DOUGHBOYS: World War I-Photographs

Photographs

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This photo post card with a post mark date of Dec 1911, shows three soldiers wearing the pre 1910 uniform and field gear. Though this is an early photograph, it is typical of how National Guard units were uniformed and equipped during their service on the Mexican Border, 1916-1917. All three soldiers wear the M1903 Rifle Cartridge belt. The soldier in the center and the soldier on the right wear the first pattern Mills suspenders to support their cartridge belts. The three are also armed with M1903 Springfield rifles and it's M1905 bayonet in M1905 leather bayonet scabbards. Note they wear the three button pull-over wool flannal shirts and M1907 canvas leggings.
This soldier posing for a photograph at Fort Logan, Colorado's Post Photo Studio, wears the uniform and equipment typical of a soldier in a garrison environment. He wears the wool M1912 service uniform, M1907 canvas leggings, and visored service cap. He is armed with the M1903 Springfield rifle and is equiped with a leather garrison belt and M1905 bayonet in it's M1905 leather scabbard. It is very hard to see what is on his cap badge. Though it is the type worn by NCOs, he does not appear to be an NCO.
When America entered the world War in April 1917, thousands of young men volunteered for the Armed Services. This photo is ID'd to "Private Edward H. Denzine(?) of Co. I(?) 47th Regt.( Which I researched and found out it was part of the 9th Infantry Division.) now in Philadelphia" This photo shows the young soldier wearing first pattern Mills suspenders, M1903 cartridge belt, first aid dressing carrier, and early leather bayonet scabbard. The back of the photo postcard reads, "Mr. and Mrs. Knise(?), Here is my boy and the suit and gun he left a good home for. inlisted March 15th taken March 30th Age 18 years Picture taken from one taken at the Army."
The M1903 Springfield Rifle was not the only rifle issued to American soldiers during the war. Most soldiers were armed with the M1917 Enfield Rifle which was a copy of Great Britain's Pattern 1914 Enfield Rifle. This soldier is armed with the M1917 Enfield and it's respective bayonet in distictive scabbard. He wears the cotton M1911 service uniform, M1912 Service hat, and M1910 leggings. His rifle cartridge belt is the simplified M1917 with sewn pockets as made by companies such as Long, L.C.C. Co., and Plant Brothers.
The branch of service collar disk worn by this soldier indentifies him as a medical personel. He wears the cotton M1911 service uniform, M1912 Service hat, and m1917 canvas leggings. This attire is typical of what soldiers wore stateside and upon arrival in France. However the cotton service uniform saw very limited use in France. The wool service uniforms were worn instead and canvas leggings were replaced by wool puttees. The service hat was also considered too cumbersome to carry when the steel helmets were worn, and they were replaced by the flat, wool overseas caps.
When America entered World War I in April 1917, her Army did not have a standard machine gun. Machine guns had become important weapons of battlefield tactics, capable of inflicting casualties on a scale unseen in previous warfare. Thus when America entered the war, her Allies such as Great Britain and France trained and equiped the doughboys with various models of machine guns already in use by the Allies. The French Hotchkiss and British Vickers were two such guns. The two soldiers seen in this photo training at a camp somewhere in the U.S. are using the British Vickers, though the jacket on this barrel is plain rather than fluted which is mostly seen on the Vickers.

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