US WWII Soldiers HATED These 5 Pieces of Gear

[@WorldWarWisdom]

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[@ScottDan]

PLEASE LIKE MY COMMENT

[@euphobone]

Do you play any games?

[@ScottDan]

Only battlefield 1.

[@Ww2bunkersandhistory]

I love enlisted

[@jwenting]

had an account. After spending several thousand Euros on the game, Wargaming "lost" it and won't even try to recover it. Beware!

[@PxThucydides]

I used to live next to a man who was a member of the Devil's Brigade in WW2. He said he was sleeping one night in a farmhouse when 88s opened up; everyone dove for cover into the basement- except him. In the morning he was congratulated for his bravery under fire, but he said he wasn't brave- he just couldn't get out of the sleeping bag.

[@HunterChang-i6m]

Lol imagine the panic

[@madmanmechanic8847]

Wow holy shit God had plans for that boy what is the chance of surviving that

[@sunnyjim1355]

Sounds like an old military joke or military 'urban myth' to me tbh, but a good one.

[@captin3149]

@@sunnyjim1355Sad thing is how many of those myths are true, but no one would ever believe them? I'd bet far more are true than any of us would want to give credit to.

[@mr.stotruppen8724]

Everybody called every bit of artillery fire they took "88's" even though they were never almost used against infantry except as a direct fire emplacement in the late late war when the Allies were pushing deep into Germany and finding all the AA battery emplacements that got left behind. If you took artillery fire from the Germans in WW2 it was 105s or 150s. Not fucking 88s.

[@ewathoughts8476]

Rear area commando are nothing new, and still around. In VN we were issued WW2 boots while the Supply people had the new Jungle boots and nylon gear. Our sergeant went into the supply depot and at gun point got us Jungle boots. He was charged and when he appeared before the CO he showed the CO his leather issue was rotten and the XO was standing there with new kit. Our CO transferred the XO and dismissed the Sergeants charges. Then we all go new issue and the CO made sure the rear area commando had the old WW2 issue. There are a few good senior officers, and a lot of useless juniors that just do nothing for their men.

[@Grodee]

REMFs

[@tomsmith5216]

When my helicopter company moved to a new base, the company clerk came out to my bird with a brand new flight helmet, chest protector, and flight gloves. My helmet was beat up, the mic cord wires were taped to keep from pulling lose from the jack, my chest protector had rips and barely functional velcro, and I hadn't ever SEEN flight gloves, except on a few pilots. He even had the Randolph aviator sunglasses.Then he said he was going to fly crew chief so he could get his hours for flight pay...the company clerk...a Remington raider...I not-so-nicely declined...

[@edcrichton9457]

I've heard the same happened with the tiger camo. HQ pukes who never left Saigon got camo before units that actually fought.

[@ArizonaJoeHines]

We referred to Rear area guys as "Mess kit repair companies, spoon platoon."

[@wvlf127]

Some things changed, some things stay the same. My company and the hq company deployed. We were supposed to get aviation jackets while deployed. Bde took the whole stock and gave hq/my company the leftovers which were all extra smalls

[@rjohnson1690]

My great grandmother’s brother served in WWi and WW2, my grandmother’s brothers who served in WW2 said he was downright fanatical about carrying his gas mask at all times. He would always write in every letter to his nephews to never go anywhere without their helmets rifles or especially their masks. My uncle Bob told me he never had the heart to tell old Uncle Willie that he chucked his mask.

[@Otokichi786]

That reminds me of a Bill Mauldin cartoon, where Willie and Joe found gas masks scattered across a road and identify which unit just moved through the area.

[@meowiguess903]

Oops 😬

[@bostonrailfan2427]

@@Otokichi786gas masks = new troops…so it’s a high-numbered infantry regiment 🤣

[@bostonrailfan2427]

he’s justified in his insistence because of the first war…but was wrong as it wasn’t widely used except for Japan against Chinese troops IIRC

[@Who_Knows-kp1yq]

@@bostonrailfan2427 In some ways, it's a good thing that WW2 was a more mobile conflict at least in the European theatre.

[@richardthomas9263]

That last thing about troops not getting gear because the support troops would take it before it made it to the combat troops is a real sore spot and I'm sure continues to this day. I was in Desert Storm and they came out with many things adapted for the desert during the early part of Desert Shield. The thing we wanted the most was the New Desert Boots. We either had the regular issue leather boots or even jump boots and they were very hot and made your feet wet with perspiration. We also had our Jungle boots which were lighter and more breathable but the built in drains allowed sand to get in and that would quickly rub you raw. We begged for the new desert boots, and a couple of times some showed up but they were only weird sizes like size 6 or size 14. I never knew anyone who got a pair during the war. When we got back to Saudi Arabia all the REMFs were wearing them, all the Airforce personnel were wearing them at the nearby airbase, it just made me sick. Yes it still pisses me off after 33 years.

[@thomashawley5096]

Same here. Destroyed a pair of jungle boots, then crappy issue leather ones... still waiting on my *'I promise, they're coming!'* desert boots. Nothing more ridiculous than personnel wearing desert cammies with jungle boots. Another gripe was needing thermal underwear (It could get COLD in the Saudi desert!) and somehow there was never enough for us. Every officer and staff nco had them, though. Thanks for looking out for us, Guys.

[@spencerkleiman5035]

Thats the shit that the higher ups need to stop, unfortunately the higher up the chain the smoother the brain.

[@hgill257]

Ahhh so that’s why there are a lot of photos of the desert camo with black boots

[@nellyprice]

Hear you on this - front line brit short of body armour and desert cam in 2003, then short of under body armour shirts in afghan 2008, went scavenging to rear field hospital to hear they'd left their issued 4 shirts behind as wouldn't need them. To too if off, spent 24 hrs mid patrol in Kandahar getting pulled for wearing a home made tailored UBACS (desert cam sleeves on dark brown zip neck t shirt, and still have it) because, you know, dress regs. Ahh happy days

[@Bumper776]

In 1971 the supply sergeant told me to go ahead and sign for a field jacket and sleeping bag when I received by TA-50 at the 2nd Armored Division Supply Depot, being fresh out of AIT, I did not know any better and signed for them. It has been 53 years and that field jacket and sleeping bag have not caught up with me yet. I had to purchase them at an off-base pawn shop that had plenty of them.

[@randyjennings3075]

My dad, a Mustang pilot with the 8th AF, used a panel of a parachute as a scarf during operational flights. The parachute panel was from a pilot who crashed on takeoff and was killed. He then had a local seamstress sew it into a scarf. Like the ground pounders he wore it to avoid getting his neck chaffed. When you are flying combat you have your head continually on a swivel. As my dad described it, constantly doing figure eights. Look right up/down, look center at instruments, look left up/down, all the time. Doing this for hours, say on a 5 1/2 hour mission to Berlin will wear the skin off your neck sans scarf. Great video, thanks for making it.

[@amp6192]

Some things never change, Roman legionnaires used scarves to avoid their armor chafing their necks (it was narrower on the neck sides to load more weight on the shoulders).

[@SteveSmith-wk9dx]

Ever see pictures of WWI pilots in silk scarves? It wasn't just a way to look suave. A silk scarf keeps your neck both warm and un-chafed from constantly looking around. A lot of bikers use a scarf or a neck-tube for the same reason.

[@timmyhipbird7543]

yeah they didn't have heat in the planes so they had to wear thick woolen coats to stay warm so lots of neck chafing.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

wow interesting

[@sunnyjim1355]

Is that where the term 'red necks' come from then? 😂

[@scammicus7110]

Chafing gets raw, raw gets dirty, dirty gets infected. Soldier's have been dealing with that forever (just look at the Legions), and today with body armour we still do.

[@eaglerider1826]

The same reason WW1 pilots wore scarf's because of the chaffing when they looked behind them .

[@joelee2371]

​@@eaglerider1826Not to mentioned that it was also very cold up there at altitude in open cockpits.

[@notsocrates9529]

Did I miss Roman legionnaires griping about jungle crotch??

[@natsune09]

Anyone who says a soldier wouldn't complain about discomfort on their neck from a jacket, never was in a combat environment doing patrols. Having to wear something for days, even something small can lead to a nasty infection.

[@notsocrates9529]

@@natsune09 I now remember a minor cut on my heel turning into a gnarly almost crippling infected wound from marching in new boots. Did I complain? Only every second I had, lmao I was young okay.

[@keeganlepine5935]

It had to be the worst panic attack waking up to the sound of gunfire and being rendered an armoured caterpillar because you can’t get out of your shitty sleeping bag

[@definitely_not_Hirohito]

At least armoured

[@pepebeezon772]

Unlikely, similar design of sleeping bags are still used today. Getting out is not the issue. It's packing it up

[@Themaxwithnoname]

On US military poncho liners it says if you're using them in the field as a sleeping bag with the poncho, to not snap the fasteners together, as you'll not get them open in time.

[@Themaxwithnoname]

That's current (last 30 years, at least)

[@Pte.Fletcher]

​@@pepebeezon772Did you not actually watch the video? Getting out is the specific complaint GI's had with it. They had no complaints about packing it up.

[@hygher]

As a member of the British army, I can attest that packing your doss bag away after getting stood to is a pain in the ass, takes up alot of space aswell, would prefer a decent blanket, on the other hand being in your dossbag is a fucking decent slice of moral on a winter exercise

[@jamesgodfrey1322]

Respect Now that bag a space killer if you can get hold of the British Army MK1 compression sack (try Goarmy). This will let you compress the hell out of it to reduce the space it takes, but do not store it under compression as this will damage the stuffing material over time.

