Your Letters
Let us know what you think of your favourite militaria magazine or ask other readers a question
Your comments on what you’ve been reading and doing. This month we’re discussing things found in someone’s loft and there’s feedback on those forgotten webbing sets of the British Empire.
FORGOTTEN WEBBING
It is nice to see articles on these much-neglected areas of equipment. This one was an enjoyable read, and I certainly learned something, but there were a few things which I disagree with. Firstly, that: ‘The Royal Navy decided that it did not need accoutrements for men armed with rifles.’ This is incorrect, in the 1920 Handbook of Field Training, quoted by the author, Pattern
1919 Rifle Equipment is both illustrated and described! This equipment was planned and required, but no doubt to financial restrictions it did not enter service. Instead, the Royal Navy continued to equip rifle-armed men with the standard Pattern 1908 Web Equipment. This is illustrated not only in this manual but also in the 1934 edition.
Then, ‘The webbing would remain in production with minor changes through until the middle of World War II.’ No too sure about this, the latest examples I have seen are dated 1940, not the middle of the war. I would like to know if he has seen any examples dated 1942-43.
Regarding the waist belt - this is not 2in wide but 2¼in wide, described as such in the quoted manual. Regarding frog - frogs with 2in belt loops will not fit this equipment.
Regarding shoulder braces, with the term ‘Undyed webbing’. This is a term I have only seen in naval documents. It is used to describe undyed webbing, which is white! As Pattern 1919 webbing was khaki, I doubt very much that white shoulder braces would be worn with it!
Haversack and straps, the article says: ‘This system is overly complicated and was not replicated on any later patterns of webbing.’ Bit of a moot point there, as it was not used on any later patterns of equipment, but an identical haversack and straps were used with the Army Officers web equipment set, which continued to be manufactured up until 1940.
John Bodsworth by email
Ed Hallett replies: My thanks to John for his comments and I would agree with much of what he has written. In terms of the rifle equipment, perhaps a better phrase would have been: ‘The Royal Navy decided it would not provide new accoutrements for men equipped with rifles.’
The width of the belt and belt loop is my mistake and he is correct, they should read 2¼in.
For undyed webbing, I would agree that there is a specific naval meaning to this word as outlined below, however in the context of the article I was using it in a more general way to refer to webbing that had not been dyed or bleached and I believe most readers would have understood it in that context. However, I take the point and it was not the best turn of phrase in hindsight. For the haversack, I referred to patterned equipment in the context of items formally adopted by the War Office, Air Ministry and Admiralty rather than pieces that were privately purchased.
GERMANS IN THE LOFT
Hi there, I'm currently in the process of clearing out my grandparents loft and have found some of my grandad’s military stuff including a badge and an arm band and am just wondering if you can help me at all in identifying them? If not don't worry but thank you for your time.
Henry Last by email
Ed says: We put this to a couple of experts and the consensus is that the eagle is from a Waffen SS peaked cap, being golden indicating from a General or higher rank. The arm patch,
I’m afraid, is a post-war fantasy, probably made for tourists.