My WWI "hate" / "grave digger" belt

[soalebm]

You can call them whatever you want to call them but here is mine. I am not sure the nationality of the belt itself. It might be US or British, i'm not sure. It actually gets very thin at the back like it might be the shoulder part of a Sam Browne belt. I have not compared it yet. I tried to take some close photos of the buttons. My favorites are the silver German button and the Tank Corps button.

[SteveR]

Great hate belt. I love the Wurtemberg buttons and the Brit tank button is really nice.
SteveR

[cricketchris1944]

Can someone tell me why they call them hate or grave digger belt.

[jimpy]

It might be US or British, i'm not sure. It actually gets very thin at the back like it might be the shoulder part of a Sam Browne belt.

Hi mate,

Nice collection of buttons there. Now onto the important bit, look no further for an ID on the "belt", I am 100% sure that this is actually a SHOULDER STRAP from a British 1914ptn Leather Infantry Equipment set

The set was originally designed as a "stop-gap" measure to equip a massively expanded British Army at the start of WWI when there was a shortage of available 08ptn W/E. The design followed, as close as possible the existing 08ptn w/e.

Hope that this is of some help.

Regards etc

Ian D

AKA: Jimpy

[soalebm]

Thanks Ian! I knew it wasn't a belt because of the way it tappered down to thin strips on the ends. Thanks for solving the mystery!

[jimpy]

You're welcome mate, always happy to help out however I can.

Regards etc

Ian D

AKA: Jimpy

[doorsween]

I just came across a hate belt myself. Haven't been able to find some of these buttons on the internet so far. Any thoughts?

Attachment 374627Attachment 374628Attachment 374629Attachment 374630

[Wagriff]

Hello Chris, they called them "hate belts" because, the story was, that they were souvenir buttons and badges of the soldier who owned the belt and were supposed to be taken from dead enemy soldiers-sometimes even from the one's the soldier had personally killed himself. In reality, this was very rarely the true case.(Although, there Were some actual Hate belts made also-just as the Japanese ear belts of WWII) Many of the sellers of the days following the war assembled these belts themselves to sell to folks back home. The corpse souvenir stories made for much better sales, of course-giving an unsavory bit of a thrill to the buyers. Many times, you'll notice these belts contain Both sides badges and buttons. When you think about it, it hardly holds water to think the soldier stitched on buttons of his own dead buddies on his trophy belt! But, they are what they are, and they do, indeed, make for a Very interesting and cool bit of memorabilia. Some of them even have rare or valuable insignias on them! For example, Soalebm's piece has a Superb British tankers button on it! These belts saved alot of great memorabilia from the trash bins!

[Battery Command Post]

Now onto the important bit, look no further for an ID on the "belt", I am 100% sure that this is actually a SHOULDER STRAP from a British 1914ptn Leather Infantry Equipment set design followed, as close as possible the existing 08ptn w/e.

Just to confirm... yes, that is exactly what that is

Can someone tell me why they call them hate or grave digger belt.

I am not sure anyone ever did call them that. As far as i am aware, the term is a very modern 'collector myth' name. Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, belts adorned with badges were a VERY popular item in the British Army (and throughout the Commonwealth too), as something that marked an 'old soldier'. The idea being that the badges were collected over long service in peace and war.

I hate the term "Hate Belt", it's just an ugly name for a lovely piece of military tradition...

Rob

[wood]

"I hate the term "Hate Belt", it's just an ugly name for a lovely piece of military tradition... "

I agree.
I have had a few just with English badges mounted on them.
Pete