5 replies to this topic

[alex falbo]

Can anyone give some evidence that the bandolier was used by infantry? Any information would be appreciated.

This picture has spurned this interest on. And admittedly Baldrick's costume. I have read that the bandolier was only a cavalry issue.

[4thGordons]

I think you might be confusing CAVALRY and MOUNTED.
Men with mounted roles (battalion transport etc) in Infantry units were certainly issued with the 1903 bandoleer, as were artillerymen, ASC etc. So it is certainly incorrect to say they were only issued to cavalry.

 gordtransport.jpg   13.63K   1 downloads
Here's a Gordon Highlander (transport section)
 artil03.jpg   13.25K   1 downloads
and an artilleryman
 03RE.jpg   10.85K   0 downloads
An engineer
 03asc.jpg   17.45K   0 downloads
and an ASC man
Chris

[alex falbo]

4thGordons, on 07 February 2012 - 04:38 AM, said:

I think you might be confusing CAVALRY and MOUNTED.
Men with mounted roles (battalion transport etc) in Infantry units were certainly issued with the 1903 bandoleer, as were artillerymen, ASC etc. So it is certainly incorrect to say they were only issued to cavalry.

Thanks for that Gordon. Had a look through my books and saw ASC men issued with them and didn't amend my question. Thanks for the pictures. My question does indeed have more to do with whether infantry riflemen carried them into battle during any point in the War. Particularly on the Western Front.

[Reese]

There's also the question of which bandoleer. The cavalry carried the nine pocket bandoleer and after 1915 the nine pocket bandoleer was also carries on the horse's neck. These are what is shown in the OP's first photo. Chris has provided pictures of the five pocket infantry bandoleer. I think where the confusion comes in is that the five pocket bandoleer was originally part of the 1903 infantry equipment and was issued to infantry. When the 1903 equipment was replaced by the 1908 web gear the 1903 bandoleer was withdraw from the infantry but issued to mounted soldiers such as drivers (both horse and mechanical), artillery troops etc. Remember, on an artillery team and on many of the wagon tems the driver didn't ride the vehicles they rode the horses in the team. The P-1908 web gear does not lend itself to being worn on horseback. There is no need for non-cavalry mounted troops to carry a pack, messkit entrenching tool etc on their person, those item would be caried in the wagon, limber whatever. All they need to have on their person is some rifle ammunition and a gas mask. The 1903 bandoleer is well suited to that task. It's difficuly to make a one size fits all set of gear when the roles between the infantry and the support troops is so different. Even with the P-37 gear there was a different set of the universial pouches for drivers.

To finally answer your original question, no infantry wouldn't be wearing the P-1903 bandoleer in 1914 or later. (the one caveat would be if some TA troops might have still been equipped with P-1903 gear. Don't know the answer to that.)

[John Thorne]

Many TA units wore the Patt. '03 Bandolier Equipment prior to the War (and into 1914-15), and some wild and wonderful variations were developed, including additional pockets, braces, packs, etc. Probably the last widespread infantry use of Bandolier Equipment was by a Territorial unit, the 1st/5th Lancashire Fusiliers, who landed in Gallipoli wearing '03 Pattern. The Pattern did continue in use in the Great War, with Colonial infantry, campaigning in Africa and also many of the Indian Army units on the Western Front.

[alex falbo]

As I suspected. Some material suggested its use at Gallipoli by infantry but that's it.

However, Martin Pegler illustrated that it was also used by snipers. Any confirmation or photos? Or more precisely, would it have been likely?