Dating items by WD numbers?

[auchonvillerssomme]

Is it possible to date items of clothing by the numbers adjacent to the Broad Arrow and WD? I have an O/R's cap with WD 922 I originally thought this was Sept 1922 but have since been told it is the item number is that the case?

[wainfleet]

Normally, inside a cap you'd find a W(arrow)D, with a number above and a letter below, or vice versa in the case of postwar and some late war items. 922 is unlikely to mean Sept 1922 unless it is an issue marking, as opposed to a maker mark or acceptance stamp, and then one would expect a space, ie 9 22, and probably regimental data, eg 1 ER for the 1st Bn Essex Regt. Perhaps an initial "1" is missing - WD over arrow over the date is sometimes found on small kit, though not usually in uniform items. Can we have further clarification, perhaps a picture?

Regards,

W.

[auchonvillerssomme]

The cap has been crushed, I have no idea of the date but as i said in previous assumed that it was Sept 1922. there is no number 1 before the 22.

[auchonvillerssomme]

it came with KOYLI badge attached.

2.

[T8HANTS]

I was under the impression that some of these marks were individual inspectors I.D. marks. So if a batch should prove faulty the district from whence they came and the inspector who passed them could be identified. But I could be wrong.

when I worked on aircraft parts years ago every stage was marked on the accompanying paper work by worker and inspector ID numbers so it could be back tracked to you.

Gareth

[wainfleet]

This is an acceptance stamp, as indicated by Gareth. The (worn away) letter above/number below configuration normally - though not invariably - points to postwar manufacture, and this cap is typical of the 1930s right up to the 1960s, with its wider chinstrap and larger peak. This maker has been discussed here before. It was Comptons in the war, and became C S & Webb sometime after.

PS I reckon someone has erased the date!

[auchonvillerssomme]

Actually you are right the date does look as though it has been erased, that being said it wasn't sold as WW1, it was included with a complete set of 37ptn webbing costing 30 quid. So I can comfortably call it 1930's onwards, many thanks.

[T8HANTS]

Just picked up on this thread again.

Back in the 70's & 80's there were several dealers who would advertise in the E&M selling items as WW1 'pattern'. Erasing or adding dates to items was common practice, and in the world before the Forum, what you didn't know you fell over. T'was very much Caveat Emptor in those days.

Gareth

[auchonvillerssomme]

Gareth, I have mentioned elsewhere my experience in mid 70's of working Saturdays and holidays for a dealer in Islington, he had a tame ex-soldier who would sign letters of provenance regarding 'item's' he brought back from the war, I would never touch anything from Hitlers Bunker He would also send us out looking for plain unmarked european silver on which SS runes would mysteriously appear. I sold up my collection of 3rd Reich stuff when I started to see certain stuff re-appearing.

Remember the E&M when they sold battledress and webbing by the weight?

[T8HANTS]

I remember when I couldn't afford a complete set of 08 webbing at £7 10/- or a home service helmet at £12. Strangely the webbing would have proved the better investment.

G