1908 Pattern Web Infantry Equipment
Designed by a United States Army officer, Captain Mills, webbing was a new form of material made of pre-shrunk cotton. It was much tougher than the leather used for all previous military equipment and did not suffer from the unfortunate problem of shrinkage in wet conditions. After seeing the new American webbing, the British government ordered that a set of equipment of their own design be made using the new material. In 1907 ten sets were tested in India with tremendous success. A year later the new web equipment became standard issue to the British Infantryman. It was a revolution in design, placing no restriction on the chest and being able to be taken on and off in one piece. The top image shows an original set of webbing displayed on an original tunic. The figure carries a full set of equipment in marching order circa 1916. The webbing consists of a 3in-wide waistbelt, two 2in-wide braces with buckles,a pair of cartridge carriers, each with five pouches (each pouch holds three chargers of five rounds), bayonet and frog, waterbottle and cradle, haversack, large pack and pack supporting straps and the entrenching tool in its head and helve carriers . The canvas covered messtin is seen slung on the rear of the pack.
The lower image shows the equipment worn by a Lewis gunner between 1917-1918. He is in fighting order so the largepack has been removed (left in the trenches) and exchanged for the haversack (also note how the SBR's string is tied). Because the Lewis gun was very heavy a man couldn't carry a rifle too. Thus on this figure the cartridge carriers have been replaced with a leather pistol holster and a small ammunition pouch. The image on the far right shows the ammuntion carriers which the rest of the team would have carried. These consisted of four web pouches (two at the front and two at the back) attached to wide shoulder straps and worn as shown over the other equipment.