[@olivedrabwool]

A criticism that would emerge from Korea about the M43 boots is that ironically, the buckles would get caught on underbrush as well.

[@WorldWarWisdom]

Interesting! I hadn’t heard that before, but I’d believe it!

[@wyattkelly]

I'd add the buckles are awkward to use. Placing them in the outside of the calf just makes them a pain to connect.

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

My WWII Vet dad saved the cuffs with double buckles from his gear. He wrapped the WWII double buckle leather pieces above his GI style Sears boots for better protection when brush cutting with a gas powered brush cutter and when sawing trees -- both at our family Cabin in the '60's & '70's in the woods of NH.

[@DeltaEchoGolf]

The thing is, is that if the buckles were on the inside. You would eventually snag yourself with them. In a sleeping bag for example!@@wyattkelly

[@sunnyjim1355]

I had a similar pair of boots back in the early 90s - Belgium Paratrooper boots, or so I was told by the vendor. They were certainly military boots though, very rugged indeed. But the buckles never allowed me to get a snug fit against the leg anyway, so stuff would occassionalyl drop inside them. I dunno, maybe my calves were just too skinny for them, haha.

[@duke927]

I can commiserate. I was in Vietnam in a LRRP unit. Everything we carried was considered field expedient. To get a good rucksack for instance we took the Aluminum frame from one with another pack that had greater volume. Our web belts (from Korea and WWII) were altered and stripped and we used canteen covers for grenades, M-16 mags and canteens. Slings for the M-16 were discarded as too noisy and new ones made from GI handkerchiefs and electrical tape (no duct tape back then). We weren’t allowed to use our rain poncho (it was noisy and shiny) and only carried a jungle blanket and jungle sweater and extra socks. MRE’s were introduced at the end of our tour as we had been carrying C-Rations and our water as fresh water was hard to come by. But the MRE’s used up precious drinking water so they were a mixed blessing. Line units I’m sure were more conventionally equipped but they stayed out longer and were supplied by helicopter and noise discipline was less of a concern. Thanks for the video and listening to me geeze:)

[@edbecka233]

Toward the end of the VN era we (Recon PLT, CSC 2/7 Cav, 1Cav Div) started getting the LRRP ration. It was an early version of the MRE, packed in an aluminized ripstop package, and everything was freeze-dried. They were very hard to rehydrate, especially with cold water (all the fats in the food stayed congealed and unappetizing, and the meats and veg stayed crispy and dry in the middle but got waterlogged on the surface), and I preferred to carry the weight of the ACTUALLY ready-to-eat C-Rats and deal with the P-38 and P-51 can openers.

[@duke927]

@@edbecka233 I called it an MRE but what you described is what we had. Everyone liked the spaghetti:) But as I said we carried all our water for the 6 day mission. Fresh and clean water was an issue in the highlands after the monsoon.

[@edbecka233]

@@duke927 Cool, I figrd that was what you were referencing. I hated those rations.

[@MM22966]

Can you describe the Jungle Blanket and Jungle sweater?

[@duke927]

@@MM22966 the jungle sweater was a polyester pull over collared shirt with a couple of buttons at the neck and a very dark brownish green. Not sure if it had a pocket. It wasn’t real thick about the thickness of a good flannel shirt. It was close weaved to hold the heat in. The jungle blanket was actually a camouflage green nylon poncho liner. It had ties at the corners to tie it to the grommet holes of the rain poncho. I still have mine:) for being so light it was pretty warm. I don’t think anyone knew about hypothermia but getting rained on without any rain gear brought on intense bouts of shivering cold once we were soaked as we were patrolling the mountainous highlands. A woolen shirt probably would have done wonders better than polyester:) I’m sure you can find both being sold somewhere on the internet and see what they look like.

[@Paladin1873]

The P-38 can opener was the greatest piece of WWII kit. I still have one.

[@josemoreno3334]

I have on on my dog tag chain and one on my car keys. They still work great today. I'm retired USAF.

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

I still have the one I brought back from Vietnam in early 69. I have others as well from my 23 yrs in the army. My family uses them

[@LarsonPetty]

I have the one my late father carried in the Pacific Theater, Korea, and a few months into Vietnam. The little notch for the can lid is worn down nearly to a nub. He left this world a little under a year ago.

[@jic1]

I assume it was widely issued until at least 1981 when retort-pouched MREs replaced canned MCIs, probably a few years later as they used up existing stocks.

[@MrReymoclif714]

@@josemoreno3334on my key chain forever!

[@No-One-of-Consequence]

In the 90's my Scoutmaster started an Explorer Post that ran the program from the 1940's Explorer Scout Manual. George was the youngest Scoutmaster in America at the time, but he was close with this Scoutmaster from Massachusetts named Harris tanner, who he said was the Dean of New England Scoutmasters. Harris had been a Scout during WWII, and earned his Eagle Scout badge, the Quartermaster Sea Scout badge, and the Ranger Explorer Scout badge. He was a Super Scout and taught George all kinds of vintage methods so he could run the Explorer Post as though we had stepped backwards through time. He was an awesome Scoutmaster, and he never used a sleeping bag. And he never used a tent. One winter he took us to Camp Sequassen in Connecticut for an Exploring event and we camped out on West Hill POnd, which was frozen over a foot deep. He made a fire right on the ice and we kept it going for over 48 hours. And he slept in a bedroll made of three wool Pendelton point blankets on a bed of pine boughs about a foot thick, right under the stars. He said he never slept better. Apparently Baden-Powell slept outdoors almost every night of his life. The guy was amazing. And later in life he becamse the Audie Murphy of Scoutmasters, the most-decorated Scout lifesaver in history. They're going to put an exhibit about him in the national museum. But he had a lot of respect for the tech that come to Scouting through the men who served in WWII and if they didn't like those sleeping bags, they had good reasons.

[@crusignatioutremer791]

The "Blue Star Commando" effect still takes place. We saw the folks at the ports and airfields, where obviously supplies come into, showing off their new DCUs and boots, while frontline units rolled into Iraq wearing BDUs. The DCUs didn't make it to us, until we were going home, and had to wear them in a parade. Supply syphoning is something that will probably never go away.

[@mikebrines5708]

On the Eastern Front the Germans had to lable EVERYTHING in supply trains as ammunition otherwise the REMFs would swipe it long before it ever got to the front line.

[@flyboymb]

I was in the last training unit in Fort (used to be) Jackson to be issued BDUs. I remember looking over to Bravo Company in their spiffy looking ACUs and wishing that I had a set. Then I finally was issued some and instantly missed my BDUs.

[@randywhelchel4674]

Some things NEVER change In Iraq Aa the POGs rifles were d Tricked out lights lasers, handles they Hand pistols I used to give over to supply right after someone was killed or injured it was the only time I could get some of what we needed, since they felt bad, lasted about one day then back to sorry we do t have any

[@able34bravo37]

I remember around the time I was coming back from my final deployment (early 2008), the army were announcing that for once they were listening to the troops. We had been buzzing about the shirts from (I think it was) one of the COD games that had ACU sleeves but a moisture wicking torso, since that was usually underneath body armor. The army announced they had procured some, and would be evaluating them. By giving them to the gate guards in Kuwait.

[@ddqwf]

@@flyboymbfeels like with almost every countries uniforms the BDUs were almost always better than what came after

[@douglasalan5783]

Fascinating video! My late uncle was a Ranger who was among the first ashore at Omaha Beach. The soldiers carried so much gear that some drowned because they were dropped off too far from the beach in water that was over their heads, requiring them to swim. Also, in Band of Brothers, one of the paratroopers complained about all the gear they had to carry, including the infamous leg bag.

[@dougtaylor7724]

My Dad was an a MP in WW2. I went to 12-15 of his army reunions. Heard 100’s of war stories and general BS sessions. Two things stood out that they used back then. The Coleman personal field stove was not issued to common soldiers. But when they found one or won it in a card game this was a valuable commodity. Most people that had them were soldiers that were attached to a vehicle. Tankers, truck drivers and MP with jeeps. Dad was given a stove by a tanker who was wounded he picked up and carried to an aid station. Dad said that using the stove for a hot meal was the ONLY thing that reminded him of home. Now the bad. Powdered eggs were not great but the worst thing ever devised for a food item was the green syrup the field kitchens used for breakfast. They would have pancakes and who doesn’t like syrup? You after they dumped a cold green watery sweet nastiness on your pancakes. I’ve heard the horror story of the green watery menace many times.

[@SeanDahle]

One Honorable mention should go to the Browning Automatic Rifle's Bipod. It was flimsy and added extra weight to an already heavy weapon. It was not uncommon for soldiers (especially US marines) to take them off and throw away and just use the BAR as an automatic rifle. That's what it was to begin with not a light machine gun. It was forced into the LMG role when the US entered WW2.

[@ClancyWoodard-yw6tg]

Exactly the browning automatic rifle was never designed to be an LMG It just got thrown into that role

[@SirCheezersIII]

Tbf, doctrinally the BAR was still called an "automatic rifle," the "LMGs" were the M1919s, which might seem bizarre to folks as a mostly tripod mounted gun, but be aware that in the modern US Army we tend to emphasize using the tripod, with the bipod as an emergency method of employment. Add to the fact that the "HMG" was the water cooled M1917 and the M1919 was literally a "light" machine gun by comparison.

