By: Pistol Pete
| These are photos of custom WW2 gear made by board member Chris Sacash. Ol' Chris's generosity is legendary on the board, and this instance is no exception. He sent these handmade, museum-quality items to me while refusing any payment or anything in return. But Chris is not just one heck of a nice guy-- he's also a master craftsman. I wish my photos could do better justice to the extraordinary detail he put into each piece. |
| Paratrooper First Aid Pack: in the photos, a Navy Corpsman is tending to a wounded Marine. Chris actually made this Corpsman carry-all a while back, long before the DML version was previewed. This pack was used by Navy Corpsmen attached to Marine Paratrooper units in the Northern Solomon Islands. Also, a Navy Beach Battalion Corpsman wore one of these in several famous photos from Tarawa. The pack could be worn on the front of the chest like an apron, giving the corpsman easy access to his medical gear. What impressed me about Chris's version are the details-- he even added the upside down numbers on each of the thirteen pockets, just like the real thing. DML didn't bother! |
| Navy Talker Helmet and radios: In the photos, an artillery observer is directing artillery fire with an SCR-609 Artillery Ground Radio. Next to him is a field telephone in a leather case and a reel for laying field wire. Wish you could see these items in person. Behind him is a Marine pack howitzer crew putting some rounds on target! |
|
|
Back to the Photos