1937 Pattern Web Equipment
The British »1937 Pattern Web Equipment«, or »’37 Pattern Webbing« for short, was introduced in 1937, replacing the earlier »1908 Pattern Infantry Equipment«. 1937 Pattern Webbing would serve the British Army well into the Cold War, when it was superseded by the »1958 Pattern Web Equipment«. The cotton webbing with brass buttons and buckles included the Waistbelt, two Braces that crossed at the soldier‘s back, Valise, Haversack, two Basic Pouches for Bren magazines, hand grenades, or cotton bandoliers with ten chargers for the infantry rifle, or two Cartridge Carriers each of 2 × 2 loading strips (total of 40 cartridges), Pistol Ammunition Pouch (12 revolver cartridges), Pistol Case, Pistol Case RTR/RAC, Binoculars Case, Compass Pouch, Map Case, Bayonet Frog, Entrenching Tool Carrier, and Water-Bottle Carrier.
The webbing was assembled in four sets, of which the infantry set with two Basic Pouches was the most common. There was also a set for non-infantry personnel with two Cartridge Carriers, a set for personnel armed with a revolver, and its extension with a Compass Case and Map Case for officers. The equipment could be configured in Full Marching Order, Battle Order, Light Fighting Order, or Musketry Order (Skeleton Order).
Colours
1937 Pattern Web Equipment was issued to soldiers dyed in a light khaki colour, but it was cleaned, waterproofed and uniformly coloured using Pickering’s Web Equipment Renovator, Cobra Green Cleaner, Kharkene, Capo Haversack Cleanser and similar products. Blanco and other webbing cleaners came in a variety of colours of which »Khaki« Blanco Shade № 61, later called Blanco № 61 »Buff«, was the most commonly used. In addition, there were shades of »White« (Royal Military Police), № 64 »Yellow Khaki«, № 3 »Khaki Green dark«, № 97 »Khaki Green medium«, № 103 »Khaki Green light«, and »Black« (Royal Armoured Corps).
- Grey RAL 7027
- Military Khaki, FWP327
- Khaki, Vallejo Model Color 70.988
- Green Grey, Vallejo Model Color 70.886
- British Blanco Green, Foundry COL091
- Russian Uniform, Vallejo Model Color 70.924
Blanco № 103 »Khaki Green light« is frequently recommended as a webbing colour for British 8th Army miniatures, simply because this colour offers more contrast than № 61 »Buff« webbing worn over Khaki Drill Service Dress or Tropical Dress.
Bibliography
- Chappell, Mike: British Infantry Equipments 1908–80 (Lond. 1980)