Book Review of
G I Collector’s Guide Vol. 1
U.S. Army Service Forces Catalog,
Theatre of Operations
Author: Henri-Paul Enjames
Casemate Publishers
ISBN: 978-1-63624-201-9
ISBN: 978-1-63624-201-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $69.95
Copyright: 2022
MSRP: $69.95
THE BOOK:
Casemate is both a publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of other company’s books. They are located in Havertown, PA.
This book is hard-bound of 276 pages (4 pages are blank) in 9” x 12” page format.
The cover art is divided into four squares. The upper left square is red. It has a color photo of a cigarette lighter and a package of Berkeley cigarettes on it. The upper right square is white. It has a color photo on it of a steel helmet with a mesh cover on it, a small canvas pouch and a pair of shoes. The lower left square has a color photo of a tan jacket, posed against a background picture of grass. The square on the lower right shows a black and white photo of 4 soldiers around a board, on the knees of one of the men, with a map on it that they are studying.
The back cover shows 3 squares. The square on the left at the top shows a color photo of a medical officers dress tunic, against a white background. In the square at the right of the top there is a black and white photo of 8 soldiers on top or standing round a tank. On the red square on the lower right there is a color photo of a knife and its scabbard, a pair of dog tags and a small canvas pouch. Also shown is a color photo of the cover art of Vol. 2 of GI Collector’s Guide book.
In WWII, the U.S. Army not only supplied its soldiers with the most modern equipment and uniforms, suitable for any combat situation, but also provided accessories for all environments, including mittens, hats, snowsuits, and waterproof bags for amphibious assaults.
This comprehensive reference book brings together thousands of items of equipment issued to American soldiers in the European Theater of Operations, 1943-45. Each item is presented with its catalog numbers, described in detail and fully depicted in photographs. Graphics and diagrams offer additional information and context.
There are chapters covering uniforms, insignia and individual weapons, through rations and tents to sports and recreation equipment. Also included are the specialist items used by Airborne, Armored and Mountain troops, engineers, signalers, military police, medics and chaplains.
From the chewing gum included in K rations, through to artillery-laying equipment, mess trays to portable altars and field harmoniums, this photographic reference gives a unique insight into the world of the U.S. Army in WWII. It is invaluable to both family historians researching grandpa’s kit found in the attic and to assist collectors in their quest to find authentic items among the reproductions that flood the modern market.
This book holds a thousand or more color photos and 32 black and white photos. Consisting of documents, unit breakdown lists, 16 unit armbands and 154 color images of unit insignia badges and 38 rand insignia, 51 officer’s insignia, 33 enlisted men insignias, 31 medals, 24 chest ribbons, 18 infantry labels.
Charts, color photos of 6 officer’s uniforms, 7 enlisted men’s uniforms, maps, 17 steel helmets, leggings, chaps, boots, camouflaged uniform, 11 winter uniforms, 3 of winter boots, belts and suspenders, gloves, t-shirt, under-pants, shoes, socks, 11 cloth caps, 6 goggles, suspenders, various large canvas pouches, 24 canteens with 14 of their pouches shown, 3 metal drinking-cups, 20 first-air packets, 4 shovels and their canvas pouches, a pick axe, hatchet, bolo knife and wire cutters and their canvas bags.
Fighting knives and their scabbards (one has brass knuckles on it), 2 flash lights, 2 pairs of binoculars and their cases, 5 compasses and their cases, 2 maps, 2 flare pistols, 5 revolvers and their pouches, 2 M-1 carbines and their carrying cases and ammo, 2 M-1803 carbines, 2 M-1917 carbines, rockets and their pouches, 2 Thompson Submachine guns and their pouches, a Browning automatic-rifle and its pouches, a Browning M1919A4 machine gun and its tripod and ammo, a M2HB machine gun and its tripod and ammo, 4 grenades and their pouches, 4 mines, 2 “Bazooka” rocket launchers and their pouches, a mortar and its equipment, a recoilless rifle, artillery ammo, 7 artillery aiming scopes,
A tent, cot, canvas buckets, lantern, gas cans, shovel, U.S. flag, 2 bugles, mechanic’s torch, his tools and his shoe repair kit, carpenter’s set, 3 duffle-bags, insecticide powder cans, shoe shine tools and polish.
Bivouac Area Equipment:
Tables, wood cases, chairs, barometer, map, documents, typewriter, pens, paper, tablets, ink, erasers, mail bag, postcards.
Armored Troops:
25 color insignias, 2 pants, 2 boots, 2 cloth hats, 2 uniforms, 2 coveralls, shirt, hood, leather helmet, 2 earphones, goggles, face masks, pistol and its holster, canvas sacks, 1st aid kits and their contents, SCR-610 radio, wrenches in sacks, jerry can, battery tester, M-70 telescope, documents.
