1941 Ruchsack

[patcou]

I have this Rucksack since i was 9 years old, got it from my grand father. I did a little research on it and thats what i found. I post this thread as a review and maybe get interest for selling it. Those pictures are not my rucksack but i will upload mine later on. In the inside of the lap where it's mark U.S., mine it's mark Power & corp 1941, that picture is missing.


The Rucksack story...

A mountain soldier could not fit all of his gear into the M-1928 haversack, the Army’s standard backpack at the beginning of World War II. Even if he could, the haversack carried the weight high on his back and it shifted side to side, throwing him off balance while skiing or climbing. Thus, the Army needed something more practical for their new mountain soldiers.


U.S. Army Specification File No. 2971, July 7, 1941
U.S. Army developed and adopted its first rucksack during the summer of 1941. The canvas duck sack was mounted on a steel wire or rattan frame that supported the load and held it off the soldier's back. Three pockets on the outside of the bag carried extra gear. Heavy felt pads on both the back support and the shoulder straps eased the burden. Brass snap hooks closed the two side pockets and the cover flap. The 1941 pattern rucksacks were made during late 1941 and into early 1942. Most rucksacks are stamped “1941,” although some made by Powers Company can be found stamped "1942."
Being based on a typical commercial rucksack, this first army rucksack was poorly suited for military use. The National Ski Association's Winter Equipment Committee reviewed the rucksack at the War Department's request and suggested twelve improvements that the QMC then incorporated into the next generation rucksack. With the adoption of the Specification J.Q.D. 88 rucksack, the Army withdrew the 1941 pattern from service. Because the two patterns never overlapped within the supply system, they were never known as the M-1941 or M-1942 version. Its official name was always just "Rucksack."







1941 pattern rucksack rear view.
Side view. Note the heavy felt shoulder pads.
Front view showing wire frame, shoulder pads, and belly-band.
Details of the main flap closure snap.

Took the story from http://www.mountaintroops.us/ruck_history2.html

[Lerch]

Looks like a start to the more 'modern' external frame rucksacks we see these days.

[Yorkie]

They look like the Bergens that were issued to British forces in Norway, same source for the pattern?