Anyone got a link on how to put my new set together? How do you attach the water bottle for starters?
Here's one that I posted in the 'References for British Loadouts' thread 
http://home.att.net/~g.wheeler/greenhow.htm
Here's another one. It's for oor colonial cousins but the basics are the same.
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-equip/37-web05.htm
In fact all of it is the same..
Having read through it the one glaring omission is the entrenching tool cover. But that can be explained as it is actually an early-war (or probably pre-war) guide. Note the guy's Service Dress rather than Battle Dress.
Excellent find.
Well I never.... I'm replying on this thread 'cos the original is locked...! 
Re: Home Guard webbing and "Dad's Army" using binocular pouches instead of ammo pouches... I quote from my Andrew Mollo book.... "The [square] web ammo pouches were specially produced for the Home Guard" ! Whaddya make of that?! 
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
The personal equipment issued to Home Guard units was of a unique composite design. Based around the army’s old 1903 Pattern leather waistbelt, it included - Home Guard Pattern webbing ammunition pouches - regular army 1937 Pattern shoulder braces - 1903 Pattern water-bottle with leather carrying strap – Home Guard Pattern rubberised fabric haversack - 1939 Pattern leather bayonet frog (holding the bayonet of whichever rifle the Home Guardsman had been issued). In addition, Home Guard Pattern leather anklets (gaiters) were issued to be worn with regular army pattern ankle-boots (‘ammunition boots’).
http://www.tulliehouse.co.uk/pages.asp? ... 62,251,262,
Q. Are they wearing binocular cases instead of ammunition pouches? Shouldn't Captain Mainwaring be wearing an officers pattern West Kents cap badge?
A. Correct, but they had their reasons - when they made the series, original Home Guard pattern ammunition pouches were rare as hens teeth, so they had to find a cheap substitute(ie the binocular cases). The irony being that some years after filming ended, a huge supply of originals in mint condition was unearthed, which meant they were suddenly and cheaply available in quantity!
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... 45282.html
Hardly a comprehensive and authoritative explanation but it all makes sense so good enough for me!
Summary: HG did have their own type of pouch but the TV series made a substitution because of scarcity. DA was a comedy series not a documentary/factual programme.
DA was a comedy series not a documentary/factual programme.
Whaaatt??!!!!
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Sorry, I should have said "DA was one of the best comedy series in the whole of TV output - ever, and was based on fact and included much social observation of the war years. It isn't shown on the History Channel, ipso facto it can't be a documentary. In any case, it isn't boring, so that proves it."
Also bino pouches are darned more useful for putting stuff in than regular ammo pouches (but poo to crawl with).
Note: I wonder what the 'proper' Home Guard pouches looked like?
This is what SoF are offering as Home Guard Pouches
Cool - seen them at first hand at Renishaw today as there was a Home Guard group there. Quite a bit smaller than the DA bino cases and unstiffened - very practical looking bit of kit too.
Gah! I've always said that they weren't Bino' pouches and actually 'specials' for HG use....!
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
the HG pouches were that shape because the HG were issued the BAR rifle-in South Cave they had one BAR for every 3 or so men. Only 100 or so in the unit-a platoon btw not a company (HG platoons were usually 100 strong, companies around 3-500, battallions upwards of 1000). S Cave platoon also had 2 Browning MMG (water cooled) and several fougasses (nasty petrol ambush thing) plus Blacker bombards, smith gun etc...
Gah! I've always said that they weren't Bino' pouches and actually 'specials' for HG use....!
The ones in the Dad's Army pic are bino pouches... probably cos they didn't have SoF making proper repros of the BAR pouches...
Gah! I've always said that they weren't Bino' pouches and actually 'specials' for HG use....!
The ones in the Dad's Army pic are bino pouches... probably cos they didn't have SoF making proper repros of the BAR pouches...
Yeah, I was meaning more along the lines of people I've talked to on the subject saying "The HG did use Bino' pouches - just take a look at DA, that proves it!" kinda thing I just feel nice and justified now that you guys have provided evidence, I can now go and rub it in their faces 
j/king!
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
This is just ridiculous now! Have just watched the new Nania film (the Prince Caspian one) with my fiancee last night, and at the beginning of the film, there's a member of the Home Guard on the station platform... ...wearing double-bino!
If major film studios can't even get it right, the world of re-enacting has no hope of convincing the public.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
The one thing I noticed in that first webbing guide with the computer drawn diagrams when it talks of the entrenching tool helve.
Entrenching Tool Helve (handle), with bayonet stud preferred.
The ones with bayonet attachments are often seen being carried by re-enactors and in actual fact that makes them incorrectly equipped for all but very late war (as in March to May 1945) scenarios as that pattern of helve didn't become general issue until then.
The one thing I am figuring however is that I may buy myself a pair of long web braces to give me a bit more adjustment as although I'm not tall I could do with a bit more room to adjust things.
-Marc-
4th Wilts LHG
WW2 armoury: WA M1911A1 SCW, TM M1A1 TSMG, AGM STEN Mk2, AGM MP40, S&S M1 Garand.
Just out of interest, are the shoulder braces meant to extend below the Ammo pouches? It's just I can't tell how you're meant to attach the haversack to the side if that isn't the case.
yes they extend some way.
When 37 was designed none of it was supposed to hang below the waist so as to facilitate lorried transport.
In reality there was not enough room in the small pack so the water bottle got moved to the brace ends and later the entrenching tool.
Items that often hang of the brace ends:
Officers valise
Small pack
e-tool
water bottle
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Cheers Gadge!
Pilgrim: For a basic set of 37 you need at least:
2 of the large ammo pouches
a Belt
2 Cross braces (sometimes called suspenders, they look like strips of webbing with a thicker section in the middle for your shoulders)
That is what makes up the basics, but it's a good idea to get more, like a small pack and l straps (left and right) to carry extra gear and water (but of course you can get a water bottle for that last one )
Hope that helps