Airborne Troops:
18 unit insignias, uniform, 9 helmets, 2 boots, arm band, gloves, jacket, pants, cloth hat, knives, roll of rope, 1st air packet, radioactive marker, stick of camouflage cream, shovel in pouch, compass, M-141 carbine, M-111 carbine with its carrying case, 13 backpacks, lamp equipment, parachutes, a two-wheeled trailer.
Mountain Troops:
2 unit badges, 4 uniforms, gators, boots, 2 cloth caps, sun-glasses, skis, 4 snowshoes, tools, tent, jack-knife, pots, water-repellent canvas cases.
Female Personnel:
Nurse’s uniforms and insignia, 11 shoes.
MP’s Section:
2 insignia, 3 hats, 2 belts, 2 steel helmets, 2 pistols in holsters, whistle, nightstick, 5 documents, 5 PW (Prisoner of War) uniforms, wood case.
Army Rations Section:
Pots, pans, lots of kitchen gear, gas stoves, tobacco.
Engineer’s Section:
Lots of gear, pouches, cases, meters, tools, mine detector, minefield warning sign, mine exploder plunger, roll of wire, blasting galvanometer, barbed wire cutting tools, blasting caps.
Signal Corps Section
Speaker, search light, radios and their cases, gloves, reel of wire, cloth bucket, soft field cap, ear phones, battery, carrying cases, walky-talky unit, writing material, tools.
Chemical Warfare Section:
2 unit badges, documents, gas masks, tools, canvas sacks, chemical resistant overcoat, cloth hood with goggles in it.
Medical Department Section:
Steel medic’s helmet and arm band insignias, suspenders, canvas bags, pill capsules, documents, medicines, canvas litter, 2 wheeled cart, cot, urinal, pajamas, mess tray, overcoat, tools.
Chaplains Section:
Organ, field jacket, altar, catholic and protestant cross and altar display, Jewish altar equipment.
Army Publications:
Shows many pamphlets, magazine covers, postcards, newspaper headline pages.
Sports & Recreation Section:
Movie projector, baseball bat, record player with records.
Personnel Items Section:
Wrist-watches, currency, sun-glasses, dog tags, documents, framed service awards and insignias.
Trophies Section:
German Nazi flag, belt with buckle, 3 steel helmets, 2 officer’s hats, bayonet with its scabbard.
Book ends with a half page ABBREVIATION list, 4 ½ page INDEX, a one-page BIBLIOGRAPHY and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
This is a great album of pictures and info about U.S. Army uniforms and gear. It is part of a 2 volume set, which I have both of and will be doing the review of the second one soon here.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate titles can be viewed on their website at:
Casemate is both a publisher of their own line of books and a distributor of other company’s books. They are located in Havertown, PA.
This book is hard-bound of 276 pages (4 pages are blank) in 9” x 12” page format.
The cover art is divided into four squares. The upper left square is red. It has a color photo of a cigarette lighter and a package of Berkeley cigarettes on it. The upper right square is white. It has a color photo on it of a steel helmet with a mesh cover on it, a small canvas pouch and a pair of shoes. The lower left square has a color photo of a tan jacket, posed against a background picture of grass. The square on the lower right shows a black and white photo of 4 soldiers around a board, on the knees of one of the men, with a map on it that they are studying.
The back cover shows 3 squares. The square on the left at the top shows a color photo of a medical officers dress tunic, against a white background. In the square at the right of the top there is a black and white photo of 8 soldiers on top or standing round a tank. On the red square on the lower right there is a color photo of a knife and its scabbard, a pair of dog tags and a small canvas pouch. Also shown is a color photo of the cover art of Vol. 2 of GI Collector’s Guide book.
In WWII, the U.S. Army not only supplied its soldiers with the most modern equipment and uniforms, suitable for any combat situation, but also provided accessories for all environments, including mittens, hats, snowsuits, and waterproof bags for amphibious assaults.
This comprehensive reference book brings together thousands of items of equipment issued to American soldiers in the European Theater of Operations, 1943-45. Each item is presented with its catalog numbers, described in detail and fully depicted in photographs. Graphics and diagrams offer additional information and context.
There are chapters covering uniforms, insignia and individual weapons, through rations and tents to sports and recreation equipment. Also included are the specialist items used by Airborne, Armored and Mountain troops, engineers, signalers, military police, medics and chaplains.
From the chewing gum included in K rations, through to artillery-laying equipment, mess trays to portable altars and field harmoniums, this photographic reference gives a unique insight into the world of the U.S. Army in WWII. It is invaluable to both family historians researching grandpa’s kit found in the attic and to assist collectors in their quest to find authentic items among the reproductions that flood the modern market.
This book holds a thousand or more color photos and 32 black and white photos. Consisting of documents, unit breakdown lists, 16 unit armbands and 154 color images of unit insignia badges and 38 rand insignia, 51 officer’s insignia, 33 enlisted men insignias, 31 medals, 24 chest ribbons, 18 infantry labels.
