as for the gear used...
it depended on the theatre..in Europe most guys used the standard issue web gear and pouches.unlike today where GI's are required to carry tons of crap into combat,in WW2 combat most GIs stripped down to the minimum amount of gear.one of the reasons that the M43 field jacket was so popular was that guys filled the pockets with everything from mags and grenades to rations and didn't need the hated M1928 haversack...
pretty much just weapons,ammo pouches,canteens an e-tool and ponchos.
in the pacific you see alot of guys not using the suspenders,just web belts since the wet.humid conditions would lead to chafing and then jungle rot under your uniforms..really pared down to just the basics there...
