Siege battery equipment

[MrEd]

Hello all,

Been searching and reading on the forum and I came across this document attached to a post as an image

 

which is quite interesting to me but has raised a couple of questions

- what does ‘weedon section’ mean?

- what is a ‘covers, mess tin (b)’ quantity 2? (I thought this is the D shaped mess tin cover but that’s mentioned further down as ‘covers, mess tin, DS

Despite having more men a battery of 6 guns had the same number of rifle and bayonets as a 4 gun battery - how were these guns divided up - were they just on the basis of every 3rd man or 2nd man (depending on 4 or 6 guns) or did specific men carry them - and I presume they would have had issued to them personally the accoutrements to carry them (bayonet frog etc)?

I had a good search on IWM but only found 1 photo of an RGA soldier wearing a bandolier and belt, and carrying an SMLE that looks like it has a 1903 or 1907 bayonet fitted - but it isn’t very clear so I am not sure - would they have had leather 1903 belts or the economy web ones or either?

And would the frog have been in actual buff colour or would they have coloured black or brown? Was it the 1888 pattern?

Also, would they have worn the 5 pocket bandolier _and_ the 1903 pattern belt and frog? I presume without cartridge pouches (as they aren’t listed?) did the belt and frog and bayo get stored with the rifle or held by specifically designated men?

thanks

ed

Edited 9 February , 2023 by MrEd

[Dave66]

Not sure, but there was a large stores a Weedon Bec??…..https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/education/educational-images/former-weedon-barracks-weedon-bec-7257

https://www.weedonbec-village.co.uk/uploads/silk-factory-depot-qr.pdf

Dave.

Edited 9 February , 2023 by Dave66

[MrEd]

Thanks Dave, I wondered if it was referring to weedon depot but seems a weird way to write it so I wondered if it related to some particular section of a siege battery?