Fort Douglas Museum
- Thread starter Gustaf
- Start date
Kjell-Bjarne
New member
Gus,
Son of a beach?
Come on, talk your way out of this! :wink:
K-B
Son of a beach?
Come on, talk your way out of this! :wink:
K-B
Kjell-Bjarne
New member
Okay, Gus, I've pulled your leg enough on this, and I'll replace my wink with a smile. 
Skøl!
K-B
Skøl!
K-B
kaiserzeit
New member
Hi Gus,
I seem to be cast in the role of asking silly questions: Is this Fort Douglas the one in Utah? If ever I have a chance, I would love to visit it.
Gus, you should be more than proud of your collection and your displays, they are brilliant teaching tools. To be able to assemble a comparative collection like you have done is something that, normally, only major museums would even think about.
I would love to look at your WW1 display in detail and examine the different ways the various powers equipped their soldiers. There are very few places anywhere where one could make such a comparison.
We forget that, technologically, war was switching over from the buggy-whip era to the mass killing science it has become today:
- The horrendously heavy armour plate that was tried to ward off machine gun bullets - The breastplates and helmet browplates that the Germans tested;
- The pathetically naive attempts to protect from poison gas - I wish I had a picture of what the Japanese contingent used in WW1 - little more than a damp rag.
Bravo! Keep doing what you are doing!
Cheers,
Laurie
I seem to be cast in the role of asking silly questions: Is this Fort Douglas the one in Utah? If ever I have a chance, I would love to visit it.
Gus, you should be more than proud of your collection and your displays, they are brilliant teaching tools. To be able to assemble a comparative collection like you have done is something that, normally, only major museums would even think about.
I would love to look at your WW1 display in detail and examine the different ways the various powers equipped their soldiers. There are very few places anywhere where one could make such a comparison.
We forget that, technologically, war was switching over from the buggy-whip era to the mass killing science it has become today:
- The horrendously heavy armour plate that was tried to ward off machine gun bullets - The breastplates and helmet browplates that the Germans tested;
- The pathetically naive attempts to protect from poison gas - I wish I had a picture of what the Japanese contingent used in WW1 - little more than a damp rag.
Bravo! Keep doing what you are doing!
Cheers,
Laurie
Hi Laurie,
Thanks, I have had a great deal of enjoyment from assembeling this modest collection. I am hamperd by a very low budget, but blessed with a very understanding wife.
The Fort douglas Museum is a modest collection in Salt Lake City on the University of Utah campus, the Uof U is not real keen on fire arms, and has not been real good the the museum, but the museum has powerfull supporters. I suspect that you are thnking of the Hill Field Museum near Ogden, it has a fantastic display of aircraft and related materials, but if you ever get so far as Ogden, the trip to SLC is a short one and woth it. The staff at the Fort Douglas Museum is a great bunch, most volunteers, and a history lesson in their own right.
It is interesting to compare equipment, for example, canteens and water bottles, the Austrians had the smallest of all I have see, at 1/2 liter, the French started the war with a 1 liter canteen, and switched to the African 2 liter canteen very early in the war, the British had a respectable water bottle at a quart (bear in mind that the Imperial gallon was bigger than the US gallon, but then I would guess that those of you who buy gas with colourful money can remember when gas mileage was 20% better north of the boarder).
The first gas resperators wre all nothing more than wads of gause soaked with chemicals to neutralize the gas. I have seen photos of early British masks that were cotton batting stuffed half way up a silk stocking, it would be soaked in the chemical then the stocking would be tied around the head to hold it in place, acording to the caption, these did not make it to the field befor the "new" gas hoods were issued.
Best wihses
Gus
Thanks, I have had a great deal of enjoyment from assembeling this modest collection. I am hamperd by a very low budget, but blessed with a very understanding wife.
The Fort douglas Museum is a modest collection in Salt Lake City on the University of Utah campus, the Uof U is not real keen on fire arms, and has not been real good the the museum, but the museum has powerfull supporters. I suspect that you are thnking of the Hill Field Museum near Ogden, it has a fantastic display of aircraft and related materials, but if you ever get so far as Ogden, the trip to SLC is a short one and woth it. The staff at the Fort Douglas Museum is a great bunch, most volunteers, and a history lesson in their own right.
It is interesting to compare equipment, for example, canteens and water bottles, the Austrians had the smallest of all I have see, at 1/2 liter, the French started the war with a 1 liter canteen, and switched to the African 2 liter canteen very early in the war, the British had a respectable water bottle at a quart (bear in mind that the Imperial gallon was bigger than the US gallon, but then I would guess that those of you who buy gas with colourful money can remember when gas mileage was 20% better north of the boarder).
