Footlocker (luggage)
Encyclopedia
A Footlocker is a storage box used in the military in which soldiers store their belongings. They came to be known as "footlockers" because they were essentially a type of locker which was usually located at the "foot" of a soldier's bunk or bed. The term "footlocker" is currently used in recruit training in the United States Marine Corps
.
. They generally follow similar size and designs, undergoing only minor cosmetic changes in color and materials (from 1/2 in plywood
to 1+1/4 in plywood, depending on war material needs and/or desire to reduce weight and cost of manufacture and cost of shipping). The corners are reinforced with straps of metal riveted to the locker, and had thick wooden handles on both sides for lifting by hand. After World War II
, collapsible metal handles would replace the protruding wooden grips, so that each footlocker occupied less space and could be packed tighter for transportation. Each footlocker came with an internal 1/4 in (or thinner) plywood
tray which could store some of the smaller items used by a soldier, and the larger items were kept below the tray.
Crate footlockers were more crude then plywood
footlockers in that they were either made out of old ammo
and packing crate
s, or followed along similar packing crate designs for simplicity and expediency of manufacture.
Officer footlockers were in the best of shape out of the other two with metal stripping along all of the corners and edges and leather
handles on both sides. They were also made from better materials, stronger latches
, and had fancier locks. Usually, officers were permitted to have custom drawings displayed on the outside of their footlockers.
Most footlockers are made of plywood, but starting in World War II
some footlockers were made out of a form of cardboard, which evolved into pressboard
, covered with adhesive paper. Such materials were used to reduce cost of manufacture, although the materials also reduced durability when exposed to water and/or humidity
.
Depending on the nature of the troop movement, footlockers would be shipped when the military unit was deployed to a base. However, if the unit was simply a training assignment, the footlockers would remain at the training barracks and each soldier would either be issued or procure his own footlocker for transporting his possessions. The soldier's name would be stencil
led on the outside, along with his FPO address.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
.
United States
Plywood footlockers are a common type of footlocker used by the U.S. ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. They generally follow similar size and designs, undergoing only minor cosmetic changes in color and materials (from 1/2 in plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
to 1+1/4 in plywood, depending on war material needs and/or desire to reduce weight and cost of manufacture and cost of shipping). The corners are reinforced with straps of metal riveted to the locker, and had thick wooden handles on both sides for lifting by hand. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, collapsible metal handles would replace the protruding wooden grips, so that each footlocker occupied less space and could be packed tighter for transportation. Each footlocker came with an internal 1/4 in (or thinner) plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
tray which could store some of the smaller items used by a soldier, and the larger items were kept below the tray.
Crate footlockers were more crude then plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
footlockers in that they were either made out of old ammo
AMMO
AMMO may refer to:* The AMMO Munitions Systems Specialist career field, as part of the United States Air Force* Ammunition as fired from projectile weapons, typically guns* Ammo * Ammo...
and packing crate
Crate
A crate is a large shipping container, often made of wood, typically used to transport large, heavy or awkward items. A crate has a self-supporting structure, with or without sheathing. For a wooden container to be a crate, all six of its sides must be put in place to result in the rated strength...
s, or followed along similar packing crate designs for simplicity and expediency of manufacture.
Officer footlockers were in the best of shape out of the other two with metal stripping along all of the corners and edges and leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
handles on both sides. They were also made from better materials, stronger latches
Latch (hardware)
A latch is a type of mechanical fastener that is used to join two objects or surfaces together while allowing for the regular or eventual separation of the objects or surfaces....
, and had fancier locks. Usually, officers were permitted to have custom drawings displayed on the outside of their footlockers.
Most footlockers are made of plywood, but starting in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
some footlockers were made out of a form of cardboard, which evolved into pressboard
Pressboard
Pressboard, a board made by compressing layers of paper together and drying them, has been used for installation purposes in many of the early electrical machines....
, covered with adhesive paper. Such materials were used to reduce cost of manufacture, although the materials also reduced durability when exposed to water and/or humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
.
Depending on the nature of the troop movement, footlockers would be shipped when the military unit was deployed to a base. However, if the unit was simply a training assignment, the footlockers would remain at the training barracks and each soldier would either be issued or procure his own footlocker for transporting his possessions. The soldier's name would be stencil
Stencil
A stencil is a thin sheet of material, such as paper, plastic, or metal, with letters or a design cut from it, used to produce the letters or design on an underlying surface by applying pigment through the cut-out holes in the material. The key advantage of a stencil is that it can be reused to...
led on the outside, along with his FPO address.