[@christopherwang4392]

The US Army did have several magazine-fed LMG options which unfortunately were victims of the Army's conservatism. The First Special Service Force (Devil's Brigade) and the USMC Paramarines used the M1941 Johnson LMG which was lighter and accurate compared to the BAR. There was also Fabrique Nationale's license-built versions of the BAR such as the FN Model which added a quick-change barrel and folding bipod to the BAR. Unfortunately, the US Army insisted on using existing stocks of WWI era BARs instead of spending money on something new.

[@SirCheezersIII]

@christopherwang4392 The way I always understood it, it was because the Johnson couldn't be produced in large enough numbers to equip the force fast enough, hence the use by special units. It is a better weapon in most regards, of course, but what are you going to do? You can't wait for all the BARs in every rifle squad to be replaced. So make do with what you have. The M1918A2 isn't a perfect weapon, but it works and there's enough of them. Best summary of the situation in my mind.

[@User_Un_Friendly]

@@christopherwang4392 Don't forget the Stinger. 🐶 Lightened Aircraft Browning .30 cal, fitted with bipod and shoulder stock. 😮

[@silenthunder85]

This is why I love KZbin and don't watch cable TV ❤ this video is less than 20 minutes long but still informative and enjoyable.. thank you for quality content!

[@tomeverett2212]

Comfort is extremely important in combat. It's already miserable and anything that eases the misery means less to distract you from the mission.

[@matthewcoleman1919]

Yeah all of the Boomer Commandos who never served go on and on about how no Real Man would care about comfort, but the reality is, of course, that when you've been in the field for weeks or months, you care rather a lot.

[@tomeverett2212]

@@matthewcoleman1919 Hey, Mr. Coleman, I am a Boomer. Just not a commando.😁

[@pedroguerrero3862]

​@@matthewcoleman1919not just that being miserable also very much slows you down. It doesn't do you or the army any good if your miserable or uncomfortable.

[@gd88467]

You also don’t want what little rest you could get interrupted bc of some dumb rash that was easily prevented.

[@glendelong1023]

An older guy I use to fish with had served in Africa, Italy, and France always said that, the only thing the army ever gave him that worked was his M1. The food, boots, clothing were all crap. New tents leaked, new jeeps had to be fixed to run, and the only good food they got was what they could steal. Everything but the M1

[@dannyo3317]

Don't use guys for fishing.....

[@skyraider87]

That story is absolutely hilarious given how many M1s the US had at the time

[@silverjohn6037]

Bill Mauldin (of Willie and Joe fame) talked about the rear echelon troops scamming gear in his book Up the Front. He said that, at the start of the war, when all the Hollywood movies were about fighter pilots all of the garitroopers (as he called them, short for garrison troops) scammed to get their hands on aviator glasses and tried to dress like pilots but, as the war dragged on and Hollywood movies started being more about the infantry, they'd scam to get field kit and would skip shaving so they looked like "real" soldiers. The problem was that, they'd see mountains of gear in the supply depots and not think they were doing any harm taking just one jacket or other piece of gear. But there were a lot of rear echelon troops and those mountains of gear dissolved pretty fast on the was to the front line troops.

[@skydiverclassc2031]

"Too far forward to salute, and too far in the rear to get shot at" was Mauldin's phrase.

[@kevinlutz5994]

"Too far back to get shot at. Too far forward to wear neck ties." Joe.

[@wixworks]

REMFs

[@89128]

During WW2 thousands of US troops were coming down with frostbitten feet during the winter campaigns. Lt. Gen C H Lee, Quartermaster General in Europe went on a fact-finding mission to understand why. He found depot soldiers and "Red Ball" truck drivers wearing the warm felt shoe inserts ordered for front line troops. He issued an army wide order that if officers found noncombatants wearing these items in the rear areas, he would have them court-martialed for theft.

[@skydiverclassc2031]

@@89128 Good man.

[@llywrch7116]

Since my Dad died, I've been reading a lot about his unit, the 10th Mountain Division. They spent years perfecting their equipment -- this was the first specialized Alpine unit the US ever raised, so a lot of trial & error was involved -- only to find when they were finally deployed early in January 1945, all of that specialized equipment got no further to Europe than a warehouse in Boston. So to do patrols on skis (my Dad did one of those) they had to borrow them from local Italian sports clubs. Instead of sleeping bags warm enough to get them thru a winter in the Rockies, they made due with four army blankets. Probably most importantly, they lacked their mountaineering equipment, & their first battle required one regiment to scale a ridge during the night & surprise the Germans. Of course, they made do.

[@BigTrain175]

My wife's uncle was in a pack artillery battery of the 10th Mountain.

[@DerTec_Deerk]

A neat note about the gas masks. In the Aleutian islands after they landed they ditched their gas masks and they can still be seen laying around in the landing zones to this day.

[@525Lines]

Jean Shephard goes into exquisite detail about his time in WW2 in his radio show and have a great conversational tone. He was not a front line soldier but it's worth tracking down.

[@lesliepaulkovacs6442]

Couple of points to think about. I heard that the Truck Drivers liked the Sleeping Bag as Leg Warmers. They would cut off the bottom so their boots would go through it and not get tangled up. But they usually had two drivers who would shift off. So the off Duty driver would try to get some sleep sitting in the passenger seat using the sleeping bag. Also, the M-41 “Parsons” jacket was made more for Cool Weather in the Spring and the Fall. The GI was supposed to get the old Army Great Coat, the “Horse Blanket” for Deep Winter. And if you could get one a little bigger, then you could wear the M-41 as an extra layer underneath.

[@justadbeer]

Yup, there were an awful lot of vehicles that didn't have heat during WW2. Some vehicles had add on gasoline powered heaters or heater kits. many had nothing.

[@fakenews7266]

I have a P-38 on my keys , I also have one of the large can openers that was mounted in the the kitchen on the carrier Coral Sea , it was given to me back in 1994 when the ship was being scrapped in Baltimore MD , you could use the top part with the wooden crank handle in a pinch to beat a man to death if needed , I also have a cool chair made out of steel and a thin type of plywood for it's seat and back , the can opener is now bolted down to a workbench in our garage , you can open any can from 5 gallons down to a 7.5 ounce can of sardines . It was made to last a lifetime , we use it almost every day . 😊

[@chris.3711]

The M1928 haversack and the canvas gaters are probably the worst. The bag is a mess of straps and flaps and the gaters look nice, but are a mess to put on.

[@tr4480]

I have a hunch the leggings were overengineered with function being sacrificed for form (Looking pretty for the big birds and stars), hence them being disliked by many. Looking back to the 1870s and onwards, leggings were commonly sought after by the infantry yet didn't become officially issued until about the 1890s. The idea of leggings is sound, but only when it is constructed by practical minded people who have been in the field and know what works. Stands to reason that when something created in the field by the soldiers becomes issue by the government, thats when it all goes to pot.

[@Lonovavir]

The haversack I can deal with. It's the leggings are always a hassle and I don't like HBTs one bit.

[@mikereinhardt4807]

If you want to read about soldiers having problems getting out of sleeping bags in combat, read about the 1st Cavalry in combat in the Korean war. A side note, after their experience in Korea the U.S. Army modified the bags allowing for a quick escape feature. All you had to do was pull the zipper all the way to the top and that would allow for the zipper to pop open with little to no effort...

[@robertlawson8572]

Now that you've said it... it's obvious. Quick job to do with a knife. Cut off a piece of the zip, just on one side... to allow the slider to go past the meshed "chain" of teeth (but still be retained)... I wonder how many, having been told how... cut a piece off the "wrong" side of the zipper? I saw how to do it, straight away, but just knew there must have been some guys who, with the zip slider in their hand were assuring the guy who'd advised them what to do that they'd followed his instructions precisely... You cut the stop off the "box" side of the zip, dummy, you have to cut the stop off the "pin" side! Whoever first did it was a minor genius! Effective even if the zip's at your back, at shoulder height... Assuming average mobility...

[@edbecka233]

I always just snapped the sleeping bag cover without zipping the bag. A towel inside the bag in the zipper area kept out most drafts and the snaps popped open fairly easily.

[@mikereinhardt4807]

No need to cut anything, the later Army model sleeping bags were designed that way. Just using snaps is ok in a warmer climate but in Korea or Alaska in the winter it's a no go. Inexperienced 1st Cavalry soldiers were shot in their bags after being deployed to Korea after the initial invasion by North Korea. Lost their colors and had horrific casualties...

[@robertlawson8572]

@@mikereinhardt4807I responded to-"after their experience in Korea the U.S. Army modified the bags allowing for a quick escape feature. All you had to do was pull the zipper all the way to the top and that would allow for the zipper to pop open with little to no effort..." I assumed, perhaps wrongly, that someone in the field came up with the idea out of necessity... After all, suppliers don't usually improve stuff spontaneously, and in lulls, soldiers often apply themselves to making little improvements to kit... Manufacturers often remove something to cut their costs, though... It wasn't (for instance) a manufacturer who first duct taped carbine or SMG mags together... Jungle style... for rapid swaps. WW2, that started...

[@asahelnettleton9044]

I was at first surprised the paratrooper leg bags weren't mentioned, but in retrospect, that was a fairly niche piece of gear that relatively few soldiers were issued.

[@WorldWarWisdom]

I don’t want to spoil anything, but there is a part 2 coming…

[@bofoenss8393]

It is my understanding that it was a British invention that spread via "hey, they look useful, can we have some as well?" I do not know if it was produced in the US for US airborne units, but it feels like touch and go for being "G.I."

[@asahelnettleton9044]

@@bofoenss8393 Yeah, I think it was a British thing that was foisted on them at the last minute. And they promptly stuffed it with two or three times as much weight as it was meant to carry.

