My mixed bag collection (mostly British for a change)

[tubist73]

The only insignia missing from the tunic were the rank crowns on each sleeve, above the sergeant's chevrons. I don't have any brass crowns with the lugs in the correct places so I've had to use bronzed officer's crowns for the time being. Otherwise, all insignia is original to the tunic, including the collar and shoulder badges of pre-1922 design.

The Glengarry is a nice original WW1 example with it's tartan backing and Gordon's badge still attached. The kilt (WW2) is a little too big for the tunic, leading to a slightly lumpy joint at the waist. These two items did not come with the tunic and have been added by me for this display.

[tubist73]

And finally, a shot of the berthing card for the T.S.S. California. There are several pieces of information here that might help with some further research into Rourke's service history.

Lastly there is a picture of the front of an additional document. This is official British army guidance on what to do to avoid sun-stroke and other ailments whilst travelling by train in India (dated 1928). It makes for an interesting read. If anyone would like me to post an image of the reverse I would be happy to do so.

I hope all this was interesting.

Matthew

[tubist73]

Here are a couple of Guardsmen from the inter-war period. Both have been built around their tunics using the same pre-WW1 dress trousers, early WW2 ammo boots and belt/frog/bayonet. The only items I do not currently have are the correct Guards' belt buckles. They appear every so often but I have not yet managed to buy them. I am using an 1888 Slade-Wallace belt and buckle as a stand in.

First up is a Grenadier Guardsman. The tunic is dated 1928 and has a faded serial number which I haven't been able to identify. It is in good condition but the buttons have been re-sewn (maybe it was used into the QE era with Queen's Crown buttons?).

The cap is dated 1939 and is original and complete, including the high-placed badge, GG buttons, narrow black chin strap and slashed peak. You can see the almost vertical angle of the typical Guardsmans' peak in the second photo.

Matthew

[tubist73]

Here is a shot of the 'tails' of the tunic and an overall view of the Guardsman. The design of these uniforms has been largely unchanged for over 100 years. Only some of the materials and details have been modified, as well as the Queen's Crown now used on buttons and insignia.

[tubist73]

Next up is a Welsh Guardsman. This was the last Guards regiment to be formed, in 1915. The tunic is dated 1936 and named and numbered inside. It is in very good condition and still seems to have all of its original King's Crown buttons. These feature the famous leek associated with Wales, which is repeated in sewn insignia on the collar and shoulder straps.

Matthew

[tubist73]

The bearskin cap is also an original Welsh Guards item with a white/green/white horsehair plume on the left side. Each Guards regiment is identifiable by the plume colours and placement (or lack of for the Scots Guards) and the grouping of their buttons. The Welsh Guards' buttons are grouped in fives.

This bearskin is dated from the 1930s but the last digit is impossible to make out on the paper label inside. It has some minor damage to the wicker frame inside but still holds its shape well. When you see them up close they are a very impressive, if fairly ridiculous, item of headgear!

Matthew

[tubist73]

Had some time this weekend to unpack and set up a new mannequin. This time something a little more common to this forum - a salty late-war Landser.

I don't have many German items and this is my only M42 Feldbluse but it's nicely field-worn, full of character, repairs and alterations. All of the insignia is originally attached as well. I've thrown together various standard items of equipment suitable for the late war period. Here are some front and back shots.

Matthew

[tubist73]

I'm not a big fan of mint items - except dress uniforms - so most of this equipment is well worn, battered and knocked around. I think it looks more realistic for a display than factory fresh items trying to represent a combat soldier.

The jacket has many stains, rips, field repairs and the sleeves and hem have been shortened in a fairly crude way (I would guess by the soldier rather than a unit tailor). But it is one of those rare uniform items that was probably used in the field then brought home after the war.

[tubist73]

Lastly two shots of some of the insignia. The eagle has one of those unusual sewing errors where the stitching goes over the pocket flap. The wing also has wear marks where Y-straps were probably worn. The lapels and collar are firmly folded back and were obviously worn open in this position for a long time.

