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MODEL 1910/1914 MILLS MOUNTED CARTRIDGE BELT –
RIMLESS EAGLE SNAP – AN EXCELLENT SPECIMEN OF A FAIRLY
RARE BELT:
To properly place this rare
belt in historical context, a bit of history of the
evolution of this model is necessary. Incorporating the
various features which had required the modification of
the earlier patterns of woven pocketed belts, or had
resulted in those earlier belts being abandoned all
together for later patterns, the Model 1914 Mounted
Cartridge Belt was the first belt in this class that
seemed to be “in step” with the current issue of weapons
and ammunition. This two piece belt incorporated the
rear adjusting strap which allowed for proper sizing to
the individual trooper, and in addition to the nine
rifle cartridge pockets, the left section of the belt
provided for the open space at the front end for
carrying the Model 1911 Pistol Magazine Pocket.
As discussed in detail on pages 21-22 of R. Stephen
Dorsey’s US Martial Web Belts and Bandoliers:
1903-1981, the earliest production of the Model 1914
Mounted Belts was manufactured by the Mills Woven Belt
Company in very limited numbers. The belt design called
for five rifle cartridge pockets on the right side and
four on the left, leaving a space at the front of the
left side to carry a Model 1911 Magazine Pouch. They
were fitted with the rimmed eagle snaps and the
cartridge pockets had the clip retaining strap.
It is worth noting that the Mills manufactured early
pattern Model 1914 Mounted Cartridge Belt is so scarce
that Dorsey did not have access to an example at the
time to include in that reference. It was only later
that one of the early production belts surfaced and its
characteristics could be confirmed.
Evidence of the very limited number produced by Mills,
it has been noted that most of the surviving examples of
the Model 1914 Mounted Cartridge Belt were the later
production belts made by Russell and were fitted with
the lift-the-dot snaps.
With all of that in mind, the features and modification
of this belt can be examined. It began life as a Model
1910 Dismounted Cartridge Belt. Produced in the
familiar forest green color webbing, the belt
incorporated the new features of the Model 1910 Belts -
the separate rear section of the belt to allow for the
proper fitting of the belt to the soldier, and the
clip-retention straps in each cartridge pocket. The
pockets were held closed by rimless eagle snaps. A
feature unique to both the mounted and dismounted
versions of the Model 1910 Belts, the Model 1912 Cavalry
Belt, and the early Model 1914 Mounted Belt – including
this example – is the shape of the grommets along the
bottom of the left hand belt section of this belt. The
grommets are the larger elliptical style which provided
sufficient room for two hanger wires, allowing the
various accoutrements such as the first aid pouch,
shovel carrier, canteen carrier, axe carrier or pick
mattock carrier to be carried side by side. The bottom
edge of the right hand section of the belt is fitted
with the standard round grommets.
This belt was modified to the configuration of the Model
1914 Mounted Belt by removing the front rifle cartridge
pocket and mounting a Model 1911 Pistol Magazine Pouch
in its place. The magazine pouch has the same green
color as the belt and shows the same level of use. From
all appearances the magazine pouch has been on this belt
since its period of use. In view of the obvious limited
manufacture by Mills of the early version of the Model
1914 Mounted Belts, and in turn the low survival rate of
those early belts, it seems likely that the army –
either at the Ordnance Department level or at the local
unit level – availed themselves of existing stocks of
the Model 1910 Dismounted Belts and modified them to the
Model 1914 Mounted Belts to meet the need in the field.
Perhaps explaining why these Model 1914 Mounted Belts
are relatively scarce in the pantheon of early 20TH
Century pocketed cartridge belts is that later in their
service life they were converted to dismounted belts by
removing the Model 1911 Magazine Pouch, sewing a rifle
cartridge pocket in its place, and then issuing them to
infantry soldiers where they were used to destruction
through the passing years. Dorsey pictures one such
modified belt in his discussion of the Model 1914
Mounted Belt in the above cited reference.
So, who was issued these Model 1914 Mounted Cartridge
Belts? Obviously, any soldier who was, literally,
mounted on a horse and armed with the Model 1911 Pistol,
whether he was in the cavalry or serving in some support
unit attached to a mounted column. The “Mounted”
designation not withstanding, other troops such as NCOs
serving in the infantry, soldiers in crew-served heavy
weapon sections, messengers, or any other troops the
army saw fit to arm with both the Model 1903 Rifle and
the Model 1911 Pistol would have been issued these
belts.
This belt is in overall very good to excellent
condition, showing very little evidence of use, with no
wear or fraying to the belt body, pockets or flaps, and
all of the grommets are present and none have pulled
through the webbing. The inside surface of all three
belt sections are legibly ink stamped “MILLS” inside the
bullet logo cartouche. All of the rimless eagle snaps
are firmly attached and fully functional with none
having pulled through the webbing as is so often found
on these early belts.
Each rifle cartridge pocket
has the full length clip retaining strap and each of
these straps has a fully functional snap set, all fully
intact with no sign of pulling through the material in
which they are mounted.
Both of the adjusting belt
tips are legibly stamped with the Mills Woven Belt
Company logo on one side and the patent information on
the other. The belt is stenciled on the inside of both
sides of the belt and the rear adjusting belt,
identifying it as having been issued in the 32ND
Infantry Regiment to soldier “21” in the Service and
Supply Company. The Model 1911 Pistol Magazine Pouch is
in likewise very good condition, showing minor evidence
of use, with no damage to the weave and only very light
soiling where the flap folded over the base of the
magazines. The pouch is fitted with the rimmed eagle
snaps which are both firmly attached and showing no
signs of stressing or pulling through the material. The
underside of the flap is stamped with the Mills Company
bullet logo cartouche and is dated 1916.
Overall, this is a very attractive
belt, both in the condition in which it presents and
that it is one of the scarcer, and more desirable, of
the pre-World War One U.S. Army woven pocketed cartridge
belts.
(0588)
$575
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