Charts, color photos of 6 officer’s uniforms, 7 enlisted men’s uniforms, maps, 17 steel helmets, leggings, chaps, boots, camouflaged uniform, 11 winter uniforms, 3 of winter boots, belts and suspenders, gloves, t-shirt, under-pants, shoes, socks, 11 cloth caps, 6 goggles, suspenders, various large canvas pouches, 24 canteens with 14 of their pouches shown, 3 metal drinking-cups, 20 first-air packets, 4 shovels and their canvas pouches, a pick axe, hatchet, bolo knife and wire cutters and their canvas bags.
Fighting knives and their scabbards (one has brass knuckles on it), 2 flash lights, 2 pairs of binoculars and their cases, 5 compasses and their cases, 2 maps, 2 flare pistols, 5 revolvers and their pouches, 2 M-1 carbines and their carrying cases and ammo, 2 M-1803 carbines, 2 M-1917 carbines, rockets and their pouches, 2 Thompson Submachine guns and their pouches, a Browning automatic-rifle and its pouches, a Browning M1919A4 machine gun and its tripod and ammo, a M2HB machine gun and its tripod and ammo, 4 grenades and their pouches, 4 mines, 2 “Bazooka” rocket launchers and their pouches, a mortar and its equipment, a recoilless rifle, artillery ammo, 7 artillery aiming scopes,
A tent, cot, canvas buckets, lantern, gas cans, shovel, U.S. flag, 2 bugles, mechanic’s torch, his tools and his shoe repair kit, carpenter’s set, 3 duffle-bags, insecticide powder cans, shoe shine tools and polish.
Bivouac Area Equipment:
Tables, wood cases, chairs, barometer, map, documents, typewriter, pens, paper, tablets, ink, erasers, mail bag, postcards.
Armored Troops:
25 color insignias, 2 pants, 2 boots, 2 cloth hats, 2 uniforms, 2 coveralls, shirt, hood, leather helmet, 2 earphones, goggles, face masks, pistol and its holster, canvas sacks, 1st aid kits and their contents, SCR-610 radio, wrenches in sacks, jerry can, battery tester, M-70 telescope, documents.
Airborne Troops:
18 unit insignias, uniform, 9 helmets, 2 boots, arm band, gloves, jacket, pants, cloth hat, knives, roll of rope, 1st air packet, radioactive marker, stick of camouflage cream, shovel in pouch, compass, M-141 carbine, M-111 carbine with its carrying case, 13 backpacks, lamp equipment, parachutes, a two-wheeled trailer.
Mountain Troops:
2 unit badges, 4 uniforms, gators, boots, 2 cloth caps, sun-glasses, skis, 4 snowshoes, tools, tent, jack-knife, pots, water-repellent canvas cases.
Female Personnel:
Nurse’s uniforms and insignia, 11 shoes.
MP’s Section:
2 insignia, 3 hats, 2 belts, 2 steel helmets, 2 pistols in holsters, whistle, nightstick, 5 documents, 5 PW (Prisoner of War) uniforms, wood case.
Army Rations Section:
Pots, pans, lots of kitchen gear, gas stoves, tobacco.
Engineer’s Section:
Lots of gear, pouches, cases, meters, tools, mine detector, minefield warning sign, mine exploder plunger, roll of wire, blasting galvanometer, barbed wire cutting tools, blasting caps.
Signal Corps Section
Speaker, search light, radios and their cases, gloves, reel of wire, cloth bucket, soft field cap, ear phones, battery, carrying cases, walky-talky unit, writing material, tools.
Chemical Warfare Section:
2 unit badges, documents, gas masks, tools, canvas sacks, chemical resistant overcoat, cloth hood with goggles in it.
Medical Department Section:
Steel medic’s helmet and arm band insignias, suspenders, canvas bags, pill capsules, documents, medicines, canvas litter, 2 wheeled cart, cot, urinal, pajamas, mess tray, overcoat, tools.
Chaplains Section:
Organ, field jacket, altar, catholic and protestant cross and altar display, Jewish altar equipment.
Army Publications:
Shows many pamphlets, magazine covers, postcards, newspaper headline pages.
Sports & Recreation Section:
Movie projector, baseball bat, record player with records.
Personnel Items Section:
Wrist-watches, currency, sun-glasses, dog tags, documents, framed service awards and insignias.
Trophies Section:
German Nazi flag, belt with buckle, 3 steel helmets, 2 officer’s hats, bayonet with its scabbard.
Book ends with a half page ABBREVIATION list, 4 ½ page INDEX, a one-page BIBLIOGRAPHY and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
This is a great album of pictures and info about U.S. Army uniforms and gear. It is part of a 2 volume set, which I have both of and will be doing the review of the second one soon here.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate titles can be viewed on their website at:
Very highly recommended.