Pockets on French jump jackets

[Kenneth]

I have always wondered what exactly the little patch pocket on the front of the left hand chest pocket was for, on French jump jackets, veste de saut. As far as I know, it appeared on all of them, both camouflage and plain versions, on every variation. But no other French army jacket has them.

At first I thought they were for pencils and notepads. British field jackets, as they are now labeled, including the new barrack dress shirt, have numerous pen pockets. But the little pocket on French jackets are rather small. Do you suppose they were intended for carrying the special blank rifle cartridges for launching rifle grenades? There are two rows of tape loops, one above the other, made in such a way that two rows of cartridges can be carried, one behind the other, for ten or twelve cartridges.

I happened to be reading about British P-37 basic pouches, some of which had extra web loops on the inside of the lid for cartridges. It occurred to me that the same thing was intended for the mysterious little patch pocket on French jump jackets. Any thoughts?

[earlymb]

I thought it may be for a WW2-type US carlisle bandage, so I tried both the early metal tin and the later cardboard one and both are a perfect fit. Could be just a coincidence though...

[Kenneth]

You are correct. I have one that came down through the family from WWI and I just checked the fit. Sort of loose, though, and it doesn't explain the loops. But like the U.S., I don't think the French ever had special pockets on uniforms for a field dressing as did the British and the Germans.

I have two inherited first aid packets, one from my late father-in-law, who served in the AAF in WWII, the other from a family relative who served in WWI. I also have incomplete web sets from both, too. The WWI set is in that nice pre-war pea green shade and it almost looks like it had never been worn. The pouch or carrier for the first aid packet looks factory fresh, dated 1918, although the metal packet itself looks like it had been lying in the street. My father-in-law's web gear looks like he had worn it while working on the car but curiously enough, the first aid carrier has a date before 1918. Also included in the older set is a magazine pouch with one .45 auto magazine (still loaded, too), the kind with the loop on the bottom.

Unfortunately, another member of the family wound up with the officer's saber.

[earlymb]

I guess it could have been multiple-purpose, and would fit a wide array of FA packages.

[lew]

I know the French 22mm NATO-pattern rifle grenades had a rubber/plastic base plug which contained the launching cartridge. I believe the 50mm (18mm inner diameter) rifle grenades (converted mortar rounds) had the cartridge taped or somehow otherwise secured to the side of the grenade.