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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Identify this belt!


jonseagrave

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Hi folks

can anyone help identify this belt? I picked it up for a couple of quid and it was labelled 'WW1 HG O/R leather belt'. O/R is presumably 'other ranks', but HG? I can't seem to find one in any WW1 photos; they seem to all be Sam Brownes or have a snake buckle. As you can see, this has a heavy brass interlock clasp, similar to ordinary webbing belts. There are two smaller buckles to the rear for attatching webbing; these are of the familiar square pattern, with a gap in the lower bar. Inside the belt is stamped a broad military goosefoot arrow and '18' (1918?) The brass is a lot duller than in the photo and the belt is obviously very old. But WW1? Any ideas? Sorry no more photos, but I've got no digital camera. Cheers, Jon

post-17031-1164283986.jpg

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The buckles are on upside down.

Mick

The buckles are on upside down.

Mick

That was meant to read on wrong side!

Mick

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Hello,

It's a WW2 belt which was issed to the Home Guard. I'm sure it was also issued to other units until an issue of webbing could be made. I've seen water battles and ammo pouchs of the standared WW2 type made in leather, I think it is 1937 pattern.

Regards,

Stewart

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Home gaurd issue, and all that has happened is that the two buckles and the belt have been reassembled wrong, the short end should go inside agaist the body, with the two brass lockets facing out the other way. The two adjuster buckles are correct, with the tongue to center and pointing out from the body.

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On the 2 I have, the buckles are not interchangeable with web belts, being slightly to small which suprised me because I originally thought they were a just a make -do set up and the fittings would be taken from existing stocks.

Mick

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Hello,

It's a WW2 belt which was issed to the Home Guard. I'm sure it was also issued to other units until an issue of webbing could be made. I've seen water battles and ammo pouchs of the standared WW2 type made in leather, I think it is 1937 pattern.

Regards,

Stewart

Hi all

Just to clarify the equipment set is pattern 1939 (P'39). While the homeguard certainly had some items, I havn't seen any pic showing a full set in use. For the most part this equipment seems to have been issued to 'Native' troops and those euro troops making up our rapidly expanding armies, and for training.

Carl

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Carl, what does the full set consist of?

Mick

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  • 1 month later...

Hi Mick

Sorry I missed replying to you.

The full set of P'39 was pretty much as for the web P'37, and was made to the same design, using the same brass fittings etc.

Belt, basic pouches, cartridge carriers, frog, left & right braces, haversack 'L' straps, pack straps. The pack and haversack were still webbing and the same as issued for P'37. A set of Utility pouches were also made, the main difference being the use of the 'Lewis' pouch yoke rather than the narrower one used on the webb pouches.

Carl

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