Equipment of British soldier 1914

[Charles.mcknight]

Hello,

I am looking for some information to help me build a more accurate 1914 impression. Primarily I'd like to know what kit was issued, how soldiers would have slept in and off of maneuvers and also about the daily rations (not what they where but wether they were carried by the soldier or issued throughout the day ect). Any help would be fully appreciated and thank you for reading.

 

Charles

[Moonraker]

Hi Char les

 

and welcome to the Forum.

 

First "manuevers" to some of us would suggest those carried out prewar in Britain involving large numbers of men spread over several days, rather than on active service overseas, when there was limited scope for such activities. Prewar manoeuvres at home were orchestrated so that the participants would arrive at designated camping-sites where their tents had already been erected and where civilian contractors augmented the efforts of military cooks to feed the men, with breweries' tents offering alcoholic refreshment and welfare bodies such as the YMCA serving soft drinks. There were a very few attempts at billeting men in civilian accommodation, but mostly they slept in tents.

 

When the 13th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force left Salisbury Plain for France in February 1915, each man had 1 pair trews, 1 pair drawers, 1 undershirt, 1 shirt, 2 towels, 1 hold-all, containing soap, razor, etc,1 balaclava, 3 pairs socks, 1 pair boots, 1 house-wife (sewing repair kit) and 1 greatcoat. In addition each carried strapped outside, 1 blanket, 1 rubber sheet, 1 mess tin and 1 haversack, the last named containing a day's ration, tobacco and so forth. Added to all these was a rifle and 150 rounds of ammunition, so that the whole weighed not much below 80 lbs. As one man tersely put it, "Once in the army you become a blinking pack mule."

 

When Jacko Thompson of the 45th Training Reserve Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, arrived at Sutton Veny Camp  in October 1917, he was given a kitbag which included:
    3 shirts    (quite O.K.)
    2 prs pants ( "     " )
    3 socks (fair)
    1 cardigan (passable)
    1 pr. braces (O.K.)
    & a hussif (rotten)

 

(The "hussif" was the house-wife.)

 

To help others, you may wish to clarify whether you're interested in what happened in Britain or overseas - or both.

 

Moonraker

 

 

 

 

[Polar Bear]

That is an incredibly broad question.

 

May I suggest that a book like the The British Army Handbook 1914-18 by Andrew Rawson would be a good place to start - if you can get hold of a copy.

 

Also you might wish to narrow down your reqest. Do you intend to portray a Regular? If so is he a Regular at Home or Abroad. Do you instead mean a Territorial or a newly recruited member of Kitchener's Army for while the answer's to the question's you raise are similar they are not exactly the same.

 

Finally what period of 1914 do you mean. It kind of looks to me like you mean immediately prior to commencement of hostilities. Have I read this correctly.

[FROGSMILE]

There’s some quite good information here: 

 

1.  https://ww1.nam.ac.uk/937/news/uniform-equipment-1914/#.XebfYiWnyEc
 

2. https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/a-british-soldier-s-kit-in-the-first-world-war/

 

Edited 3 December , 2019 by FROGSMILE

[Polar Bear]

9 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

There’s some quite good information here: https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/articles/a-british-soldier-s-kit-in-the-first-world-war/

 

While a good representation of a late war 'Tommy' I would respectfully hesitate to use that particular picture to show someone from 1914 for in that year the British Army still was very much in the peacetime 'spit and polish' mentatlity. Only later would the harsh reality of war prove that wasn't going to be possible or indeed desirable in the trenches.

[T8HANTS]

Just beaten to it, but the sketch is wrong for 1914.  So lets start, no tin helmet, no grenades, (never carried individually on the belt), a shovel would be battalion stores and carried on the pioneer wagon.  The soldier would have had an entrenching tool head, in a carrier with a helve carried alongside the bayonet.  The mess tin depicted is the wrong shape, and the cap would be of the stiff peak and crown variety and not the 'cor blimey' as illustrated.  Missing is the small pack and the large pack would have the rain cape/groundsheet carried folded under the large packs flap.

 

[mark holden]

May I also suggest the Field Service Pocket Book 1913 Chapter VII pages 169-184 as a period reference original copies are not hard to find and not expensive to buy. Also the excellent Campaign 1914 book published by military Mode Publishing and authored by Chris Pollendine.

[FROGSMILE]

I’m afraid I was still editing at the time you two gentlemen were posting.  I’m not going to attempt to give the original poster every variation of dress, as I didn’t get the impression from his query that he wanted that.  Instead I tried to guide him to where he can find some appropriate general information.

[Charles.mcknight]

Thanks for the help, if it would make it easier i am intending to portray a regular on active service (don't know why i wrote maneuvers).

[FROGSMILE]

7 minutes ago, Charles.mcknight said:

Thanks for the help, if it would make it easier i am intending to portray a regular on active service (don't know why i wrote maneuvers).

You’ve received quite a lot of information now as well as links to more.  Not quite sure what extra you could want?

[Charles.mcknight]

2 hours ago, Polar Bear said:

That is an incredibly broad question.

 

May I suggest that a book like the The British Army Handbook 1914-18 by Andrew Rawson would be a good place to start - if you can get hold of a copy.

 

Also you might wish to narrow down your reqest. Do you intend to portray a Regular? If so is he a Regular at Home or Abroad. Do you instead mean a Territorial or a newly recruited member of Kitchener's Army for while the answer's to the question's you raise are similar they are not exactly the same.

 

Finally what period of 1914 do you mean. It kind of looks to me like you mean immediately prior to commencement of hostilities. Have I read this correctly.

I see the confusion i created sorry (i think this was caused by the maneuvers use). I meant when the army was deployed in the field after hostilities had commenced leading up to mons.

Just now, FROGSMILE said:

You’ve received quite a lot of information now as well as links to more.  Not quite sure what extra you could want?

No no i was just correct what i meant to say earlier

[Charles.mcknight]

3 minutes ago, FROGSMILE said:

You’ve received quite a lot of information now as well as links to more.  Not quite sure what extra you could want?

No no i was just correct what i meant to say earlier, I've got lots of info i can use here.

[FROGSMILE]

5 minutes ago, Charles.mcknight said:

No no i was just correct what i meant to say earlier, I've got lots of info i can use here.

That’s great.  I can only suggest that you note down the specific information that you sought, mentally process it all, and then ask questions if there’s anything you don’t fully understand.

[Charles.mcknight]

Thanks for the tip FROG . I may start a new post to be quite honest i made this one little more than a mess. 

[Grovetown]

16 hours ago, Charles.mcknight said:

TI may start a new post to be quite honest i made this one little more than a mess. 

 

No need to start a new thread as a result of others, in their enthusiasm to help, overlooking the specificity of the 1914 request.

 

Mark Holden's post helps take you to where you need to be; and may I also recommend Field Service Manual 1914: Infantry Battalion (Expeditionary Force), available as a reasonably priced reprint.

 

It has very comprehensive lists of issued ORs and officers' kit; plus stores to be carried on wagons etc etc.

 

Although not illustrated, once you have a sense of what the troops were wearing and/ or carrying (e.g. not helmets, not gas masks); you'll find loads of photos on the forum showing them in detail.

 

Cheers,

 

GT.

[Moonraker]

If you mean "start a new thread [rather than post], please don't, as this could risk others going over the same ground, duplication of effort etc. I endorse Frogsmile's advice in post 13.

 

Note to others: Charles has confirmed that his query is specific to the first three weeks or so of the war.

 

 

Moonraker