British Army Kit Layouts.

[leigh kitchen]

British Soldiers are required to produce their uniforms & equipment & bedding in a certain fashion, this layout for kit inspection varies from unit to unit & of course has changed over time.

Often it is or was recorded as a photograph or other form of illustration for reference, either in a manual or posted on the wall of barrack block.

Even when not made up for a formal inspection, uniform, equipment, bedding is required to be kept in a certain order on a day to day basis - perhaps the bedding made into a blanket box or block, kitbag wrapped around suitcase so that the soldier's stencilled name & other details are visible, on top of the locker, perhaps with a mess tin placed either side. It varies, often teh more demanding arrangements are imposed during training or as a punishment.

This photograph is on a page removed from a book, of about 1916 I believe, & is that of a soldier of the South Staffordshire Regiment.

[leigh kitchen]

This photo is crudely mounted on card, the pencilled writing bottom right states "Essex Studios Chelmsford" & the cap badge shown on the sidecap is that of the Essex Regiment.

1908 webbing but with the Universal Pattern Field Service Cap - sidecap - introduced 1939 along with Battledress.

[Graham Stewart]

An 1857 ink hand drawn kit inspection sheet for the "Fifth Fusiliers", which would have been pinned up for recruits. The actual sheet is much larger than portayed and very skillfully put together by the unknown artist.

Graham.

[Graham Stewart]

The real thing India c.1913 - 1761 Bandsman J. Gollop, 2nd Bn, Northumberland Fusiliers undergoing a kit inspection. A resident of South Shields he was to win the Military Medal on the 16th July 1918.

Graham.

[zipperheads9]

Nice PC's and sketches.

love how they were to get all that stuff neatlyback into the barrack box.

Mark

[leigh kitchen]

Circa 1915, a kit layout placed outside the barrack hut for photographic purposes.

1914 Pattern leather equipment on display, the cap badges/ titles - I can't make them out, but they will be Cheshire Regiment or possibly East Surreys by the look of them.

Photo from an article in "The Great War 1914 - 1918" August 1995, published by "Broadsword".

[leigh kitchen]

A Northumberland Fusilier bedplate - the regiment's title was changed to Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in 1935, so post 1881 - pre 1935.

[leigh kitchen]

A form of bedplate, or perhaps for buiding designation, a packing case, or stall of some kind?

[Peachy Carnehan]

Here is a photo from my collection taken in Ireland around 1900 or so. While it does not show the kit laid out for inspection it does show how a soldier was expected the keep his equipment organized. It also illustrates the kind of personal belongings that a typical soldier might have around his bunk.

[Tony]

They still did these types of layout while in clink when I was in the army.

[leigh kitchen]

They still did them out of clink when I was in the army.

[sabrigade]

This is a photograph of my grandfather's inspection bed or kit layout for the Special Service Battalion, a South African unit, during World War 2. He was a veteran of the North African and Italian campaigns in the Second World War. He was a sargeant in the Regiment.

[leigh kitchen]

"A" Company, 2nd Battalion The Norfolk Regiment - "Home Sweet Home Mesopotamia 1921".

The ubit is identified by markings on kit, visible when magnified.

[picardowoods]

Hi

Thought I would add this to the thread, unknown soldier from the 3rd CG.

Carl

[leigh kitchen]

Nice, how is his battalion identified - from the markings on the bearskin bag?

[picardowoods]

Hi

Yes his number looks to be 4387 over 3CG, some one here can no doubt put a name to the number?

Carl

[leigh kitchen]

I've tried checking "ancestry" re "4387 Grenadier Guards", no joy.

[picardowoods]

I haven't dated it any more accurately than post 1894, I would think that the four numbers are the last numbers, as everyone else probably shared the preceeding 2,3, or 4 numbers, I think we just need to know the range of numbers for the 3CG.

[Graham Stewart]

They would be four figure only as they were numbered from 1-9999 per regiment, as were the rest of the infantry of the line. Five figure number didn't appear until around 1906 and regiments began numbering from 1-19999.

[picardowoods]

Hi Graham

Thanks for that info, I thought the numbers were already longer by then, so thanks again for the correction.

Here is a close up of the image, the back of the card is from 'Bert' to 'Mable Wright'.

Carl

[leigh kitchen]

Possibly "4397"? Not that the ancestry scattergun search will be affected by an "8" rather than a "9".

[leigh kitchen]

A section of a Vctorian era handkerchief "Fulton's Miltary Handkerchief. Patent No. 10774".

It has a number of illustrations with supporting text, eg firing from behind cover, skirmishing, bugle calls, the "naming of parts" of the Martni - Henry rifle - &this one - infantry kit:

[leigh kitchen]

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[leigh kitchen]

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[leigh kitchen]

A "Two Types" cartoon by Jon, 8th Army characters, one Scots Guards the other Royal Tank Regiment, from British army newspapers of WWII - a kit inspection in Italy:

Edited October 12, 2009 by leigh kitchen