Pantaloons in WWI.
I had the opportunity to do this once. It all went to a museum. They handed me a nice little finders fee. It was full of German buttons belts and picklehaube eagles! Allied expeditionary forces uniform With the crossed hammer field patch. I think it was the Pioneers if I am not mistaken.
I am a History Buff & collector of WW1 & WW2 Military Items & equipment. The Canteen is a WW2 era canteen because of the lid . WW1 Canteen had a aluminum screw on cap with a Cork seal. The 2 collapsible bags are a wash basin and a water bag not a feed bag. The leggings are WW1 boot leggings. The Shorts aren't military issue. The coat is in fact a WW1 " Flyers Coat ". The Wings , the Flyers Coat and his rank of Lt . Make it clear he was in fact a " Flyer " or Pilot as they were later known .
Crazy, pajamas haven't changed. Those look just like the pajamas I use today.
My mom used to smoke Benson & Hedges.
I liked this one very much. But most of the things from you are interesting.
I bought a WW2 canteen with a holster at a flea market. I to this day try to get in touch with its original owner
The side cap in the trunk I doubt the US military had contracts with foreign company's what is most likely by the look of it he may of seen another office with one and like the quality and materials it is made from and on a visit to London had one made for himself . I have worn side hats and the basic soldiers hat doe not have a lining and officer mite have a basic cloth lining but his looks to have a silk quilted lining with cropped hair or buzz cut it would be warmer to use in France during winter ah the water bucket I remember well washing from one so he mite of aquierd that one and it's easy to fould up a hores feed bag is longer and has an adjustable leather strap so you can adjust the length to make it easy for the horse to get to the bottom of the feed bag
The first item you pulled out, canteens. I had a half dozen for Boy Scouts and they were almost the same, even had the dates on the flaps. I bet they are valuable today. Damn.
historic loot box unboxing
water bag, washing dish, all aviators wore riding pants, flying coat private purchase, Kuupenheimer still makes nice clothes in England