Army Blanket Identification

[cwbuff]

This Army blanket is one of three that I inherited. They were used by a First Lieutenant who first served in Texas as a member of the Mexican Border Service in 1917-1918 as a member of the 174th Infantry, New York National Guard out of Buffalo, NY. Later he served in France during 1918 in the 356th Infantry, 89th Division, American Expeditionary Force. Two of the blankets I was able to identify as Specification 1204 (1914) and Specification 1255 (1917).

I don't know much about Army blankets. This blue-gray blanket I can't identity. I think it is a pre-1904 blanket (Span-Am War, Indian Wars, or Civil War), but I don't know. It is unmarked without stripes. It could even be a German blanket brought back from Europe. It is approximately 5' by 7'. Does anyone know what it is?

Thanks!

[JBinIll]

Doesn't look like any US issue blanket I ever saw.LOL But then I haven't seen them all.:icon_lol:

The material looks very coarse,maybe European or maybe one of those blankets used by the Civil Defense for emergencies.They were rather coarse looking like that and unmarked.

[5MadFarmers]

I don't know much about Army blankets. This blue-gray blanket I can't identity. I think it is a pre-1904 blanket (Span-Am War, Indian Wars, or Civil War), but I don't know. It is unmarked without stripes. It could even be a German blanket brought back from Europe. It is approximately 5' by 7'. Does anyone know what it is?

Thanks!

The image on the left shows a distinctly high shodding content. The QM specs for blankets are clear that no shodding or "reprocessed wool" was to be used. So I can't tell you what it is but I can opine that it's not a U.S. Army blanket of the early 1900s. During the C.W. they permitted shodding but not post-1870s.

That standard was reconsidered during WW1 and a certain amount of reprocessed wool was permitted but it wasn't shodding.

[cwbuff]

I have the specs on the seven variations of blankets from 1905 thru 1918 and this is not one of them. But given that it was passed down to me as an "army blanket" I'm trying to figure out what it is. I can't find much written regarding blankets prior to 1905. Perhaps it is not a military blanket at all and this is just how family wants to torture me. I primarily collect guns, edged weapons, and optics. So this is far afield for me. I don't want to just dismiss it.

[5MadFarmers]

Where did you get the 1905-1918 specs?

I have the specs for the previous editions. All of them state US is supposed to be on the blankets and that they're to be of virgin wool. That blanket has a very high shodding content.

[cwbuff]

This is where I found the specs http://www.hardscrabblefarm.com/80th/ww1-blankets.html

[5MadFarmers]

Ok, so somebody did dig into the tapes. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do that eventually.

The previous edition:



128

SPECIFICATION FOR WOOLEN BLANKETS.

Wool. -- To be pure long staple, free from shoddy, reworked wool or cotton, or any impure materials. The warp to be of not lower grade than three-eighths blood-bred wool; the filling or woof to be of not lower grade than one-half blood-bred wool.
Size. -- To be 7 feet long and 5 feet 6 inches wide.
Color. -- To be blue and white mixed, conforming strictly to standard sample, with a dark-blue strips 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide across each end about 6 inches from edge, the color of stripes to conform to those of the standard sample. The blue color in both warp and filling to be of pure indigo dye of best quality of indigo.
Weight. -- To weigh not less than 5 pounds.
Threads. -- To have not less than 22 threads of warp and 25 threads of filling or woof to the inch. The threads to be well driven up.
Strength. - To bear a strain of not less than 25 pounds per inch for the warp and 30 pounds per inch for the woof without tearing.
U.S. brank. -- Each blanket to have the letters "U.S." 4 inches long in the center, placed lengthwise with the blanket. The letters to be of pure indigo dye and to conform in color to stripes, and may be either woven into the fabric or stamped on the blanket.
Finish. -- To conform in all respects to the standard sample adopted this day.

Adopted January 9, 1885, in lieu of specifications of February 5, 1884, which are hereby canceled.

S.B. HOLABIRD,
Quartermaster-General, U.S.A.

Consistent die and no shoddy. Your blanket has shoddy and it's varied in color. So not a standard U.S. blanket. Lack of U.S. is always a warning but not a rule.

[5MadFarmers]

I'll add a bit to that. I have one of the late "blue" blankets - replaced by the tan/olive drab ones. It has dark stripes at the end. It's also 5lbs.

For the earlier specs you can snag copies of them via:
"Quartermaster General, USA; "U.S. Army Uniforms & Equipment, 1889"; University of Nebraska Press, 1989.

There is a later edition, privately printed, being sold on eBay. Both are must haves for specs. I've located two originals of the 1907 edition but they're at great distances from me. I'll have to do something about that eventually.

The blue die in my blanket is consistent and there are no shoddy shades. The army bought expensive blankets. The WW1 wool shortage cured them of that.

[cwbuff]

Does anyone have the specs for WWII blankets? I have an OD blanket that was my father's during the Korean War. It may be a WWII blanket or of Korean War vintage. It is 100% OD with no stripes at the ends and no US marking. It has surviving threads from where a label was sewn.

[5MadFarmers]

Same spec. 8-111 for the 1934 pattern. During Korea it was still M-1934 via MIL-B-844.

65% wool
20% reused wool
15%reprocessed wool

WW2 stock number was 27-B-678

Dimensions run from about 60" X 76" to 66" X 77"

Hard to measure as wool stretches. I have editions from 1935 to 1952 and I can't see any real differences.

[JBinIll]

LOL How about some pics of the different issue blankets for dummies?:icon_scratch:

[cwbuff]

The one with the stripes is the Specification 1204 circa 1914
The one without the stripes is the Specification 1255 circa 1917

Note that the yellow script in the corner of both blankets is the last name of the original owner "Howe" for 1st Lt Howe. The name was added at some point in time after the blankets were issued.

[5MadFarmers]

128 (1885 pattern) me thinks:

http://5madfarmers.com/bimages/fgi/blankets/utah-1f.jpg

Tan (which spec? Don't know):
http://5madfarmers.com/bimages/fgi/blankets/tan-1f.jpg


1935:
http://5madfarmers.com/bimages/fgi/blankets/march_1935-1f.jpg

1940:
http://5madfarmers.com/bimages/fgi/blankets/1940-1f.jpg

1951:
http://5madfarmers.com/bimages/fgi/blankets/1951-2f.jpg

Enough bandwidth.

As noted the 1951 is still M-1934. Wool content will vary as will size.

[JBinIll]

Thank you both.When I posted in saying it didn't look like any issue blanket I've ever seen it was because of the stiching on the edge wasn't like any I had seen on an issue blanket.

That 128 blankets a beaut.Were the edges originally frized out like that?

[Ron James]

I have seen grey blankets in the army inventory as late as 1963