The M-1910 Mess Kit Pouch
As part of the M-1910 Haversack assembly introduced by the Army Infantry Equipment Board in 1909, the M-1910 Mess Kit Pouch was created to carry a soldier’s mess kit and utensils on the front flap of the haversack. The original design of the mess kit pouch, commonly referred to as the “1st Pattern”, featured a wide bag with a semi-circle flap, and had a vertical row of grommets on the rear left and right sides. The purpose of these grommets was to allow a piece of twine to be laced through them and the grommets on the front flap of the haversack, thus securing the pouch to the haversack. It also had a single black button closure. These pouches were made in both khaki and pea green colors, and were usually stenciled with the soldier’s unit.
The more common mess kit pouch, the “2nd Pattern”, featured a much more simple design. The bag was more square, and had a smaller, triangular flap with a single black button closure. The grommets on the back of the bag were deleted, and instead, four black square buckles, each held to the bag by a strip of cotton webbing, were added so that the straps on the front of the “second pattern” haversack would weave through the buckles and slits in the front flap of the haversack. These bags were khaki and can also have unit stencils.
*cover photo courtesy of National Archives
American Militaria Reference
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