[@Robert_Sparkman_08]

@@asahelnettleton9044 I like your channel name - Asahel Nettleton was one of the best.

[@kennethdoughty644]

Butt packs and Suspenders on a Pistol belt Miss the list .... Good as those seem the Most useful with a 1911

[@michaeltroster9059]

One-off the biggest failure in American soldier equipment was the boots. The boots were not waterproof, which resulted in major epidemics of trench foot. The Canadian troops had a combination boot made of rubber and leather, but they were more resistant to water and trench foot was very rare.

[@crownprincesebastianjohano7069]

A good tip for anyone in the Army, or joining up, is always make friends with the Supply Sgts and clerks. Buy them a beer, bring them lunch. It will pay off when it matters. They can hook you up.

[@brooksroth345]

This is so true. As a Lt my staff sgt supply guy would bring me cold cokes during supply runs when in the field. Plus lots of beef jerky. I also was friendly with our Col. That way i had a heads up as to what was going on.

[@raulduke6105]

Exactly

[@josemoreno3334]

So true.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

Best advice is DO NOT SIGN UP TO GET SHAFTED BY THE RICH WARMINGERS.

[@MrReymoclif714]

@@brooksroth345Supply and Transport battalion warehouse quartermaster Sgt! He’s the best person in your world to be on the good side of!

[@carseye1219]

For those of you who used to watch the TV show "Combat!", did you wonder how many things Sgt Saunders had in his M41 jacket. He used to pull out binoculars and a seemingly endless supply of hand grenades by just reaching inside his jacket?

[@matthewgoebel8785]

part sergeant part stage magician :)

[@christopherconard2831]

See KZbinr Paul Harrell. He can pull two pistols, a shotgun, 5-6 boxes of appropriate ammo, three two liter bottles, and a 4'x6' rolled up map out of his during the same video.

[@gerryvillani2677]

And, he wore a camo helmet cover issued to Marines in the Pacific.

[@Foomba]

@@gerryvillani2677I understand the reason was Vic Morrow didn't like wearing a steel helmet so they put the camo cover on a helmet liner.

[@billythekid3234]

@@christopherconard2831 I watched that video,,,,,, it was amazing! I love his videos!

[@stephen1137]

0:30 When I was a kid in the 70s you could pick up WW II stuff for nickels, dimes, and maybe a couple of bucks.

[@waitingforthefall627]

It's ironic how things change over time. When I was in I was a part of a unit that spent a lot of time living out in the woods with very little in the way of supplies. The best thing I was issued was my wool shirt. It's more of a jacket but it only has two chest pockets. It's thicker than a wool blanket. It kept me extremely warm and was way more durable than the synthetic jackets we were issued. I was also issued gaiters, since all of us were also issued ankle/mid height civilian hiking boots. Gaiters were awesome for going through the thick woods; they kept sticks and such out of my boots. They also kept my pants from getting soaked. The difference is, they're synthetic/goretex and have velcro closure, so they worked way better than the canvas ones that were issued back in the day.

[@Spots-Among-Stripes]

Hi there, great video! Former US army reenactor from east slavic country here :) I had some experience with all of the mentioned items, and I can confirm that soldiers are definitely right about them! But i also want to share some of my personal thoughts: We used mostly (kinda 80%) original made gear, except for boots and jackets maybe. It's surprising how gas masks were the worst part of your loadout, but at the same time, the canvas bag for this mask was easily my favorite item. It was never used for its original purpose, but it was an amazing general purpose bag, with fast and easy access to it. As you mentioned, the haversack capacity was… let's say not acceptable) Not to mention, it was a pain to reach its contents. But this little canvas bag, oh my… Rations, cigarettes, spare socks, even additional ammo - everything, and just next to your hand. As for the leggings… Well I must say that i was this one weird dude who loved them. Still do actually. Because of these things, our guys hated D-day + reenactments, and prefered the ones where you can use two buckles :) But I am convinced that leggings are just misunderstood. Eah, it's a nightmare to put on, but when you do, they give your ankle a really nice protection from stretches and other trauma. Anyway, this comment is getting too big already. Peace and love to everyone!

[@lynnwood7205]

Back in the 1980's I briefly worked for a man who every once in a while would get this far away look in his eye and would mutter," fourteen million". One day another co worker asked him what that was about. the story came out, his father owned a clothing manufacturing business and was finally getting some good years after limping through the Great Depression. He had a lot of interest in his proposed line of clothing for 1940 and then 1941, things were picking up. Then the government offered an exclusive contract for battle fatigue uniforms at a guaranteed profit of $1.00 per set for just a few tens of thousands for the first run but he had to be available for exclusive production. He decided no as his women's lines were really coming into demand. His father's company became a subsidiary contractor at piece rate to the clothing company that took the contract with the bonus of $1.00 per set, which turned out to be over 14 million uniforms under that contract. You could see him almost cry.

[@Basedpilledandtradmaxxed]

The interesting thing about gasmask carriers in WW2 is that, to my knowledge, every single nations troops dropped the mask itself and opted to use the mask case, bag, cannister, etc for a general purpose bag for provisions, ammo, medical, loot, spare clothing, etc I've always found the huge amount of fieldcraft in WW2 to be one the most fascinating parts of the period. When I was in the Army I tried to replicate some of the WW2 fieldcraft spirit when we'd be on an FTX or some other training. My NCOs and platoon leaders were always impressed with some of the crafty stuff I'd do and ask where I got the idea and I'd say "oh I saw German, Soviet, US, British, etc troops do this is some WW2 documentaries I saw"

[@TheCatBilbo]

Makes perfect sense: too many ignore the experience of those who've served before, & they spent years coping with & mitigating issues!

[@libertycowboy2495]

The german MPs had a nasty habit of looking in gas mask cannisters. If no mask was there, the soldier could end up in a penal battalion.

[@wotnograpefruit]

@@libertycowboy2495 I wonder if that's actually back to front, i.e. whenever the German MPs wanted to get somebody, they looked in the gas mask cannister because they knew everybody had ditched the mask.

[@bobjackson4720]

As a teenager in the UK in the mid 1960's I wore the M41 jacket, they were readily available for a very reasonable price. Later I had the other style combat jacket.

[@bushwackcreek]

Enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1976. The USCG at that time had recently undergone a major uniform change. No longer using Navy Uniforms with just the CG shield to distinguish them, the CG switched to a single-breasted, brass buttoned, royal blue dress blue uniform. Undress "blues" resembled the Air Force working uniform but with collar devices instead of sleeve stripes. Our working blues, or utility uniforms were still the same ones the Navy issued... and they were really good, hard wearing uniforms. The worst part was their doing away with the extremely WARM Pea Coat and Bridge Coats. A flimsy, lined raincoat replaced it and... London Fog missed out on the contract by $1.00 per item. What we got were not really rain proof and the colors ranged from electric blue to navy blue... as did our working trousers. In boot camp, our racks (bunk beds) were supposed to be maintained inspection tight even as we headed out on morning "grinder" at 0530. I conditioned myself to sleep under just the scratchy wool blanket rather than mess up the sheets. The barracks temperature dipped into the 50's but I persevered as we had not been issued any long johns but slept in t-shirts and boxers. Relief came about 0500 when the watch would roust us out to dress early so we would always be the first in formation for grinder. After all, we were Oscar Company, the ceremonial company made up of recruits from ALL of the other companies and we had to set the standard. I should mention that it helped to report for recruit training with your own sneakers. I had an almost new pair of Adidas but the other fellows had to endure the issued CRAP sneakers... no arch support and literally fell apart before training ended.... Lowest Bidder obviously.

[@milwaukeeroadjim9253]

I was in the Navy in early 70s. We had to change dress uniform like you did. After I got out the Navy went back to Cracker Jack uniform. We called the new uniform the ice cream man uniform. I worked in repair department so I wore the bell bottom dungarees with light blue shirt and ball cap as daily uniform during the whole time I was assigned to the sub tender. Never wore whites after boot camp,

[@mancyank564]

bushwackcreek, when I was in the army they were looking to replace the jeep. Land Rover offered a very good deal that included building 2 (iirc) factories in the US. Everyone wanted Land Rover because they were the best field vehicle. But the higher-ups said the contract had to go to a US company. 😕

[@roryschweinfurter4111]

The only time I wore my whites was when we manned the rails as we pulled into Australia and then on liberty ​@@milwaukeeroadjim9253

[@paulfitzgerald2673]

My Uncle Everrete was with Pattons 3rd Army he was with the Iron Men of Metz . He was also a participant in the brea 3:54 breakthrough of Bastogne. He said the winter boots golashes werent worth a shit (his words) he talked of sleeping with with a rug from a church inside a church in Bastogne. He said it was cold and very very dark at night. He used to lay mines between the lines of U.S. Army forces and the German Lines. A combat engineer.

[@jonathanbourke305]

The fact that you put cigarettes into the list of "stuff you'd definitely need to keep you alive" is authentic as it gets :D

[@DarnedYankee]

To incorrectly quote a German soldier from WWI: “We can fight without weapons. We can fight without officers and NCOs. We can fight without combat plans. We can’t fight, however, without cigarettes and liquor.”

[@MrReymoclif714]

@@DarnedYankee1975 little 4 packs of cigarettes! Tasted like paper! Winston’s were the best. Marlboro was the papery version.

[@flyboymb]

The only time in my life that I ever smoked was during deployments.

[@angelo_giachetti]

My dad spent all of 1944 in the ETO. From that point on he smoked Lucky Strike. He died from cancer at 47 y o. I was 12.

