Milsurp After Hours

a training camp near Aldershot, with a relative at the left.

http://www.fototime.com/%7B0E793E3A-F52 ... icture.JPG[/pic]

The original print shows the square magazine box of the Lee-Metford (with a big dent in the right-hand one), as well as the utility-pattern jackets which came in about this time. The slings are rigged front of magazine and nosecap, though at least one man has the piling swivel through it as well

At the risk of embarrassing you James I would say there was a slight family resemblance.

It is well worth a long look. I made it a little smaller to keep the screen size down... kind of a shame... but that's the internet. I took the liberty to pick out a section showing how the rifles were slung.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v51/N ... esling.jpg[/pic]

Thanks for a most interesting photograph, I must look out my families WWW1 ones and scan them.

Did your relative survive the war?

I've also taken the liberty of croping in as much as I dare to show the magazine differences you refer to.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/ ... ctureA.jpg[/pic]

Although they wear the 1914 (War Emergency) pattern tunics and carry long Lees, both of which are typical of many "K" Battalions at this time, they wear 1908 web equipment. I would have expected 1914 Pattern Leather kit.

I would guess from the picture that the middle figure has not yet received a full issue of kit as he still appears to be wearing the trouser from the "Kitchener Blue's" uniform and without puttees. (Again, this was not unusual as replacement uniforms and equipment was issued*).

I assume that he was a wartime volunteer and not a pre-War territorial (no 'Imperial Service' badge)

Which Bn was he with? Where was he recruited?

On the subject of the slings - I wonder if whoever taught them was a Boer War volunteer? I've seen a similar method of fixing slings used in photographs of British "Mounted Infantry" in South Africa..

Tom

* Apparently mixed blue and khaki was quite common in the early days re-equipment.

After a prolonged squint at the cap badge with a Jeweler's glass I came down in favour of the 19th London Regt (St Pancras Rifles). My late father commented that that would make sense as he was a Camden Town man

There is no telling how much information is in photographs. Real , no bs information. I have been working on that idea with some photos I have been gathering on another subject and another war. .

looking at photos from that time is some times better than reading about it thanks for putting it up.

Thanks for posting that MKVII, its a very thought provoking photo.

heres a good link for the `08 Patt. webbing.

Joe

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-equip/web-1908.htm

Very nice pics! Thanks.

Scotsman