M-1910 Haversacks
In 1910, a new type of haversack was invented by the Army Infantry Equipment Board, and was designated the “M-1910 Haversack”. Prior to the introduction of the M-1910, troops used a combination of blanket rolls, reminiscent of the Civil War, and M-1878 haversacks which had been through a variety of modifications up to 1907 to coordinate with other newer equipment. However, the Army Infantry Equipment Board sought to invent a completely new type of pack, one that would work well with the other new equipment they had put forward. And so, the M-1910 haversack was born. The haversack included some features that remedied some problems that the troops had been experiencing, but also caused different problems that were never fully rectified. We will talk about those later in this article.
The first pattern M-1910 haversack was made of cotton and was pea green in color, though shades varied by manufacturer. The front flap of the pack was marked “U.S.” in black, and has one row of five metal grommets on each side. These were so the mess kit pouch could be attached by weaving a lace through the grommets of the haversack and the grommets on the back of the mess kit pouch. A cotton webbing flap was attached near the top of the flap for attaching the shovel, or in some cases, the bayonet or M-1916 Small Articles Pouch. There are also two metal grommets on the very top of the front flap on the left side. This is where the bayonet was supposed to be attached by regulations so it could be drawn with the left hand over the left shoulder to fix to the rifle. There is also a small piece of cotton webbing sewn on the left side to help retain bayonet scabbard.
Inside the haversack are two outer flaps which close into the center and secure with three straps which are sewn onto the right flap, and the buckles sewn onto the left. The back of the haversack has two wide shoulder straps with a snap hook and adjusting buckle on the bottom of each. About half way up the shoulder straps are two straps sewn diagonally with regular hooks and adjusting buckles at the end as well. Sewn onto the rear of the haversack itself is another strap with a hook and adjusting buckle. The purpose of all these hooks was to attach to the cartridge belt, which eliminated the need for suspenders. However, this also meant that the haversack had to be worn when wearing a cartridge belt with ammunition or other equipment. The bottom of the haversack also had slits to accommodate a leather tongue that would weave between the haversack and the pack carrier, which gave the option to wear the haversack by itself, or with the pack carrier in “heavy marching order” (which meant packing the blanket and tent half). Another detraction from the design was the fact that there was not much room inside the haversack, and the haversack had to be completely disassembled just to retrieve one item, which was fairly inconvenient. The haversack was meant to carry rations, extra clothing, personal items, and other essential gear, which easily filled up every crevice of the pack.
The second pattern of the haversack had a few key upgrades. The rows of five metal grommets on each side of the flap was deleted, and replaced with slits and two cotton webbing straps with rounded blackened brass tips. The straps wove between the slits on the flap and the metal D rings of the 2nd pattern mess kit pouch. This was easier to manufacture and also cost effective. The “U.S.”, two metal grommets on top left, and the cotton webbing flap for attachments were kept. The inside of the pack also didn’t change. The back of the haversack perhaps had the most changes. The wide shoulder straps of the 1st pattern haversack were changed to a 1-piece strip of cotton webbing.
The hooks on the 2nd pattern were also all snap hooks, verses the 1st pattern in which only two of the hooks were snap hooks. The adjusting buckles were also changed, the straps having blackened brass tips for easier adjusting. The haversack still retained the slits on the bottom for accommodating the leather tongue of the pack carrier.
There was a haversack made for the Marine Corps as well. It is nearly identical to the standard issue 2nd pattern haversack, but there are two subtle differences that can be used to tell the packs apart. First, and most obviously, the front flap lacks the “U.S.” stamp. Secondly, the brass tips of all straps are squared instead of rounded like the common version.
American Militaria Reference
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