Original Item. One-of-a-Kind Set. This is a very nice cartridge belt and canteen set unit-stenciled for a 1st Lieutenant of Company M, 362nd Infantry Regiment, 91st Division. The 91st Division saw heavy combat in the Ypres-Lys and Meuse-Argonne Offensives in Belgium and France during World War I. The front of the canteen cover is stenciled with crossed rifles and 362/M over 1ST LT 2. This denotes the second 1st Lieutenant in the company. Checking the rosters, there are three 1st Lieutenants in the company going overseas, the second on the roster being Cyrus R. Briggs. However, as we do not know when this was stenciled and corresponding to what roster, we cannot say this is a positive ID.

The M1910 cartridge belt is marked for December 1918 manufacture by MILLS underneath one of the cartridge flaps. There is wear across the belt but is is a good overall example.

The M1910 canteen is in fair shape with heavy denting and wear, with the canteen in similar shape. The cover is stamped for manufacture by Perkins Campbell, very faintly under one ear. The unit stencil is very rare to see on a WWI canteen, and will provide great research potential.

The 91st Division entered the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on September 26th, 1918, where the 362nd Infantry took part in the division's difficult advance through German defensive positions. After being withdrawn and transferred north, the division was sent to Belgium and returned to action during the Ypres-Lys campaign, fighting through the closing days of the war.

With its 362 / M / 1ST LT 2 unit stencil, crossed infantry rifles, faint Perkins-Campbell maker marking, heavily used M1910 canteen, and December 1918 Mills cartridge belt, this is a particularly appealing grouping connected to a regiment that fought through two of the 91st Division's most important WWI campaigns. The surviving markings provide considerably more historical context than is normally available on unnamed field equipment and offer an excellent foundation for continued research into the officers of Company M.