Here is a little historical background on the division and units that used the 88B Mountain Rucksack that is now in my collection........
On December 8th, 1941, the US Army activated the 87th Mountain Infantry Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. This was to be the Army's first mountain combat unit. The unit was nick-named "Minnies's Ski Troops" after Charles Minot "Minnie" Doyle, the president of The National Ski Patrol. The 87th trained on mount Rainier.
The 87th was sent to Kiska, Alaska to repel the Japanese invasion force there but found the island abandoned by the enemy...........
They returned to the states and formed the core of the newly organized 10th Mountain Division at Camp Hale, Colorado. They trained here to survive and fight in some of the most brutal winter, mountain environments.
The Division arrived in Italy in late December, 1945 and entered combat for the first time on January 28th, 1945, in the North Apennine Mountains of Italy.
Here a few pictures of this Historic division wearing the 88B rucksack during WW2.
The picture at the beginning is of the 10th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop at Ptarmigan Ridge near Camp Hale.
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