11 Objects Carried by World War I Infantrymen

Here are some of the essential items that typical Doughboys carried with them on the battlefields of World War I.

Although the world’s major countries possessed highly developed armies to defend their interests in the early years of the 20th century, the onset of World War I presented new challenges to everyone involved.

Massive tanks bulldozed their way across the terrain. Aircrafts dropped bombs from the skies. Thick, poisonous gasses rose from the battlefields. Many established military tactics of previous generations fell by the wayside in regions such as the Western Front of France and Belgium, where soldiers with both the Allied and Central Powers camped out in deep trenches to avoid open warfare.

This was the reality facing the first wave of U.S. infantrymen, known as the Doughboys, who journeyed to France in 1917 with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). While direct U.S. participation in the Great War was short-lived, the unique conditions of the conflict required careful attention to the equipment and provisions that were sent to safeguard the lives of the men in harm’s way.

“American infantrymen carried a range of supplies that addressed basic necessities while allowing them to adapt to the conditions of modern warfare,” explains Christopher Warren, chief curator of the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri. “While the Doughboys didn’t always find every issued item useful, the U.S. Army attempted to provide everything they needed to live, fight, and survive.”

Here are some of the essentials the typical infantryman toted with him to this battle-scarred foreign land.

1. Rifle

A WORLD WAR I SOLDIER WITH A M1903 RIFLE.

2. Haversack

A MODEL 1910 HAVERSACK, AS USED BY U.S. INFANTRYMEN IN WORLD WAR I.

Although a haversack for storing provisions had been used by the American military prior to the Civil War, the Model 1910 marked the first time this carry-on was worn on the back instead of the side. Additionally, instead of having a bag-like body, this sack was essentially a strip of canvas that could be folded up and secured by straps. Another distinctive feature of this version was a detachable bottom section which could be shed to lighten the load. Although the Army continued tinkering with its design, the M-1910 remained in use until World War II.

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