Each soldier was issued a canteen assembly, which included canteen flask and cup. The assembly was also issued with two patterns of covers (1917 mounted and 1910 unmounted) which acted as carriers and provided a method of attaching the assembly to the soldiers equipment. Although the wartime production of canteens and cups was standardized other patterns are occasionally encountered from prior eras. For the most part returning soldiers were allowed to keep their canteen assemblies when they were mustered out of service.
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The example to the left is the standard issued M1910 canteen, cup with the unmounted carrier. The cover, canteen and covers usually bear 1917-1918 dates. There are a variety of manufactures that were involved with the production of this essential piece of equipment and many of them marked their equipment with their logos and date of manufactures. |
By the 1918 Armistice the Government accepted 10,700,635 of these at an average price of 12 cents each. The final inventory conducted on military stores in 1919 reported 3,016,423 (salvage and unissued) on hand. The surplus dealer, Bannerman & Sons of NY, offered complete M1910 canteen assemblies as surplus for $1.00 each in their 1925 catalog.
During WWI the United States issued the M1910 canteen to all its military personnel. Army, Navy and Marines all used the same M 1910 pattern canteen. Although there are scenes of Doughboys arriving in France with the old corked round iron canteen of Spanish American vintage for the most part WWI canteens are of the standard 1910 issue.
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The M1910 canteen consists of two stamped Aluminum halves welded together along the sides and bottom. The neck is fixed into the canteen body and is fitted with a threaded neck. The 1qt flask has a screw on aluminum cap. The cap is slightly domed and has a cork gasket inside and is knurled around its sides. It is attached by a small chain, which is fixed to the center top of the cap and to a post located on the neck of the canteen. The flask is somewhat ovoid in shape with a depressed side to help with its fit against the hip while worn on the belt. |
The vast majority of these canteens, even though produced by a number of manufactures, are the same with variations rarely encountered. Variations are usually attributed to pre WWI production and do not bear any sort of manufacturers marks. This early pattern is distinctive in that it somewhat more oval in shape and was manufacture without evidence of a welded seam. Examples encountered often have a brighter shiny finish, and have a distinctive flat top non-knurled cap. In addition the chain is fixed with a removable clip fasten to the neck of the canteen body. This variation is most often associated with the early "Eagle" snap type covers initially developed in 1910.
The M1910 Cup was issued with the canteen and was of a shape and size that the canteen could fit into the cup. Having a 1-1/2 pint capacity it was fixed with a bronze handle, which folded over the body of the cup when not needed. The handle had a sliding device to lock it into place when in use and it had a hinge of the same material riveted to the body of the cup. The cup was manufactured of a single piece of stamped aluminum with a rolled lip. It could be used as a regular drinking cup or double as a vessel for heating liquids.
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The most common was the M1910 Unmounted cover. It was a constructed of canvas held closed by two "Pull Dot" fasteners and had bronze hooks on the back that hooked onto two eyelets set into the US issue web gear. The bronze wire hook allowed the canteen to swing free from the web gear. It was insulated with some flannel lint sewed into the inside to help absorb denting and to soak up some of the moisture that could condense on the metal canteen hull.
Often they were marked on the front with a "US" and at times with military branch and unit stencils. Inside the flaps that hooked to the fasteners was often marked with a manufacturers logo and date of manufacture.
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A second pattern of carrier was the M1917 Mounted Cover. It was designed for mounted troops and hooked by a leather strap to the horse equipment. It was of the same construction as the standard M1910 Unmounted Cover with the exception that it had no hooks on the back. |
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In addition to the standardized M1910 canteen, cup and cover assembly occasionally pre-war patterns are encountered.
The cover is the first item that is easily identifiable. The cover flaps are fixed with an "Eagle" snap rather than the "Pull Dot" of war time production. The belt hanger on the back is of iron wire rather than the bronze wire used in war time manufactured covers.
The canteen varies from the war time pattern also. Rather than the welded seam up the side, this variation has no seam on the side at all. The screw top is flat rather than domed cap as produced with the war pattern and there no manufactures markings on the canteen flask or cup other than personal markings.
The cup also varies from the common war production cup. The metal is of a thinner gage with a thinner rolled lip and appears to be polished.
This pre war variety is rarely encountered and examples in the authors collection trace their source back to pre war units of National Guard origin.
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M1910 Meat Can (Messkit) |  |
M1910 Canteen Assembly |
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M1910 Bacon & Condiment Cans |  |
Personal and Manufactures Marks |
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Battlefield Recoveries |  |
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