DOUGHBOYS: World War I-Medical Accouterments Page 2

Medical Accouterments Page 2 Click on the images for a larger image.
M1910 Medical Corpsman Belt
Enlisted medical corpsmen were issued a ten pocket canvas belt to carry essential medical supplies. This belt was similar in configuartion to the M1903 Infantry cartridge belt as it adjusted from the front and 10 pockets were situated on the sides and across the back. The first pockets on each side of the belt were divided into two compartments to hold small supplies such as tweezers, pial vials, and tourniquets. Each of the 8 remaining pockets were large enough to hold two paperwrapped field dressings. Additional accouterments attached to the belt were one first aid dressing and pouch, diagnosis tag pouch, canteen with hanger extension, and M1910 hand axe.
This belt was manufactured by Mills dated June 1918. Note the rimmed eagle snap fasteners which continued use on medical belts throught 1918. Variations of the belt with left the dot fasteners were also manufactured, some by Mills and other contractors.

This photograph shows the enlisted medical corpsman belt belt with basic accouterments- first aid pouch and diagnosis tag pouch.
M1910 Officers' Medical Belt
The officers' version of the medical belt consisted of two large pockets and two smaller pockets. Officers would carry a set of vials containing various pills, small surgical kit, glass medicine bottle, and a stainless steel container which held syringes. This belt is made by Mills and dated April 1918.
First Aid Dressings
The first aid dressing on the left was manufactured by Wilford Hall Laboratories, Port Chester, N.Y. Contract of May 1917. The dressing on the right was manufactured by Bauer and Black, dated July 1917. These dressings wrapped in paper were carried in the ten pocket enlisted mens' medical belt.
Diagnosis tag carriers
These were used to by medics to carry the diagnosis tag pad. Slightly larger than the first aid dressing carrier, one diagnosis tag carrier was worn on the enlisted mens' and officers' medical belts. This carrier was manufactured by Mills, dated 1918. There is also an earlier Mills made carrier that has clipped flap corners. Sometimes these are mistaken by novice collectors as the M1910 first aid pouch.
Canteen Hanger Extender
This simple item was used with the medical corpsman belt to allow the canteen to be worn low enough to avoid contact with the belt's pockets.

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