British Pattern-1937 Officers Pistol Order Webbing.

[TomcatPC]

Hello
Here is an incomplete set of British Pattern-1937 Webbing that is set up for pistol order. I'm missing the Officers Haversack. The revolver is a U.S. made S&W M&P "Victory Model" .380" calibre (aka commercially .38 S&W) Revolver.
Thanks
Mark

[DuncaninFrance]

I'm missing the Officers Haversack.

TRY HIS BATMAN

[Niner]

Batman? I looked up what a batman was on Wikipedia

The official term used by the British Army in the First World War was Soldier-Servant. Every officer was assigned a servant, usually chosen by himself from among his men. The term Batman replaced this in the inter-war years. By the Second World War, only senior officers of the Army and Royal Air Force were officially assigned their own batmen, with junior officers usually having the services of one batman between several officers. Batwomen also served in the women's services.

Batman was usually seen as a desirable position. The soldier was exempted from more onerous duties and often got better rations and other favours from his officer. Senior officers' batmen usually received fast promotion to lance-corporal rank, with many becoming corporals and even sergeants. The position was generally phased out after the war. Officers of the Household Division still have orderlies in keeping with their ethos of maintaining high standards.

Probably senior officers wouldn't need something as mundane as a haversack since they would probably return to headquarters for anything they needed in the way of food or clothing......the few that ever left headquarters to begin with. I'd imagine after WWI and by WWII junior officers would have had to consider getting their own haversack.....or have deep pockets.

[TomcatPC]

Hello
There was a Haversack that was made for Officers that was part of the Pattern-1937 Web Equipment. It is the last one listed on the page.
Mark

http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/1937/ ... sacks.html

[Niner]

That looks like a good reference website for "British and Empire Accoutrements" of the 20th Century. I'll add it to the links page.

[DuncaninFrance]

We had a Major who always had a haversack with him, needed it to carry his whisky, water, tea, powdered milk and a small stove (tea for brewing on) - nothing else!

[Aughnanure]

Our Colonel had an official batman in Korea and even we lowly Signallers etc had 'Houseboys' who did our washing and polished our boots etc.,- - - - for a price. Not much, only about 25 cents a wash.
The lad who looked after most of battalion HQ was very enterprising; one of the Sgts who had a shotgun was looking along the local creek for a duck or a phesant and came across about twenty oldwomen from the local village all washing uniforms and his nibs sorting out the washed and dried clothes.
He was a major employer of local labour.

Probably went on to become a millionaire in the post war boom.

Many batmen distinguished themselves as personal bodyguards to their Officers.