[@ankoku37]

My grandpa was a WW2 vet and he always told me that the war is ironically what got him to QUIT smoking because he was paranoid that the glowing ember at night would show a sharpshooter where his head was. In hindsight he found his reasoning a bit silly, but didn't regret quitting.

[@robertrachels1870]

I enjoyed your clip immensely! My grandfather was in a tank after the landing on Normandy. He never talked about the War as it was to painful. But the pictures of him in France looked just like the photo's you have shown. Of course l didn't know what l was looking at but he was there wearing the outfits you have showcased. Brings back memories from my childhood.😊 Thank you! Youngster!😅

[@militaryMJB1945]

Love to hear about our ancestors also complaining about things too 😂

[@Nyllsor]

hehe, it sure is intresting :)

[@jic1]

Complaining about issued military equipment is probably as old as the concept of issued military equipment.

[@oz_jones]

"military grade" - different era, same bullshit

[@oz_jones]

​@@jic1"these pila are getting worse by the year, I swear by Jupiter..."

[@ankoku37]

Right, I loved when he made fun of the commenters who go "those soldiers would never complain about their clothes being uncomfortable!" like yeah they fucking would, I don't care how much of a hardass you are, if your shirt chaffs your neck then you're never shutting up about that

[@regisdoucette]

well written and well spoken...thanks....this narrator should be used on many topics such as morality, chemical reactions, history, and all things humans need clarity about. EXCELLENT VIDEO

[@MrDlt123]

During an Oklahoma Winter exercise in 1983, I was using one of those mummy style WW2 sleeping bags and was asleep at 2am in a 20-man canvas tent. It was single-digit temperature outside, but the M1941 tent stove made it somewhat tolerable, as long as you were within a few feet of it. Because some of my tentmates were some of the noisiest MFers, I was sleeping with earplugs in, (against the rules) and our stove caught the tent on fire at about 2am. Well, all I could make out was vague yellling, so I popped out an earplug only to hear '"Fire! Fire! FIRE!" I started excitedly fumbling with the zipper and it just jammed. By that time, all I could see outside my bag was a bright red and orange glow as the tent went up in flames all around me. So, I rolled off the cot (still sealed in the sleeping bag), and fell to the muddy ground. I kept my face buried in the dirt until the yelling gradually gave way to the sound of a half-dozen fire extinguishers. I was finally able to extricate myself from the sleeping bag, only to find myself looking up at stars - with only the huge wooden tentpoles somehow left standing. I was also surrounded by a couple of dozen Soldiers laughing at me. I came out of it totally unscathed, but I got an LOR (letter of reprimand) for the earplugs. So yeah, those sleeping bags kind of sucked. But it did keep me safe during the fire. 😊

[@OtherThanIntendedPurpose]

I was a trooper in the later years of the cold war. (85-94) we were the beneficiaries of a lot of innovation from WWII and Viet Nam, our ruck sacks were better thought out ( and as a front line trooper, I was issued the L.A.R.P. Large ruck, with a somewhat larger central bucket, and 3 extra small pouches on the front that could hold W/P, or smoke grenades. ) I was also the last generation to be issued O.D. Green uniforms for garrison and Camouflage for field. something that a lot of civilians to not know is, most changes and improvements to field gear are soldier ideas, passed up the chain. there is actually a very specific process to do this, and it is taken very seriously buy the R&D department for gear. even though it's look has evolved over the years, a LOT of the gear used by hikers, and campers are direct descendants of ARMY field gear. as a combat veteran, I agree that the fart sacks ( generations descendants of the wool mummy bags you talk about) STILL sucked when I was in. most of us used out poncho as an outer layer, and our woobie as the insulation. that is actually what the woobie was designed for ( again, a soldier recommendation) the water bottles, with nesting cups so many hikers love, and bushcrafters swear by is descended from the canteen and canteen cup with a nesting stove. When I was in, the "blue star commando" tag was replaced by REMF ( Rear Echelon Mother F$#&er) and the REMFs that always seemed to have the best, newest gear that we couldn't even get ahold of were assigned and even more derogatory name, the "Garret Troopers" I have been out for 30 years, and I still have things I might need stashed all over my clothing, and carry a pack on the back of my wheelchair with essential gear in case I get stuck in an unintentional camping situation. it is a mentality that is born in war, with the shortages, and lack of resupply, that never leaves you. the 10 years I served were the best, and worst of my life. sometimes on the same day.

[@Marcel_Audubon]

guessing the old schoolyard taunt ('60s era), "your mother wears combat boots!" is referring to the doublebuckled ones.

[@davidduma7615]

yeah but what does that even mean ?

[@roymarshall_]

I don't get it

[@Marcel_Audubon]

@@roymarshall_ you wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes on a 1960s playground

[@jllucci]

Well in WW2 a pair "borrowed" from a GI saved my Dad's Aunt. So she wore a pair for quite a while.

[@obsequious_obsolescence]

@@davidduma7615the expression can be found before wwii, but it means your mother is a hobo with no sense of fashion, or that she frequents various soldiers beds (and may be rewarded with, steals, or otherwise obtains the boots)

[@medicmann8533]

My wife's grandfather was in the 82nd Airborne, 504th Inf , 2nd Battalion, HQ Company, Weapons Platoon. He enlisted in 1942 after graduating High School. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant or as many veterans called the rank by its working title "platoon sergeant". He made 6 combat jumps, all at night except Market Garden. He jumped into North Africa, Sicily, Anzio, Northern France, Holland and Germany. He was one of only 5 men in his company that wasn't killed, wounded, missing or taken as a POW. He refused treatment for frostbite until Bastogne was settled. Then he spent 3 months in the hospital with his feet hanging over the end of the bed. He told me that anything that touched his feet caused excruciating pain. He told me know doubt this is probably why he didn't become a combat casualty. After the war he was a Washington DC Metropolitan Police Officer. He told me he walked a beat for the first 10+ years on the PD. But his feet continue to bother him. He told his sergeant that his feet would start to sting and burn anytime the mercury dipped below 50 degrees and he had to come off a foot patrol. Although he loved being a beat cop. His sergeant also a WW II understood and transferred him to be a detective. He was truly one of the nicest, soft spoken guys and the world. He told me during Bastogne he wore every stitch of clothes he had, skivvies, wool long John's and 3pair of wool trousers. For Christmas dinner the mess jeep pulled up and asked him what he wanted to eat. He told the mess "guy give me something I can eat on the move". The mess soldier threw him a frozen turkey leg. He would put the turkey leg inside his inner layer trousers pocket and as some of the turkey leg would thaw out he would take bite lint, dirt, etc in his pocket and the repeat the process.

[@crazygame2724]

My Mom was in an US Army nurse based in Luxembourg. She was 3rd army. She talked about the frostbite our poor boys as she described them, went through during that terrible winter. So many boys lost their feet Mom reported.

[@ClancyWoodard-yw6tg]

I've actually read an account In the book the GI journal of sergeant Giles. Where they had a gas scare, Because some troops saw some of the graves registration guys with their gas mask on while picking up some of the dead bodies and Somebody sounded the gas attack alarm and it caused a panic

[@rzr2ffe325]

Probably just for the smell. I read a German account on the eastern front where they had mowed down a bunch of Soviets, artillery blew the corpses to pieces, human flesh rotting in the hot sun…so they whipped out there gas masks because it was so awful

[@rzr2ffe325]

*their

[@asahelnettleton9044]

That's wild that they didn't put 2 and 2 together. I'd probably do the same thing if I was stuck with that miserable assignment.

[@macekreislahomes1690]

That's a good prank.

[@madmanmechanic8847]

Wow I cant even imagine the stench of picking up all those bodies .

[@nierenja]

Good job with sharp understanding of the soldier's plight, for someone who wasn't even born when all this was happening and lives over 75 years later.. I don't claim any great knowledge of this, but my pops was in action in the Italian campaign of WWII.

[@kennethhummel4409]

According to some sources those well equipped rear area types were sometimes called garatroopers, short for garrison troops… the best dressed and least engaged soldiers of all theaters.

[@OHUQTU]

My father was captured in combat, defending Kommerschiedt on November 7, 1944 (the Hurtgen Forest battle for Schmidt, Germany with the 28th Division). He told me he was issued regular army low cut shoes (oxfords?), with spats. He also said he gave to his captors a grenade he had inside his "combat jacket".

[@danieldravot4534]

I have talked to a few D Day Vets and one comment was that there were PILES of gas masks on the lanes off the beaches. Apparently the Germans did the same thing using their metal gas mask canisters for dry or crush proof storage of critical items.

[@JarrodFrates]

I think it says something about chemical warfare that Hitler's experience with it in WW1 seems to have been enough for him to prohibit its use by German forces even in the most dire circumstances for fear that he would have to go through it again. There were other, tactical reasons that it wasn't used (winds could shift the gas back over friendly forces and, worse in some ways, the horses that were a massive part German logistics), but even when staring down defeat, he refused to order or authorize their use.

[@TheKsalad]

​@JarrodFrates Didn't stop him from using it on people who literally couldn't retaliate in any way. Hitler doesn't get points for not using gas against the enemy, he gets a seat next to Satan for using it on the defenseless

[@JarrodFrates]

@@TheKsalad I'm not defending Hitler in any way, and you're right about its use in the Holocaust.

