Extra Squad Gear

Each squad has extra gear that is issued by the platoon, or company.  One item is this wrist watch.  In WWII not everyone owned a wristwatch and you really could not expect people to bring their own watch into combat.  I think this is a GI Joe item but I am not sure.

The flare pistol is a signalling device.  It can be used to inform others where you are located, let command know you have reached a certain phase line, or fire illumination shells to light up the enemy as they seek to infiltrate your lines at night.  I have a bunch of these, some are GI Joe and some are not, but I can't tell the difference.

A GI Joe wire reel.  In the TV show combat they used these a few times to string wire for a field phone or to lay wire for explosives.  It is a rather complex toy with all that wire and plastic.

GI Joe field telephone.  Secure communications with headquarters so you can call for artillery or as for medics or just check in.  Unless it's cut by artillery, or tanks driving over it, or the enemy has hacked into your wire and is listening.

Handie talkie, hold it in your hand and talk.  Very short range but farther than you can yell.

The GI Joe field radio.  In WWII the American Army had excellent communications with lots of radios and phones often down to squad level.  Everyone was trained how to use the radio and one private with a map and a radio could call in a corps worth of artillery if he had a good enough target.  In real life keeping units supplied with batteries was always a challenge.

I was always disappointed with this toy. It was rather fragile, the lids often broke off, and the elastic arm straps wore out quickly and did not hold the radio on well.  I think it should have had metal hinges and cloth straps, but I recognize that would have been expensive.  Also the antenna never wants to stay up.  Still, I always had one and liked them despite the problems.  I remember putting a bit of Scotch tape on the base of the antenna to hold it up.