Bulk Load Carriage: Harness

Stores Ref. A1/AA 5900 Harness, carrying, infantry
Stores Ref. CN 1023 Harness, carrying, infantry
Stores Ref. CN/AA 1023 Harness, carrying, infantry
Stores Ref. 8465-99-976-6256 Harness, carrying infantry

This was another in the wartime 5000 series of codes and was announced in A.C.I. 1119 / 1944, part of the block published on 16 August. The Stores Code was given, but the item was N.I.V. (Not In Vocabulary) until 1951.

In principle, this item is a Yoke, rather on the lines of a milkmaid’s. It comprised two long straps, with flared shoulder-pieces, which were folded flat, at right angles and stitched to a connecting piece of 2-inch wide webbing. The flares were either reduction-woven, or made up in sections (as here), which were sewn together in several ways, here a “wrap-around” being used, as opposed to the simpler “sewn-to”. This was off-set towards the rear of each flare, ensuring that the connecting piece lies behind the neck. Laid flat, the four straps splay out and the folding of the Brace elements means the outside face of one half becomes the inside face of the other half. Part-way down, 1-inch buckles on long chapes are stitched to the Braces, which allow the running ends to be doubled back and fastened. Various items could be carried using the Harness - ammunition boxes, mortar round carrying tubes, etc..

In 1951, LoC §C4686 rationalised the N.I.V. code to one in Section CN of C.C.N. The wartime 5000 series code of A1/AA 5900 was amended to CN 1023. C4686 changed the Patt. ’40 Haversack from A1/AA 5300 to CN/AA 1020, the first code available under the “Ha” block after CN/AA 1019 Web Equipment, Patt. ’37, Haversacks, officers. Two numbers, 1021 and 1022 appear to have been left for expansion, so the Harness took 1023 and, in time the WEB EQUIPMENT PATT. '37, HAVERSACK, Blackened. took 1024 and WEB EQUIPMENT PATT. '37, HAVERSACK, Blackened took 1025, the Army not bothering to include “officers’” in the second nomenclature.

The Harness survived to appear in the 1999 edition of Section CN of the Catalogue of Ordnance Stores and Ammunition, though note the missing comma – making this a Carrying Infantry Harness – sick ones, perhaps?! The example shown above is maker marked "R.P. Ltd." (R. Parkyn Ltd.) and dated 1945. From the Rog Dennis Collection, photographs © R.J. Dennis 2009.

Until now, all examples seen were coded A1/AA 5900, so we are extremely fortunate with a Sealed Standard Pattern, photographs of which have now been received. It is of interest that it is actually marked CN/AA 1023 and was made by M.E.Co. in 1954. The principles of LoC §C4686 were that N.I.V. items were being given a new and now documented code so were plain “CN”. Those already in the V.A.O.S. had the prefix “A1/AA” changed to “CN/AA”. Although not clearly shown, Mills have used the “wrap-around” method of connecting 1- and 2-inch widths of webbing.

Note the re-sealing date of 10 February 1981, together with the bracketed old code and the new N.S.N. code of 8465-99-976-6256. From the Collection of Gyles Wiggins. Photographs © Gyles Wiggins, 2012.