[@keitharnold4513]

The Germans usually had monthly inspection of all their gear. A German soldier ditching his gas mask and getting caught was a good way to get sent to a penal battalion and penal battalions were basically a death sentence. The story of Germans soldiers doing that is nothing but a............ "story"

[@XanthusBarnabas]

Three great-uncles of mine fought in WWII. One was with the 45th Thunderbirds, they tossed their masks over the sides of the landing craft before hitting the beach at Sicily; no need for extra weight running through the water, nor across the beach. Apparently, after the Italy campaign, when fighting in France and Germany, they were re-issued masks, and again they chucked their masks.

[@GuttersMN]

My wife's uncle was a paratrooper. He told me on several occasions that the first thing he would do in combat was ditch the folding stock rifle he was issued for a standard infantry rifle from the first casualty he came across. He hated those folding rifles.

[@BigTrain175]

The M1 carbines (or folding stock M1A1) didn't have the stopping power or range of the M1 rifles.

[@eltonjohnson1724]

I loved my sleeping bag. When I was in, we had the down sleeping bag. They were very warm. Taking a piss was no problem either. You just kept a couple of empty C Ration cans near your bag. When you had to go, you would unzip the bag a little, unzip your pants, roll on your side, take your thing out, grab the can, take good aim and let loose. When you were finished, you’d just toss the can and zip back up. Everyone in our USAR SF unit used their sleeping bags except the former Rangers who joined our unit. You can always tell a US Army Ranger. He won’t use a sleeping bag!

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

Gotta think if those Rangers were doing winter ops they would love the sleeping bag. I slept in them at 40 below in my army days and they were relatively comfortable ( if anything at 40 below can be )

[@dougearnest7590]

You unzipped your pants? When was this?

[@Wally-x8c]

Pack light freeze at night

[@DeltaEchoGolf]

OD jungle fatigues, ERDL camo jungle fatigues and RDF fatigues (pre-BDU) were made with zippered fly's. RDF uniforms were produced until the early 80's@@dougearnest7590

[@arthurbrumagem3844]

@@dougearnest7590 I had to think about that one and then I got it ,good one 👍

[@majorhawker4776]

I volunteered for Desert Storm, when I got to the Replacement Depot at Fort Benning, GA, we were issued Winter Woodland Camo BDUs. Yes, we didn't get Desert gear, until after the war. I was assigned to the 82nd 1/504th and became the RTO for my Platoon. All the guys already there had at least 2 pairs of Desert M&M BDUs. So, we found someone in our size and got their dirty pair of BDUs. Also, we had to use Desert Spray paint to paint our helmets and then drew on the M&Ms with a sharpie. The night before the big push we all got assigned our Desert Boots, which were a suede like material and were great boots as they had a thicker bottom sole for the rocks. The Desert rocks and sand chewed up boots for some reason. When we got back to Coball Towers (sp) I was finally issued all my Desert Gear, including the green grid overcoat thing. A lot of us from the repot depot were not issued Woobies (poncho liners) but most of us had brought our personal ones. If you didn't have one you were cold at night. About two weeks into Iraq we got what we called camel blankets cause they felt rough and course like camel hair, but they did keep you warm. I ended up with 2 cause one of our guys hated his and preferred his two Woobies. I did keep my sleep cap from my brand new sleeping bag that I never used as they were all packed up and sent to the rear with all of our excess gear we didn't need. Thankfully we were issued new semi-water proof butt packs, which is where we stored our Woobies, 3-5 MREs removed from packaging, no heaters btw got those after 3 weeks in Iraq. When we got back to the towers, we saw all the brand new gear all the REMFs had that we didn't, we were not allowed and were not issued the boonie caps. We got to wear our Berets for a day and a half and then had to were our K-pots. No reason other than Schawartzdick said we stood out above everyone else, mind you 18th Airborne Corps REMFs got to wear theirs, just not the Paratroopers. I could go on and on about this as we got screwed a lot, with gear. The one thing we had lots of was Ammo, AT4s, LAWs, Claymores, Mortar Shells, Symtec, Concertina Wire and telephone wire. My seat in the back of a 5 ton was 5 Claymore mines. I carried a Satcom Radio, that puts out a ton of Static Electricity, but everyone that smoked did so on our trucks. The saying was one round shot into the back of the truck and we would all be meeting Jesus or land on the Moon.

[@scottmclemore7034]

I was A Co 1/505th PIR, how in the hell did you get Desert Camo boots? We didn’t get them until we were brought back to Kobol Towers. Our “Cherry” replacements didn’t even have those boots. I had one freaking unicorn for 9 months. My buddy Slater had to use 100mph tape to keep his jungles together. Once we got on those C-5s in mid August, it came down from Division that nobody was to wear their Beret. Did you even get there in time to be at Champion Main?

[@charlessaint7926]

Our unit didn't get Camelbacks until after we returned from Iraq. We really could have used them in the desert. When we did grt them, they were DCU pattern and we are at Fort Riley. Also, our uniforms are DCU pattern, but our Interceptor vests are Woodland pattern camo.

[@thatJustinUknow]

Combat vet weighing in here - @9:28 - Your take is spot on! I'm not sure who is giving you grief on this but as far as I know, soldiers love whatever comfort (woobies) they can get, and even more so the tougher things are.

[@piobmhor8529]

In the Canadian Army, they had these itchy sweaters that although they were warm, they guys hated the way they chafed their necks as well. My Dad worked with a guy who was a WW2 vet and said that many guys got their wives/girlfriends or mothers who could knit to make dickies. It was a thing that went over the neck like a turtleneck and had a small bib that looked like you were wearing another sweater under the itchy one. The wool that the dickeys were made from were either cotton or a cotton blend which were much more comfortable. In addition, rather than wearing leggings like the US troops, the Canadians (like other Commonwealth troops) wore WW1 style puttees around their ankles. Although they were good at keeping mud out of your boots, they were disliked by the Canadians who would have much preferred a high ankle workbook style footwear with trousers tucked into the tops of the boots.

[@sunnyjim1355]

"The wool that the dickeys were made from were either cotton... " 🤣

[@NCrdwlf]

During the cold war we were actually issued dickies. I think they were early poly pro .

[@keitharnold4513]

Canadian soldiers in WW2 DID NOT wear WW1 style puttees! Canadian soldiers wore canvas gaiters(as did all commonwealth troops), which fasten around the ankle and boot with two buckles. They didn't really work worth a s**t as they were too loose around the boot and would ride up over top of the boot during "vigorous activity". Some still had access to the wool wrap around putties, which they would cut in half, and only wrapping around the boot and ankle, but this was more the exception than the norm

[@piobmhor8529]

@@keitharnold4513 what you stated was accurate towards middle to end of WW2. The guys I knew who were in WW2 were mostly those who joined up in 1939. Uniforms that were available were mainly old stock from the last war, and from their accounts rather reeked of mothballs and musty storage conditions. Seems that neglect of the peacetime army isn’t just a modern phenomenon. As the wartime economy kicked in, the updated uniforms came in.

[@amazoniancustodian]

Thanks for sharing all the history, I hope you’re able to keep gathering all this lost knowledge for as long as you want.

[@Dracalis]

Contemporary equipment has its problems too. I was a Canadian infanteer, and I hated the standard issue tactical vest. It wasn't modular, the magazine pouches were too high on the chest, and it couldn't hold enough ammo. I tried to make it work. I replaced the canteen pouch with an extra machine gun ammo box pouch, and stuck a couple of slim aftermarket pouches on there too that were good for holding maps and the like, though it still wasn't enough. I don't think anyone who designed or tested that tac vest before purchasing it for the military was in the combat arms. I also didn't like the standard issue knitted wool scarf. It was just way too bulky. I replaced it with an aftermarket shemagh, which was way more versatile in different weather conditions, and comfortable. Same with the wool toque - not that comfy. I switched it for an aftermarket fleece one. I didn't have much issue with the standard issue boots, except that they were slow to put on and take off, which could be a problem when you gotta rush out of your sleeping bag and stand to. Some troops from my unit replaced their boots with aftermarket ones that had zippers, which were much faster, but not as durable or waterproof. It was a trade-off. We got some fleece undergarments, which were pretty comfortable and warm, but man did they stink after a couple of days in the field. I dunno what it was about that fabric, but it was way worse than anything else we wore. Unless I were in cold weather, I'd usually just wear civilian underwear. Our dress uniforms are kinda fugly too. If you reach the rank of warrant officer, you can wear nice Oxford shoes, but until then, you get stuck with these clodhopper clown shoes. I don't know why they make the separation, especially since I was issued both. Also, the jacket sleeves are always tailored like an inch too long. Also, I wear eyeglasses, so I was given prescription inserts for my ballistic goggles. I only wore them once because they gave me a headache and messed up my depth perception. I kept tripping while running. After that, I just wore the goggles over my regular glasses. There mixed opinions on our rucksacks. I think I had a 1984 model, but I can't remember for sure. There was a new one that came out when I was in, but I never got it. It was bigger, bulkier, heavier - things you typically don't want as light infantry. I heard it was mandatory for paratroopers though, because it was sturdier. It was rare, but I also saw some troops with a much older model of rucksack, which was more compact and apparently more comfortable. I think it was from the 60s? I don't remember though - I might be mixing up the years - so don't quote me on that. But on a positive note, I liked the boonie hat. It was light and comfy - good for warm weather. And our sleeping bags were super warm, filled with goose down. We got issued a two-layer system, but I was able to sleep comfortably in only one the whole time I was in. And the smallpack we got wasn't too bad either. And I liked how our tunics and jackets had buttons and zippers, making them way quieter than Velcro for when you're hiding in the bush. Oh, and I just remembered one last dreaded piece of equipment: the radio. Compare it to how compact a modern cell phone is, and how good a lithium-ion battery lasts - this radio was like wearing a big metal rectangle on your back with a car battery strapped to it. It was old and it showed. And you still had to wear your other smallpack or rucksack with it. When we were getting ready to go out, the officer in charge would ask the group of us, "Who's got their radio course qualification?" Lots of guys I knew for certain who took that course would not raise their hand, 'cause nobody wanted to be stuck with that thing.

