Cambrai 1917 2nd Lieutenant

[isanders]

From Chris's info I'm aware Officers wore a better-tailored jacket, with a tie. They wore breeches rather than trousers, with a Sam Browne leather belt. They carried a haversack with compass, water bottle, mess tin, wire cutters and binoculars. Officers also carried a sword and pistol.

I've read somewhere that later in the war they tended to dress more like the ranks to avoid being a too obvious target. I'm presuming that they wore a tin helmet, and may have carried a rifle, would they have ditched the Sam browne too?

Can anyone clarify for me?

Many thanks

[uncle bill]

There are photos showing officers wearing other ranks 07 pattern tunics. Some officers would have just worn a standard cuff rank whilst others had a 'wind up' tunic with pips on the shoulder straps. As for equipment many would have lots of different set ups of standard 08 pattern webbing so as to look like ordinary infantrymen. For a good idea of how officers looked may I suggest Stephen Chambers' book by Schiffer Books that has many excellent photos. I obviously can't show you here. I have enclosed a photo of a set of officer's web equipment so hopefully that will give you an idea.

holster

[uncle bill]

whistle

[uncle bill]

they would of course have worn tin helmets and probably carried rifles although I would imagine side arms were kept.

[isanders]

Thanks Bill!

Many thanks for showing the photos.

So the webbing although made to accoomodate a side arm would have made them look like at a distance an ordinary ranker?

What's a 'wind up' tunic?

[Owen D]

Wind up tunic had rank badges on the shoulder straps not the lower sleeves.

Wind up as in he's in a funk. ie scared.

Too easy to spot an Officer with rank badges on sleeves.

[wilkokcl]

Too easy to spot an Officer with rank badges on sleeves.

Did that only apply to infantry officers? Would, for example, an artillery officer also have removed badges on his sleeves or did it only apply to men "going over the top?"

Mark

[isanders]

A couple more questions.

In a number of accounts there's mention of an officers valise. Is this some sort of haversack?

What sort of extra clothing was worn in inclement weather?

Thankyou

[Old Tom]

Hello,

I don't think officers carried swords, at least not after 1914. An officers valise was a sort of 'hold all' or 'grip' to hold items like a bowl for washing, a sleeping bag, or groundsheet etc. A sort of camp kit. Not carried in action and probably not often taken into trenches. At some stage of the war, I believe, dress regulations were changed and all officers wore rank badges on their shoulder straps. The old style on the cuffs are interesting as the rings more or less agreed with RN rank badges.

Old Tom