The M-1916 Small Articles Pouch
The M-1916 Small Articles Pouch has gone by many names over the years, such as “sergeant’s pouch”, “medical pouch” or most commonly, the “squad leader’s pouch”. While these descriptions are true in some aspect, the pouch was officially designated as the “pouch for small articles” which very bluntly stated its purpose. Contents included foot powder, a squad housewife (sewing kit), adhesive tape, iodine, adhesive plaster, soap, gun tool, and gun oil. The pouch was designed to be carried by a squad NCO on the flap under the mess kit on the M-1910 Haversack in lieu of other squad equipment such as the shovel. This way, the haversack would not have to be completely disassembled just to retrieve one specific article, nor would the haversack have to be stuffed beyond capacity. Very few pictures exist of the M-1916 Small Articles Pouch being used in either the Mexican Expedition or the First World War.
The pouch has two lift-the-dot snaps on the front, and an elongated strap on the rear with a wire hanger on the end. This was so that the pouch would not sit under the mess kit pouch when worn on the M-1910 haversack. Maker marks can commonly be seen on the rear of the pouch near the top or under the sewn part of the strap, and on the front of the pouch. One interesting feature about the pouch is the fact that it has four blackened grommets in the back of it. The purpose of these grommets are currently unknown. One idea is that the grommets are meant for water drainage, but wouldn’t only one or two grommets suffice? Perhaps some day, we will know.
Some variations of this pouch can be seen either in collections or on the market. The first variation commonly seen is a M-1916 Small Articles Pouch with it’s elongated strap cut, the excess moved down, and re-sewn to the pouch so that the wire hanger is just above the pouch. This was most likely done post-war by surplus shops, hunters, or other people who realized the usefulness of the pouch but did not want it to dangle unnecessarily from their belts or packs.
Another variation that can commonly be seen is the pouch with a red cross on the front of the pocket flap. This could have been done by the American Red Cross (which served overseas the entire war), or by surplus shops or civilians post-war. Regardless of who did it, it was obviously applied because the pouch contained first aid or medical equipment.
Note: un-modified pouch photos provided by Brandon Marvin