[@tylersteph1996]

The newer parade boots suck. That’s why I was able to grab a pair of the old style parade boots that don’t have that awful wax coat and are made of real leather. They shine up so good, though a little less comfy to wear.

[@randykelso4079]

In the early fifties (at least in our area) double-buckle WW2 boots in children's sizes were popular and available from Sears Roebuck & Co. I had a pair and loved their comfort!

[@jakecannanite4558]

"Yank Magazine" yeah I've got a few of those hidden in my mattress

[@tomryan914]

"Good one!"😆

[@BillyJ244]

Yank my doodle. It's a dandy!😁

[@andystegall7407]

Remember gents, flies spread disease. So keep yours closed

[@darthhodges]

I was reminded of a meme regarding modern military equipment. It was a bell curve with the low extreme being soldiers who had to provide their own equipment because their country was so logistically bad. The middle represented by soldiers who got decent equipment from their well organized military. And the upper extreme being soldiers who were so into firearms and outdoor activities before serving that they were upset they couldn't use their own stuff but had to use the mass issued stuff their military provided.

[@genek8630]

Jacket, Field, M-1943. It was one of the best jackets the US military came up with. I have two of them. The tight weave of the cotton sateen makes them very wind resistant; the size of the pockets, and the fact that the two breast pockets are nice that they're sewn onto the outside of the garment helps.

[@hiwayman981]

I have an original 1943-dated, plus some repros. I have so many later-variant M-65's that I've lost count...in this, I agree with your assertion of the invention of the jacket aforementioned. During WWII, the M-43 jacket was part of a cold-weather uniform that was among the first to use a layering system to "fight the freeze", if you will. There were trousers that "matched" the jacket that were more common in the later war in Europe, and a button-in hood, which was seen pretty often. There was even a "pile" liner for said jacket and trousers, but these were apparently not very commonly used as the five-button wool sweater was more commonly issued, and most troops found that wearing the wool service uniform slacks under the M-43 trousers was plenty enough, at least in most circumstances.

[@ronaldrose7593]

Great video my friend. The gas mask was a bit of a pain, with all the equipment that had to be carried, it was a real challenge for a small framed soldier. All the best to you. Stay safe out there. 😊

[@irishmike519]

In 1973/74 I had a CWO4 as our motor officer that wore the double buckle boots. They were genuine WWll boots. He said he had two pair.

[@brunozeigerts6379]

Joe Mauldin did a cartoon about two GI's walking past a line of discarded gas masks. 'Looks like Company E got the new gas masks.' He also mentioned that new jackets would be in a pile in the rear. Rear echelon soldiers would think, 'Well, couldn't hurt if I take just one...' Then the pile would gradually disappear until none were left to send to the front. Occasionally, a front line soldier in a worn out jacket would confront a rear echelon type in a new jacket and 'appropriate it.'

[@markb.7642]

I had the pleasure of serving in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years, even though I served from 77 to 98 we were issued some real crappy gear, for instance we went to South Korea during the winter with gear that was left over from the Korean War. I think that no matter what the armed forces come up with for gear, there will always be someone to bitch about it.

[@danielrendon8555]

Semper Fi Marine, I served from 1977-1980 and yes, those cold weather gear was trash, froze my ass off, and I being from South Texas wasn't use to cold weather.

[@GraemePayne1967Marine]

Semper Fi, fellow Marines! Bitching about the service in general, food, gear, weapons, and the rear echelon mf'ers is a tradition probably going back to the ancient Greek armies - or earlier ...

[@danielrendon8555]

@@GraemePayne1967Marine The only way things are going to get fixed or look into is by complaining about it, if we can help foreigners why not our military personnel it's call improvement for our military personnel. I know for sure equipment has been improved a lot from better walking Boots to fighting weapons.

[@tomtruesdale6901]

Semper Fi Marine I was in the Corps from 1975 to 1979 and can fully relate. Best thing we got was the Woolie Pullie sweater to wear in Norway and other cold places. Went from Satin utilities, to Veit Nam rip stop to the NATO cammo. Most of our 782 gear was WWII or V.N. issue. Some of the C-Rats we ate were canned before I was born but hell we were in the Marines, and we knew we were the red headed stepchild of the U.S. Military

[@Ronaldmcdonald65]

I swear to my time, I bought the last 3 items for my infantry kit literally a day before I watched this video... guess I'm in for a ride.

[@jamescameron2490]

Actually, during WW1 the troops started out with canvas leggings, which were replaced quickly with puttees. Puttees gave better support and warmth, and were more resistant to mud. As for the 1941 field jacket, the zippers on them were too lightly made and fragile. The "tanker jacket" (winter combat jacket) was much warmer, and had a more robust zipper and better pockets. It's also rather stylish. Andy Rooney described it as "the most coveted article of clothing of the war."

[@JeffHenry-cq3is]

Putters were cheaper

[@GordonDonaldson-v1c]

@@JeffHenry-cq3is By 1918 almost all of the armies involved in the War were wearing puttees, even the Germans to a certain extent.

[@marinetech262]

Just to chime in a bit of additional info on the wool sleeping bags. Wool is a great material that stays just as warm soaking wet as it does when dry. The big problem though is that it gets heavy as hell because you're lugging around the item and all the water it's holding onto. Compared to a flat blanket, those sleeping bags probably held a significant amount of water and would really weigh the soldier down. Not to mention that because of the design, they probably took forever to dry out compared to a flat blanket.

[@TerryDowne]

With regard to leggings...while US troops may have disliked them, the Australians felt very differently. The Australian Army found that their standard British-pattern gaiters (which were rather short) did not provide adequate protection or leg support, especially in the very wet and muddy conditions the Australians encountered in the SWPA in 1942-45. When supplies of American leggings became available through Lend Lease, the Australians seized on them eagerly and found them much superior to the British pattern.

[@MikeDarr61]

My dad was a WWII veteran as was four of my uncles. It’s funny because most of the men in my age bracket had grandfathers that served in World War Two and dads the are Vietnam vets. I digress, pop and the uncles that were infantry said the dumped some of their gear especially my dad that came ashore on the second landing at Omaha beach. He said some of that stuff made a lot of men drown in the first wave. So guys were dropping some of the more cumbersome equipment. Also as they moved further in it slowed them down. Another interesting fact, which probably has been covered by the owner of this channel, it’s my first time watching him, camo was never used in the European theatre like it was in the pacific. Reason being that waffen SS and Fallschirmjäger used it and GI’s could be mistaken as Germans. Anyway, most of you WWII buffs know this already. I feel blessed to have grown up around actual vets from that war. I served in the late 70’s and 80’s and I remember in boot camp using Vietnam and even some old WWII era equipment in training, mostly clothing and some basic gear. However, the WWII stuff was rare. Shoot, the barracks we were in were of WWII vintage.

[@horsemumbler1]

6:25 No body is more jealous of nor ingenious in finding his small comforts than the poor bloody Infantry.

[@sunnyjim1355]

I've heard it claimed that on the announcement of the declaration of war on Germany by Britain in 1939 (and even prior to that), there had been a rush of applicants to enlist with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force - because of a fear of being conscripted into the Army once those quotas had been fulfilled. I can believe it.

[@albertcaligiuri9727]

My uncle, who was 3:40 in World War II told me about the sleeping bag he cut holes for his arms and legs in case they came under attack and he had to move fast because trying to get out of the sleeping bag was very difficult in a hurry

[@bodidley5015]

Funny thing is they carried far less gear by weight than modern infantry. Should read The Soldier’s Load And The Mobility of a Nation.

[@jic1]

It's kind of the catch with better load carrying gear: now that you can carry more stuff more comfortably, you keep getting loaded up with ever more stuff.

[@ashcarrier6606]

I recall reading the military had determined what the maximum weight a soldier could wear and still be combat effective. I remembered it when I was in Iraq and wearing body armor with sapi plates, 6 loaded magazines, kevlar...

[@willmartin7293]

That is absolutely true. During the course of my military career there were quite a few inventions to make personal gear lighter, but it seemed like every time there was a weight savings, something else was added for us to carry.@@jic1

[@mverna3628]

My Civil War era gaitors were great but took forever to put on. I think it wad ten buckles on the outter sides

[@rockstarJDP]

There's a really brief shot in Band of Brothers where Webster cuts off a part of his parachute immediately after landing in Holland during Market Gaden. I always assumed he was taking it as a souveneir but that makes so much more sense! Awesome detail there!

[@catinthehat906]

I'd assumed that not only do they make a good makeshift scarf, but you could use them as a torniquet or a sling if needed.

[@rockstarJDP]

@@catinthehat906 Good point, I hadn't thought of that!

[@jic1]

@@catinthehat906 I doubt that a piece of parachute silk would be my first choice as a tourniquet, although you could probably get it to work if that's all that you had.

[@catinthehat906]

@@jic1 Better than tearing your own clothing- twisted parachute nylon is very strong. Medic's were not everywhere, particularly in the immediate chaos of the Normandy landings. Interested to know what other options would you might suggest for a WW2 soldier in the field?

[@jic1]

@@catinthehat906 Well, the straps and rigging from the parachute, for a start.

