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PATTERN 1917 US ARMY SADDLE BLANKET – VERY NICE
SCARCE SPECIMEN WITH ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT LABEL INTACT:
While the 1917 revision of the Ordnance Department
manual Horse Equipments and Equipments for Officers
and Enlisted Men, continued to describe the Model
1908 Saddle Blanket - “ [it] will be made of pure
wool…[the color] to be a mixture of olive-drab
shade…[with] an olive-brown border of two stripes…the
blanket to be rectangular, 72 by 84 inches…each blanket
to have the letters “U.S.” and the bursting shell” –
historical events had taken a firm grip on the nation
and the entry of the United States into World War One
dictated some changes in the equipment in order to
simplify and speed up production.
In 1917, the stripes at the ends and the Ordnance Bomb
emblem in the center of the blanket were eliminated, and
the resulting plain olive drab saddle blanket with no
distinctive markings became the standard. As with so
many other similar changes in equipment, the army did
not deem it necessary to document the change, rather the
Model 1908 Saddle Blankets simply stopped being made and
were replaced in inventory with the plain Pattern 1917
Saddle Blanket. Since the army did not assign a new
designation to the new pattern of blanket, collectors
have titled it the “Pattern 1917” or the “Model 1917”
based on the contract year date that appears on the
manufacturers’ tags that are present on these relatively
scarce blankets.
From surviving examples, it appears that all of the
Pattern 1917 Saddle Blankets were manufactured by
civilian firms under contracts let by the Ordnance
Department. At the same time, the soldier’s bedding
blankets were also being manufactured by civilian
companies under contracts let by the Quartermaster
Department – two entirely separate procurement
arrangements by two autonomous entities. The only
substantive difference between the two blankets – the
saddle blanket and the bedding blanket – is most easily
determined by the presence of the contractor’s cloth tag
which was sewn to the corner of the blanket. As any
significant use of either blanket would result in these
tags being tattered beyond being legible or being lost
entirely, finding a blanket with the tag intact –
particularly the Pattern 1917 Saddle Blanket – is
notable.
Measuring 69” wide and 77” long, this blanket is very
close to the original dimensions and well within any
variances in the manufacturing process by the civilian
contractors, and within the range of shrinkage normally
encountered in these blankets as caused by the aging of
the wool and repeated washings through the years. Clean
with bright colors that show no sign of fading, this
specimen shows evidence of use and some wear, but it has
survived the years in very solid respectable condition.
The most obvious sign of wear and use can be seen in
the photographs below – the loss of color along the
edges where the blanket was folded in use under the
saddle. There are some small holes and wear spots – all
shown in the photos – and all concentrated along the
center line of the blanket, again where it received the
most wear under the saddle. There is one line of
separation along one of the folds that is approximately
4-5” long but the separation is limited to the edge of
the fold and the surrounding material is still strong
and the area does not show any signs that it will be a
problem or continue to weaken. None of these wear
points affect the overall integrity of the weave nor do
they detract from the quality of the blanket on display
under your saddle.
The contractor’s tag is full form and legible, including
the name of the contractor, the date of the contract and
the all important Ordnance Department insignia.
As you can imagine, these Pattern 1917 Saddle Blankets
did not survive in significant numbers due to the hard
use they experienced in service during the Fist World
War and the post war years, and as they passed on as
surplus to the multitude of post-army agencies,
charities and retail stores they were simply used up
with little to no regard for their historical value.
Finding one of these saddle blankets today with the
Ordnance Department tag intact is notable, and despite
the minimal wear present on this specimen, it will
certainly be a significant addition to display with any
of the 20th Century US Army saddles.
SOLD
NOTE: THE LIGHT STREAKS SHOWING ON THE BLANKET IN
THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE RAYS OF SUNLIGHT SHINING ON THE
BLANKET AND NOT FADING, BLEACHED AREAS, OR DISCOLORATION
IN THE MATERIAL.
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