WW2 30 Cal M1 Re-purposed Ammunition box | ||
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Posted 9 years ago
trunkman
(149 items)
This old first aid kit has been in my family since I was a young lad and most probably well before that. I never really thought much of it -- just an old box I assumed. Spent most of its life at the bottom of a camping gear trunk or stored in some remote closet. Really was not until I started cruising this site that I recognized it as an old ammo box -- thought... "How cool is that". Love new old discoveries... or is that old new discoveries?
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trunkman,
That's really cool! I see a lot of old ammo boxes out there, but this is the first one I've seen like this one. Great family piece to pass on down the line.
Scott
I've seen so many of these used for this & marked the same, that I wonder if many of them were made for this .
There must have been soooo many of these kicking around after the war -- what else could you use them for? Might have been some company out there picked up a cargo load of them and painted them out...
I think the Army (probably the Marines too) used a lot of empty ammo cans for first aid containers in vehicles. I remember seeing it still being done when I was a young soldier in the late 70s (This .30 MI ammo box looks much older). Although there were standard issue first aid kits, these held more, were also water proof, and they were plentiful so you had uniformity between vehicles, which was always important to some motor pool officer trying to make an impression!
Chris
Thanks jscott, BB2, and Chrisnp for the comments....
I've never decided which was worse. Carrying the machinegun, the mount or the ammo cans . They all multiply in weight with each step taken !!!
The extra barrel and tripod for the M60 wasn't much fun either ;(
I saw a similar piece at an antique mall today. Nice can. I don't see many with the flaming bomb on them.
Could the Red Cross painted on the box be meant to fool the enemy into not shooting the person carrying it, thinking they were a Medic? Love your collection!
I'm sure there's a story or two behind this one... thanks so much Gatekeeper for the kind words...
Being a former member of the Air Force, I remember these well. Ours were green however... Thanks for bringing back some fond memories!
Doesn't it say ammunition box on the ammunition box ?
when it was still olive drab and yellow markings ...it did, Eye4 . the bursting bomb symbol is "Ordnance" markings also :-)
"Ammunition Box" is indeed embossed on the front eye -- in Band of Brothers movie there were cooking soup in one of these....
Actually Eye4, it's not that easy. They may give .30 plus a code for which type & then a code for armor piercing, incendiary, tracer, ball, etc. . I'm looking at one of my more modern boxes and it reads : "200 cartridges (symbol) 7.62 MM, (symbol) M13 cartons (symbol) 1 (symbol) M62-4 (symbol)M80 LC-87K 601L389. No 2 symbols are alike. This is an easy 1 . WWII markings get more confusing .
Actually, it's supposed to be an exaggerated fuse burning in a cannon ball & used by many countries to symbolize ordnance . I believe the French originated it.
LOL Lucas, I have some newer boxes, how many you need?
2 ,50 cal. would be nice if you have some to give away. They are air-tight & great for putting collections of specialized tool & equip. in . I have elec. equip. in 1. riveting stuff in 1, blk. pdr. gear in 1 and ammo in another. The French make real good ones too. I'll be in KY for May & most of June !
Lucas, you want the M2A1 style cans?
Kerry, if I didn't feel like I know you, I would think you were joking ! I've got 3 at home & 2 at the airport, so that will suffice . If one fell off of a truck in front of me, I would deff. stop ! Many thanks for the offer ! Cost too much to ship things these days.