musette bag

[connie]

I keep running across occasional mention of a musette bag. Dad mentioned keeping his mess plate, writing portfolio, etc. in his Artillery Soldier's musette bag. A red cross clubmobile worker mentioned preparing to escape with her musette bag when surrounded. And today, reading the story of a WWII nurse, I read again of the musette bag.

I have a feeling that infantrymen may not have carried this small bag as they walked everywhere and needed a bag large enough to carry more equipment. Am I guessing correctly, Floyd?

Here's one photo I found of a musette bag:




Anyone else have info to add on this bag. its use, and its users?

Attachments:

[floydragsdale]

Hi Connie:

Officers had musette bags. Enlisted men did not. Enlisted soldiers had light packs, or a full field pack.

Floyd

[connie]

Floyd,

Once again thanks for the insights of someone who was there. To me this means that in the infantry you saw officers with musette bags while none of the infantry enlisted men had them.

I'm still wondering about the field artillery. Since they were not strictly foot soldiers I'm wondering if enlisted men as well as officers in the field artillery might have used these. This is probably a question someone else might have to answer. But you've given me a clear answer as to what was true for sure in the infantry-- officers only with musette bags.

Thanks!
Connie

[seaforth]

Hello,
I dare to doubt that somewhat.

I know paratroopers of all ranks carried one and seen enough photo's of enlisted infantry carring one. Altough that could well be depending on what kind of unit, recon armoured and so on. Don't know for sure

Could also well be it wasn't a standard issue to enlisted infantry.
But he. Soldiers grabbed what they could use if present.

Someone could easely proof me wrong on this point though.

[connie]

Thanks. It's good to have more than one eye on this one. The soldier who was there adds the reality of what he actually saw. That is real but sometimes limited to a small area.

Your insights add to the picture. Certainly soldiers did have a way of acquiring things as the war went on... Dad spoke of the "field artilleryman's musette bag. As I look on the web I see several variations on the musette bag...

Interesting subject to explore...

Connie

[seaforth]

Floyd you did have a "haversack" i think?