Web Equipment, Naval, Pattern 1919 - Set Displays
Web Equipment, Naval, Pattern 1919
This Web Equipment is designed to carry the Webley Mk. VI pistol and either the Pattern 1901 or Pattern 1889 Naval Cutlass.
These views show an (almost) complete set of the Pattern 1919 Naval Web Equipment. Note that in these photos, the Brace attachments are reproductions and the Haversack straps are missing (these pictures were taken before we had genuine examples of either). The Pattern 1889 Naval Cutlass is correct and genuine, though. From the Karkee Web Collection.
Hello, sailor!
We have to admit it. When Chris sent us these pictures, the first response from the rest of the KWRT was, well, less concerned with the accoutrements than with the likely popularity of this lad 'tween decks. When we took a serious look, though, we realized this was something rather special: what must be the first contemporary photos of an absolutely complete and correct set of Web Equipment, Pattern 1919 to be displayed in quite a few years. In addition to his webbing, our seaman is shown with a Webley Mk. VI in his 1st issue Pistol case, a Pattern 1907 Sword bayonet in the Frog, and a pair of 1939 dated Mills Naval pattern leggings. Chris also notes that the Cap belonged to William Spowart, who served on HMS Inconstant at the battle of Jutland; the serge bellbottoms are of the type worn circa 1907 - 1940; his top is a Frock, sweater - this an early example dated 1917.
The bottom two rows of photos show the assembled equipment off the mannequin, in both inside and outside views. The two leftmost photos in the second row show the equipment without the Rucksack, in what might be called "Drill Order", although the Royal Naval Handbook of Field Training does not describe this particular order of wear. The other two photos in this row show the complete equipment in Marching Order, which is an officially designated order.
The bottom row shows another official order of wear, Fighting Order. In this order, the Rucksack and Mess tin are discarded and the Haversack is relocated and carried on the back. The two detail shots at the right of this row show the unusual way this is accomplished in W.E. Patt. '19. The first detail shows how the Haversack straps are looped through the rings on the Brace attachments and then buckled to the bottom buckles of the Haversack. This transfers the weight of the Haversack to the front of the Belt, creating a "figure 8" and balancing the load using the same method pioneered with W.E. Pattern 1908. The second detail shows how the Braces are passed through the horizontal strap on the inside face of the Haversack. Because the Braces are free to slide through these loops, none of the load is transferred to the wearer's shoulders, and this connection serves only to prevent the Haversack from tipping rearwards. From the Chris Pollendine Collection, photographs © Chris Pollendine 2011.