The first gas resperators wre all nothing more than wads of gause soaked with chemicals to neutralize the gas. I have seen photos of early British masks that were cotton batting stuffed half way up a silk stocking, it would be soaked in the chemical then the stocking would be tied around the head to hold it in place, acording to the caption, these did not make it to the field befor the "new" gas hoods were issued.
Best wihses
Gus
Gus,
Sensational photos and a very comprehensive collection! It is remarkably difficult to gather up all the items that make up a complete set of equipment - a piece from here, a piece from there. It only ever seems to be the Americans from the AEF who thoughtfully bundled up their entire set of kit in a moth free container to make it available for 21st century collectors.
By th eway, does anybody have any Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) kit from WWI. I am particularly looking for an enlisted mans tunic, slouch hat etc but they are very scarce around here.
Mike
Sensational photos and a very comprehensive collection! It is remarkably difficult to gather up all the items that make up a complete set of equipment - a piece from here, a piece from there. It only ever seems to be the Americans from the AEF who thoughtfully bundled up their entire set of kit in a moth free container to make it available for 21st century collectors.
By th eway, does anybody have any Australian Imperial Forces (AIF) kit from WWI. I am particularly looking for an enlisted mans tunic, slouch hat etc but they are very scarce around here.
Mike
A
Anonymous
Guest
flasheart said:
Hi Mike:
This never ceases to amaze me, and the stuff comes out of the woodwork on an almost daily basis. One would think Americans never throw anything away. With respect to value for money, AEF gear is also economical to collect. With the centenary of the Great War approaching, I predict it will be the next military collecting boom here.
If I spot any AIF kit, I'll pass it on.
Chas.
epsomgreen said:
Not me, I need to find something to dangle in front of Mike so I can squirrel that Garde Train Tschako shell out of him.
:wink:
A
Anonymous
Guest
Mike:
I know I'm straying off topic, but does this count?
http://www.regimentals.co.uk/shop/viewphoto.php?shoph=31589&phqu=5
Chas. :wink:
I know I'm straying off topic, but does this count?
http://www.regimentals.co.uk/shop/viewphoto.php?shoph=31589&phqu=5
Chas. :wink:
Chas,
Holy crap 750 pounds? I question if this is the real deal. I noticed this seller has a set of Belgian mill pouches like the set I have, but I have been lead to believe that these are not Belgian but Portagie of Brazilian.
Mike,
I have a tunic I would like to send you photos to see if you can help me ID the country or origin, it has UK general service buttons (not original) but it has bellows pockets that are rounded in shape, I have had a Canuck and a Kiwi tell me that they thought it was from the land of OZ. I will get it dug out and post a few photos in the next day or two.
One reason that US stuff is so plentyfull is that every soldier was allowed to keep most of his clothing and gear, US gas masks are a dime a dozen (that might be a rare unc dime, but they are quite plentyfull) The British SBR is another story, luckly for collectors, many US soldiers were issued the British model, and a few have been turning up, The American soldier came home to a country that was untouched (for the most part) by war, and he did not have to wear his uniform out of despiration like the soldiers of most other countries, also, in the 1960s, the US government released stores of equipment that was surplus from the first war. Americans are pack rats, there is big money in this country building storage units for people to put the stuff they can not throw away.
Best wihses
Gus
Holy crap 750 pounds? I question if this is the real deal. I noticed this seller has a set of Belgian mill pouches like the set I have, but I have been lead to believe that these are not Belgian but Portagie of Brazilian.
Mike,
I have a tunic I would like to send you photos to see if you can help me ID the country or origin, it has UK general service buttons (not original) but it has bellows pockets that are rounded in shape, I have had a Canuck and a Kiwi tell me that they thought it was from the land of OZ. I will get it dug out and post a few photos in the next day or two.
One reason that US stuff is so plentyfull is that every soldier was allowed to keep most of his clothing and gear, US gas masks are a dime a dozen (that might be a rare unc dime, but they are quite plentyfull) The British SBR is another story, luckly for collectors, many US soldiers were issued the British model, and a few have been turning up, The American soldier came home to a country that was untouched (for the most part) by war, and he did not have to wear his uniform out of despiration like the soldiers of most other countries, also, in the 1960s, the US government released stores of equipment that was surplus from the first war. Americans are pack rats, there is big money in this country building storage units for people to put the stuff they can not throw away.
Best wihses
Gus