British Canteen

[Lt Visser]

Good day people.
I got this canteen from an old guy. Can anyone tell me what canteen this is or from what time? It looks like 1914-1930 +- time. Maybe British?

Thanks
Lt Visser

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Lt, I think you have it right.

Cheers, Ade.

[OKW]

Certainly looks British. I think that leather webbing was phased out towards the beginning of ww1. The number stamped on the strap is probably the soldiers service number. Research at the National Archives online might throw up a medal index card or possibly his enlistment papers. The inside has an enamel coating, which i believe when the bottle was first commissioned into service certain sectors of society who wanted to keep the troops on the straight and narrow had installed, this reacts with anything apart from water. The coating comes off and the pieces pollute whatever was in there. The temperance society was a great force in military circles with medals being awarded for not drinking alcohol. I have seen one recently for 60 years without drinking!!!

[zwerge]

I should be awarded a medal for going 60 years for never missing a drink.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Leather field gear made a come back in 1916

Cheers, Ade.

[Lt Visser]

Thanks for the info! Zwerge, where can we apply for that medal???

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi, re searching the National Archives on the serial number. It is generally a good idea, but we hit a problem here due to the way WW1 serial numbers were issued. If you don't know the soldiers Regt or Corps it cannot be done. The reason being that serial number could actually be used by more than one man, strange as it sounds. At the time each unit issued their own numbers and they were not assigned in number blocks like in WW2.

I ran a search on "33212" and this is what comes up. Many men with the same number:

The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Search Results

Cheers, Ade.

[Gary J]

Certainly looks around a WW1 British issue ..

Gary J.

[OKW]

Didn't the Australians arrive France and Flanders with leather webbing from Gallipoli in 1916 and reintroduce the stuff. They liked to swop with British troops to obtain canvas webbing, often without the owner knowing. I thought there was problems with leather webbing in the trenches as the rats used to eat it, as well as the expense. Also leather needs polish or such applied to keep it in good nick and this also appeared to be in short supply in the trenches. However the cavalry having nothing better to do kept their nice shiney leather bandoliers to look the part.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is a new site which is very good and covers the leather 1914 pattern equipment in detail. However, the one featured here is not a exact match, having D Rings, which makes me think it could be cavalry related?

Infantry Equipment, Pattern 1914

Cheers, Ade.