[@cliffordpearsonjr.9748]

My poor old Dad was with Patton in the Rhineland Campaign and He told me he just Loved the Wool shirts that you talk of in this video. Before the end of his life He started getting cold easily... and the first thing he brought up was those WWII wool shirts and He wished he had one. He looked around and the first kind of shirt he came up with and started Buying and wearing was a Pendleton wool Shirt. He wore these the rest of his life.

[@northerncaptain855]

I remember my late mother talking about working in the Woolen Mills in WW2 and making Wool Blankets for the Army.

[@scotquest12]

Woolen mills in Lebaanon Tennessee

[@csipawpaw7921]

When you mentioned leggings I had a flashback to my bootcamp days in the Navy. We had to wear white leggings and it was such a hassle to keep them white enough to pass inspection. We scrubbed them and the white caps so much, then used white toothpaste to cover any stains. And this was in 1970!

[@KarlBeeThree]

I remember getting an M-51 field jacket (without liner) in 1960 as part of my initial issue going into basic training. It was a pretty decent field jacket and a liner was issued by supply at the permanent duty station, to be returned to supply upon transferring out. The only thing I hated was the stupid Korean War style blocked cap that was issued back then as part of the standard issue. They were fine until the first time you had to pack them into your Barracks Bag during a PCOS and immediately had to be replaced at your own expense upon arriving at a new duty station. The deformed cap was generally fine for day-to-day wear but a new, uncrushed version was absolutely required for your inspection gear. The part about the mummy sleeping bags is true. When my unit was out on our annual summer field exercise the guys from the 10th Special Forces Group in Bad Toelz would come raiding through our encampment in the middle of the night cutting our pup tent ropes and generally harassing us before disappearing just as fast as they had appeared and before any of us could even begin getting out of our mummy bags. Picture having two sleepy, confused guys trying to get out of their bags while being confined inside a collapsed pup tent. It doesn't require a lot of imagination to visualize that in the context of an actual combat situation.

[@scottwatts3879]

The M41 field jacket was cut short to accommodate the "mechanized army" and the need to sit but also move from side to side while in a truck, halftrack, jeep, tank, etc. The British did something similar with their P-37 LCE. Before, each branch of the Army had a different set of LCE for cavalry (1903), motor transport, infantry (P-08), etc. The P-37 was designed so the same soldier could go from Bren carrier to mortarman, to infantry to transport to whatever.

[@GordonDonaldson-v1c]

The top part of the British Army battledress, known as the "blouse", made an excellent kilt jacket. Definitely not what its designer intended!

[@mkvv5687]

In USAF we had field jackets which went below the waist (similar to or exactly like the m1943?), but I much preferred the short waist flight jacket.

[@fatmanfaffing4116]

So what's changed? 1980 in the Australian Army they issued a new pullover with patches on sleeves and elbows similar to the British pattern. It was made by Howard Green and that's what the troops called it. We were given an order not to wear ours because at that time the Brigade HQ had not received their issue. Given it was superior to the khaki v neck pullover previously issued. I can well imagine GIs in combat units not getting the new kit because the REMFs have snaggled it first.

[@-dusan5726]

Even today in the Marine Corps we still hate our sleeping bags lmao, especially the winter Sleeping Systems that come with the waterproof outer liner. Its common to see guys fighting the bag in a panic because they cant find the zipper, especially since the bag goes over the entire body

[@the_lost_navigator]

On one episode of 'Combat!', the Squad receives a replacement named Ollie wearing M43 buckle-boots, and everyone wanted them... He swore hem boots were G.I. issue and he was solely responsible for them - and even went back for em when left behind enemy lines.

[@johnzeszut3170]

I always that he was "Oily Joe"! He was a sort of soft ball that killed the Lieutenant because he wanted Ollie out of the Army!

[@ShawShanK931]

Troops will always complain about things they're issued. What may seem like a small flaw really becomes noticeable when you have to live in a uniform or carry around something everyday.

[@behindthespotlight7983]

OUTSTANDING video. Every time I thought “he’s not gonna mention ___” you did. You really take your research and hobby seriously. This is turning into a great channel. You’ve always been sincere and exuded love of the game but now you’re beginning to produce excellence.

[@KJ4RMZ]

I had my grandfather's wool sleeping bag, and other items, until our home burned back in the early 80's. I used to use it to lay out in a pasture a night and watch the stars.

[@TonyGarrett-p1c]

You seem like a very bright, motivated young man who is really passionate about this history, and keeping it alive.

[@larryfontenot9018]

I was an active duty soldier during the 1970s, and we went through a number of uniform and equipment changes. We had to carry gas masks, but the cases for them were not very useful for carrying anything else. At first, we were issued inflatable mattresses to keep us from losing heat to the ground when sleeping, and they were great when they worked. But they developed leaks easily making them almost useless and they were rather bulky and heavy. While I was in the service, they were replaced by blue foam sleeping pads that were lighter, but they didn't blend in to the terrain at all and couldn't be folded. The rolls were even more bulky than the air mattresses, which could be folded. My generation was the last to wear the old cotton fatigue uniform with a button fly on the trousers, which had to be starched until they were very stiff. Then we were changed to lighter "permanent press" fatigues with zipper flies, and those were a lot easier to wear although the "permanent press" wasn't really and they still needed to be ironed although the heavy starching was over with. Toward the end of my time in service, the army switched to the first generation Battledress Uniform, which was better than any version of fatigues. We liked them better because they weren't required to be ironed. The one constant during my service career was that we had the old black leather combat boots that had to be kept highly shined. We would have loved the new suede boots that don't require shoeshine, just brushing, but they were not introduced until after my time. I also started out eating C-rations, although the first generation of MREs were introduced when I was off active duty and in the Army National Guard. I preferred the C-rats, since I could eat most of them with no dietary issues and I could heat up the entree by letting the can it was in ride atop the engine exhaust manifold of my jeep. The can would stay there securely with the hood lowered and fastened down.

[@GaryBurroughs-bd6pk]

I enlisted in 1978 and retired in 2001. Went to Basic Training at Ft.Sill, OK., Jump School at Ft. Benning, then to Permanent Party at Ft. Bragg. I FONDLY remember eating C-Rats left over from Vietnam that still had the 3-pack of cigarettes inside. NEVER saw any Brown bag MRE's until I got to Germany in 1984.. Used to could buy C-Rats by the case for $12 in the Commissary at Benning, Riley, and Bragg. I'd always buy 2 or 3 cases to keep in my vehicle, especially if we were going on an 30-60 day FTX.😊😊

[@ZombieGrandpa]

As to people who claim that no WW2 soldier would have complained about a neck rash, I can only offer this. Throughout time, soldiers have one commonality. Weapons change, tactics evolve, but soldiers remain the same. The two forever commonalities will NEVER change. 1. They love to complain. 2. All battle is miserable.

[@SteveMrW]

I was expecting to see roughout boots to be on the list. Service boots had a stiff leather toe which gave some protection to the toes, whereas roughouts had a soft to which offered no protection.

[@nearlynormal2293]

In the 50's when I grew up there were war surplus stores all over the country selling army equipment. I started you young hiking, backpacking and scouting career using mostly war surplus army gear. I slept in an army pup tent using an army chicken feather sleeping bag. I suffered mightily using that shit for about 5 years. It has always my dream to make the designers of that equipment use it on a 10 day winter trip. I have tremendous respect for the American troops who survived using that ghoulishly horrible equipment.

[@David-ic4by]

My dad got to Europe just as the action was ending, so he was part of the occupation force. He despised the wool shirt, and he took advantage of the massive surplus available in the PX. He learned to fudge his CO’s signature and though an enlisted man, he always wore an officer’s cotton shirt from then on.

[@bobanderson6656]

I suspect that wool would be pretty miserable in the Summer.

[@danschneider9921]

My uncle, who was a Lutheran pastor for 40 years and never swore. He was a rifleman with the 5th ID 43-46. I loved asking him about equipment, weapons etc and the only time I ever heard him use bad language was in describing the M41 OD field jacket and leggings...."they were absolutely f***ing useless" is what was usually said..and this was in the 80s, 40+ years later.

[@thedoctor755]

Good list of stuff. I was saying that too, that a lot of GIs tended to throw away their gas masks and use the bags for more important stuff. There was a serious concern that especially on the Normandy beaches, that the Germans would panic and throw gas... fortunately there was only one known instance where gas was used in WWII, and it was far from the GI lines (in the Priepat Marshes area on the eastern front, a whole German unit was found dead, trying to put on their masks, so THANKS once again, Russians). In contrast, the Germans were forced to carry their masks all the time, and were checked for them regularly. However I talked to a German vet that said he ditched his mask and carried extra things or even a bottle of wine in his metal gas mask canister, so maybe he had a more lax commander.

[@Fidd88-mc4sz]

"resting your hands in your pockets".... NOT a British Army soldier. We all have memories of "Pockets" being screamed at us by an outraged NCO from the distant end of a parade-ground!

[@pepebeezon772]

9:25 yeaaa no one with any experience in the army would say that because it's the most relatable thing even 80 years later. Guys are still complaining about their kit being uncomfortable 80 years later like a past-time. Infantry is already hard enough, everyone is trying to make themselves more comfortable. Why would you put up with a shirt rubbing your neck when you can, you know, not

[@WorldWarWisdom]

Well said

[@ktvindicare]

Hell I found it very relatable just because I used to camp a lot when I was younger. When you're out in the elements all day, a minor irritation in your clothing gets really aggravating when you have to deal with it all day. Can't imagine what those guys in the 40's had to have felt like hauling all that heavy gear every day only to be expected to fight in it.