What is it?
 

OK, I was rooting around in my tank box and found this little item hiding in a dark corner. I do not know what it is, what it does, or what it goes to. Can anyone out there answer those questions for me? I also have not heard any correct answeres to my question of the USMC nomenclature of the packs. Any more guesses?

Herman

RE: What is it?
 

The first picture is of two Marine Corps field packs with bed rolls circa 1944? AP-41 pack system?
The second picture is of a Sherman kit piece I believe to help make it 2 channel operational?

RE: What is it?
 

It came with your sherman kit and it is used only if you are using a 2 channel radio ... since you have a 4+ channel radio you won't use it.

RE: What is it?
 

The two packs are Marine backpacks which took over from the WW I Haversack. The entrenching tool and cover is an old post WW I style. The backpacks have the shelter half...each soldier had a half a tent, 3 poles, a rope and five pins. With your buddy, you had a full tent, or a decent lean-to by yourself. They are carried in a "horseshoe roll" strapped on the top and each side with the individual poles, pins and rope rolled in the shelter half. . The one on the right has the accessory cargo pack which straps to the bottom of the backpack. Marines had these through most of the WW II, whereas the Army still had to use the &%$# WW I Haversacks until 1945. These would be OK an a WW II Marine AFV, although tankers didn't carry backpacks or horseshoe rolls. Halftracks, Jeeps, WCs would be ideal. Tankers carried only the cargo pack, many times strapped to the hold or stowage bars on the turret. Das Kabel habe ich keine blase ahnung.[:-]

RE: What is it?
 

Hi Herman,

My brother Eric was in Marine JROTC during high school in the 1970s, so I heard him always talking about humping his 60 pound "ALICE PACK" on fieldtrips to Paris Island and Quantico.

Is "alice" the term you are looking for? I suppose it comes from a military acronym for this type of gear, right? -Dana

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RE: What is it?
 

OK guys! Thanks for the information on what that thing is. Maybe that is why it was in the box in the first place.

The Packs,
The short one with the bed roll and entrenching tool was called a "Field Marching Pack" and was used to carry everything a Marine would need for an outing of up to a week.
The longer one is known as a "Field Transport Pack" and was supposed to carry enough for 3 weeks. LOL

The accronim "ALICE" stands for All purpose Light weight Individual Carrying Equipment. The ALICE pack is a post Viet Nam piece of equipment.

Herman