WWII Musette Bag M1936 and Strap (“LANGDON TENT 1942; KADIN 1942”) NOS Unissued!

Description: WWII Musette Bag & Strap ("THE LANGDON TENT & AWNING CO. 1942", "KADIN 1942") NOS Unissued! Very early WW2 M1936 Officer's Field "Musette" Bag ("THE LANGDON / TENT & AWNING CO. / Manufactured in 1942" and General Purpose Carrying Strap with D-Rings ("KADIN 1942"). Mint NOS Unissued pair!!!! The 'best of the best'! This virtually UNTOUCHED, factory-fresh example of the Officer's Field Bag, M1936, known as the "Musette Bag," was manufactured contemporaneous with the campaigns in the Northern Solomons, OPERATION CARTWHEEL in the Bismarck Archipelago Campaign; in New Guinea in the Papua Campaign; And in the Mediterranean in the Tunisian Campaign; the Sicily Campaign; the allied invasion of Italy in the Naples-Foggia Campaign. This “BAG, Canvas, Field, OD, M1936,” more commonly known as the “Musette” Bag, in the early multi-layer, POLYVINYL BUTYRAL laminate Light Shade OD#3 Canvas was adapted from the similar WWI model with the SINGLE Flap Strap and a LEATHER-FACED Bottom. This waterproof 'carry-all' with the internal divider of two separate POCKET-SECTION made of heavy canvas duck; a small Exterior Button-Flap POCKET; and a large Exterior back-panel Buttoning POCKET. This carry-all could accommodate anything from Grenades, Rations, Ammunition, spare Clothing, Toiletries, or Medical Supplies. Both the is“Waterproof” MULTI-LAYER LAMINATE FABRIC and the single-layer canvas duck were used in the pre-war and early years of the WWII, neither being specific to the Airborne Troops, but certainly preferred for obvious reasons, due to the Bag's ability to be worn flipped over on the Paratrooper's chest! NOTE: Both fabrics were used by LANGDON TENT & AWNING CO. during the 1942 fiscal year. And both fabrics were used by the several contractors in preceding years! NOTE: The laminate fabric (with the membrane of Polyvinyl Butyral) disappeared from production by late 1943. This Bag was carried by Marine and Army Officers, many NCOs, virtually all Paratroopers, Corpsmen and Medics, (often with a Red Cross painted on the Flap), any personnel who couldn’t use the M1928 Haversack because of equipment, e.g. Radio Operators, Flamethrower Operators, Tankers and Armored personnel (who hung these on the outside of their tanks and vehicles) and Bomber Crews (as “carry-on” luggage). This extremely PRACTICAL (and well received!) item, despite it being an “Army contract” piece of gear, made its way into the USMC supply system and into the hands of Marines even though the Marine Corps Equipment Board (MCEB), at the request of the Director, Division of Plans and Policies on January 23, 1942 introduced a USMC-specific Officer’s “Bag, Canvas, Field” with numerous modifications. Despite the Corps’ “letting” contracts to seven different manufacturers for approximately 50,000 (plus or minus) “USMC” marked and/or “modified” M1936 Musette Bags between 1940 and 1944, there simply weren’t enough to supply the Marine Corps’ needs as it explosively expanded to six DIVISIONS. ***** PARTICULARS: OFFICER'S M1936 FIELD "Musette" BAG (Stock No.74-B-53): + This Piece of gear is in NOS Unissued condition!! The only evidence of age is minor sun fading from having sat on a Depot shelf for years and some extremely minor superficial storage wear at the fold of the Flap and 'microscopic' spots of stenciling ink from the application of the U.S. surcharge and the contractor data at the factory. + Strong, legible “U.S.” surcharge on the outside of the Flap and contractor markings on the underside of the Flap in legible serif font: THE LANGDON TENT & AWNING CO. Manufactured in 1942 + It appears to have came off the factory floor of THE LANGDON TENT & AWNING COMPANY of Wichita, Kansas, only hours ago. The muliti-layer POLYVINYL BUTYRAL laminate, Light Shade OD# 3 Canvas is flexible, the loose seamstress's threads have not been trimmed, all the markings, e.g. the unique "U.S." surcharge and the contractor's data are bold, sharp. + ZERO wear, abrasion, or staining to the SHOULDER STRAPS!+ The well-made heavy canvas internal 'Divider' with the two Pockets has been nicely finished with Edge Binding and not left with 'raw' edges! + ZERO holes, fraying, loose stitching, graffiti, major stains or abrasions. + ZERO wear or corrosion to the BLACKENED BRASS hardware: the blackened 1” ADJUSTABLE STEEL BUCKLES, the BALL TIPS the two ‘D’ RINGS, the two BLACKENED BRASS BUTTONS, the two 'convex' BRASS FRICTION BUCKLES on the Shoulder Straps, the EARLY STEEL SNAP HOOKS. ***** M1936 CARRYING STRAP (early-war model with the D-rings) for the Officer’s Field Bag is from Kadin Brothers, Inc. of New York City, with offices in Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. Kadin, founded June 2, 1924, was a manufacturer of high-end women's handbags (their "Kade" line) as well as the more reasonably priced "Rambler" line of handbags. Kadin put their designers to work, inventing innovative solutions to WWII supply restrictions and shortages."According to Sidney Kadin of the firm, their designers are putting on full steam to complete the fall line by June 15. The firm expects to present many new ideas in construction to offset the shortage and WPB rulings on zippers, frames, etc. "The same fast delivery service will prevail on the new line as customers have enjoyed in the past," says Mr. Kadin." (June 1942 Luggage & Leather Goods, page 58)The company was finally dissolved on March 25, 1992.***** + The Strap is stamped on the underside in large 3/8" serif font letters: U.S. KADIN 1942 + Light weight cloth strap 2” in width of Light Shade OD#3 Canvas Web. + This is the earliest-model with blackened brass D-Rings, Adjustable Buckle and Loop. (NOTE: The D-Rings were replaced later in the war with the ‘universal’ Wire SNAP HOOKS and the Strap was renamed the “STRAP, GENERAL PURPOSE.”) + This Strap is in MINT condition. + ZERO frays, fading, loose stitching, stains, or personalized markings. + ZERO corrosion to the ADJUSTABLE BUCKLE, the LOOP, and the two D-RINGS.***** Captions to photos of the Langdon Tent& Awning Library of Congress photos: Langdon Tent and Awning Company, Wichita, Kansas. A modern automatic grommet-setting machine speeds the mass production effort of this plant which is turning out 1500 "pups" tents a day for the expanding defense Army. “Langdon Tent and Awning Company, Wichita, Kansas. With the grade and dexterity of master dressmaker this attractive young woman fabricates "pup" tents for the expanding defense Army. A two-needle felling machine joins two widths of cloth to form the main body of the tent.” June 1941 “Langdon Tent and Awning Company, Wichita, Kansas. Reinforcing 3/16th guy ropes for "pup" tents to shelter the expanding defense Army in the field. This plant is turning out 1500 of these tents a day to rigid Army Quartermaster Corps specifications” June 1941.

Price: 239 USD

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

End Time: 2024-11-02T17:10:16.000Z

Shipping Cost: 14.85 USD