The only 'fake' item is the undershirt which is actually British (unissued) not German. It stands out to me as being much too new and clean compared to everything else. I guess that's something else to add to my shopping list for the future.

Matthew

[tubist73]

The battle of Bardia, January 1941, took place at the very start of the Western Desert Campaign. This is the period generally forgotten, before the famous personalities such as Rommel and Montgomery arrived on the scene. It featured stunning early victories for the British and Commonwealth forces against the Italians. The first moves by armoured and motorised units swept across vast areas of desert, despite the Allied army being heavily outnumbered by the Italians. Over 36,000 prisoners were captured along with a great deal of equipment.

Bardia marked the first combat operation for Australian forces in World War 2. Here is a depiction of a typical Aussie infantryman as he might have appeared during the battle.

The greatcoat is single breasted in Great War style. Australian coats stayed this way throughout the war, unlike the British and other Commonwealth designs that became double breasted. This coat is dated a little after Bardia but is identical in features, including the brown plastic buttons marked 'Australian Military Forces'. All webbing is British dated before 1941 (Australian webbing wasn't produced until later in the war).

Matthew

[tubist73]

Another Australian-made item that retained a First World War design was the Mk II helmet. I believe that the manufacturing facilities in Australia at the time were unable to add the rim to the shell, which meant it had a raw edge, much like early British helmets from 1916.

This helmet is dated 1941. It has the typical rough outer finish for Aussie helmets and shows signs of metal corrosion, as was common for these helmets in the local climate. I purchased this from Australia, back when shipping was affordable from the other side of the planet. They do not show up often here in Europe.

[tubist73]

And lastly a couple of close up shots of the MK II helmet, inside and out. The quality of the finish is not particularly high and often they have paint that flakes off easily, liners that crack and chinstraps that tear. This example is in pretty good condition, all things considered.

The chinstrap is made from very rough and fragile webbing. The liner has a few features that separate it from the British version - e.g. the crown pad is a solid piece of rubber and the protection pads between liner and shell are small tubes of rubber. The square chinstrap lugs are also unique to the Australian helmet. This shell does actually have an owner's name scratched into the paint under the rim but, so far, I've not been able to read it clearly.

I hope you find this depiction interesting, of a soldier from a little-known moment in the early years of the war. Soon to be overshadowed by much bigger events to the North.

Matthew

[tubist73]

Continuing the early-war North Africa theme, here is a representation of a Sgt. in the Corps of Military Police, on duty in the streets of Cairo. CMP units were always present around and behind the front lines, dealing with discipline among their own troops, enemy prisoners and guarding sensitive locations and traffic hotspots.

This Sgt. is wearing khaki drill (KD) service dress, including a British-made jacket dated 1941. These were often seen between the wars but were phased out in favour of various KD shirts or battledress during the war.

He is wearing white-blancoed webbing, red on blue MP armband and the famous red-topped SD cap. The armband was only worn when on duty. I have also given him a pair of issue handcuffs of Great War vintage. I have no idea how these were usually carried so I've chosen to loop them around the cross strap for these images. If anyone has any information about these please let me know.

Matthew

[tubist73]

The armband is an original issued example (there are many fakes or modern copies on the market). It is nicely worn and faded, making it very suitable for a North African setting.

The blue canvas is quite thick, with the red felt letters 'MP' sewn on. The armband is held on the arm with small brass Newey press studs, as used on Denison smocks. One male stud has fallen off this example. Buttons or safety pins were also used to secure these armbands.

[tubist73]

And lastly, shots of the service dress cap. This is an original example dated 1937 (also shown earlier in the thread), with a modified raked angle on the peak, CMP buttons, polished chin strap and a red cotton cover. Like the armband, this red cover was only worn when on duty.

The iron handcuffs are dated 1916 and marked with the WD arrow and various stamps, including the numbers 66 on the keys and bands. This is to match the correct key to the lock. The cuffs are opened by screwing the keys in tighter until a spring-loaded latch is released.

I am imagining this Sgt. on duty in the backstreets of Cairo early in the war, ready to deal with any unruly Tommies enjoying a night on the town. A thankless task but at least they looked good while doing it!

Matthew