Australian Boots

**Ubique** · 08-15-2015, 08:58 AM

I thought I would share pictures of the seven pairs of boots in my little Australian boot collection. I 'got into' these boots about 20 years ago when I attended the huge Bendigo auto swap meeting and spotted a vendor with a big wooden box filled with mint unused WWII boots, all the same size. He wanted five dollars a pair, so I bought a pair (ONE pair? was I mad? Hindsight is a wonderful thing!). Since then I have spotted more here-and-there and this is what I have today:

1 Early flat sole boots are hard to find unused. These were made in 1941 and stamped "Rampling & Hall 422" who were located in Hoddle St, Melbourne. There are two inspectors stamps; H for the upper and T for the soles.

2 A slightly worn pair stamped "V589, 654, 1944" Another Victorian pair. Uppers were inspected by K. Note the jungle cleats.

3 A pair from Western Australia: "W207, 654, 1944" Soles were inspected by M but cant make out the upper inspector.

4 A very russet finish on this South Australian pair: "S311, 65, 1945" P inspected the upper and L the soles.

5 A rather faded pair from Victoria: "V__?, 667?, 1945" Uppers inspected by W.

6 Now we jump forwards to 1966. Stamped with the size and the broad arrow but no maker visible.

7 Finally a pair from 1978, made by John Firth of South Australia and stamped D [broad arrow] D.

Feel free to add pictures of your boots here.

Cheers,
Oz.

**AIF** · 08-15-2015, 09:50 AM

That 1941 dated pair are fantastic mate! They must be a very late 41 manufacture as the toe cap stitched boots were supposed to have been brought in in 1942.

If I can locate where all mine are packed away I will post some pictures up. I have a couple of different versions like the rubber soled ones and the pebbled finish as well.

Thanks for sharing

**Ubique** · 08-15-2015, 11:33 AM

Thank you Luke, I was not aware of the cut-off date.
Yes please, put some pictures up.

Oz.

**lithgow** · 08-15-2015, 12:16 PM

Great collection! The first pair of AB boots I was issued in the school cadets in 1975 was a pair of the black leather sole type-bloody dangerous things that slipped and slid all over any hard surface, especially on a slope-surprised to see that they were still being made in 1978-when I joined the reserve in 1979, all the boots had the synthetic tread soles.

**Ubique** · 08-15-2015, 12:47 PM

Thank you Lithgow. Yes, basically no change from 1941 to 1978, amazing eh? I thought the black ones were incomplete when I first spotted them.

Oz.

**Gunny Hartmann** · 08-15-2015, 01:23 PM

Great thread!....

**AIF** · 08-15-2015, 04:21 PM

G'day Oz, Yeah prior to having the toe stitching they wore the WW1 type boot. Here are a couple of pairs from the Kokoda Historical Society page. The pair in the first two pictures with the laces (incorrectly laced I might add) were made by J.J. WHYTE in 1941. The second pair were made by W.PEATT (William Peatt boot company, Collingwood Vic) in 1940 and last pic shows a comparison between the two toe types.

Cheers Luke.