Shovel ID?

[Lang]

I thought the webbing comment would create some discussion. Many of us of older years have worn the British gear.

The problems to my mind were the lack of flexibility in "fine tuning" to suit the load and personal shape with stiff straps and fixed attach points. Photos show the gear riding up or hanging down, many belts up around their rib cages. Most countries developed a multi-hole and/or sliding buckle system in belts and load-bearing points to allow quick change, according to load and individual comfort as the British started to do post-war.

The webbing itself was far too thick and inflexible and I am sure other armys' thinner softer more comfortable webbing lasted just as long. Once again the British softened their post-war webbing.

Lastly and most importantly the British put those useless square buckles on everything from personal kit to vehicle and equipment straps and persisted right up to modern times.

You can not get them tight easily, you can not adjust them quickly and easily and if you do manage to get them tight they are really hard to loosen off. The hook, spring or lock slide, pull-through buckles of the Americans and many others and even the old fashioned trouser-belt pin and hole type buckle were far more user friendly.

As far as the jerkins go, only a miniscule number of the millions of British Empire troops were issued them and their existence alone said they realised there had to be something better. You can see photos of African big game hunters in what are now commonly known as "photographers jackets" with 20 pockets and pouches going back to the late 1800's. I can not believe the stuff the boys now carry in their multi pocket, modular unit kits although the day of mass moving whole units on a route march on foot 50 miles in 2 or 3 days is long past.

All sorts of legends about the weight soldiers carried, particularly WW1, but I bet most modern infantrymen would be very happy to revert to a WW1 soldier's load.

Hanno probably a new thread.