Blue-Grey RAF Pattern 1925 Webbing Set in Pictures
Presented below is a set of Pattern 1925 webbing made between 1938 and 1941. This pattern was developed by Mills Equipment Company of London shortly after the Great War and was adopted by the Royal Air Force in 1927. The set could accommodate rifleman with cartridge carriers and a bayonet frog, as well as men armed with pistols. The latter were initially armed with Colt Automatic Pistols until 1938, when the Pistol Revolver No. 2, Mk. I was introduced. In 1941, blue-grey Pattern 1937 Web Equipment was approved for the R.A.F and production of Pattern 1925 largely ceased. Early Pattern 1925 webbing was marked with an Air Ministry ownership stamp, contract number and date, while later production pieces (circa 1941) lack the contract numbers and show the manufacturer’s mark instead. The use of the Air Ministry Stamp seems to have ended around 1940-41 with only a few early blue-grey Pattern 1937 pieces still marked with this stamp.
The descriptions accompanying these pictures are taken from information on Karkee Web. See this fantastic reference site for yourself here!
A view of the set with Rucksack
The Rucksack, or "The Octopus" as Airmen called it, was a new design that was submitted to the Patent Office in 1921.
Unlike earlier Pattern 1919 Rucksack, the Pattern 1925 Rucksack featured a top part and a removable bottom part, allowing for a lightened configuration for certain duties, as shown in this view.
Below are a few diagrams from Mills’ 1921 patent application (note that the pack shown in these pictures feature additional straps - J1, J, A6 - that are not present on the R.A.F. Rucksack).
The Rucksack, Top Part featured two straps (H) for securing the steel helmet.
The Rucksack, Top Part also featured integral, but adjustable, shoulder straps having Hooks at the junction of the 2-inch shoulder strap and the 3/4-inch counter (under-arm) strap, forming an "L" shape. These Hooks connected to the 4-bar buckles on the Brace Attachments.
The 3/4-inch counter (under-arm) straps could connect to buckles on the base of the Rucksack, Top Part (A5) or to buckles on the base of the Rucksack, Bottom Part (F2). Here they are shown connected to Buckle F2 on the Rucksack, Bottom Part.
The right-hand shoulder strap had a detachable counter strap, or Kicking Strap, to allow the Rucksack to be removed more easily.
The Kicking Strap is attached to the shoulder strap buckle with a flat brass hook (note the British patent number 639521 on the shoulder strap hook, this number continued to be stamped on early Pattern 1937 shoulder strap hooks even through to late war production in some cases).
This Kicking Strap features typical markings for early R.A.F., including an Air Ministry ownership mark (a crown surmounting the letters AM), a contract code B42101/39/C1 (the contract year is often present in the contract code as a two digit number) and the manufacture date of 1939. (Special thanks to BananaMafia for helping me complete my set with this component).
This view shows the Rucksack, Top Part open.
This Rucksack, Top Part features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code 783549/38 and production year of 1938.
This view shows the Rucksack, Bottom Part open.
This Rucksack, Bottom Part features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code B 108870/40 C338 and production year of 1940.
A view of the set without the Rucksack.
The Carrier, Water Bottle is a sleeve type carrier which completely conceals the enamelled water bottle.
One possible reason for the use of a sleeve carrier with the Pattern 1925 set is discussed on Karkee Web. The R.A.F. retained khaki felt covers on water bottles through the interwar years since Airmen continued to use drab Pattern 1908 on Foreign Service. The new Pattern 1925 sleeve carriers concealed these khaki water bottle covers for Home Service. Interestingly, blue-grey covers were introduced after the Second World War.
This Carrier, Water Bottle features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code B/108070/40/C338 and production year of 1940.
The bottle is a blue cobalt Mk VI in a drab serge cloth cover with attached 18 inch stopper cord. This pattern started replacing the old khaki felt pattern in 1933 and was replaced by the green Mk VII bottle with drab serge cloth cover and separate 9 inch stopper cord in 1939.
The Pattern 1925 Haversack is very similar in shape to the Pattern 1919 Haversack, but it has no rear or bottom fittings, so it can only be worn suspended from the Braces.
Like the Pattern 1919 Haversack, it is tapered in profile.
This Haversack was made by Michael Wright & Son, Limited of Quorn, Leicestershire in 1941. It appears that contract codes were largely replaced by makers’ marks in 1941 and many late production Pattern 1925 items do not have them.
The Pouch, Ammunition, Pistol was introduced in 1938 when the R.A.F. adopted the Pistol Revolver No. 2, Mk. I. It was identical to the second issue Pattern 1919 Cartridge Pouch, except it was in blue-grey.
This Pouch, Ammunition, Pistol features the Air Ministry Mark and was made by Michael Wright & Son, Limited of Quorn, Leicestershire in 1941.
The Holster, Pistol was originally intended for the Colt Pistol and had a wooden base plug as well as a slightly different size and shape to accommodate that firearm. By 1938, the style had changed to accommodate the new Pistol Revolver No. 2, Mk. I and it was nearly identical to the Pattern 1937 holster.
Unlike the Pattern 1937 holster, the Pattern 1925 holster featured an external cleaning rod sleeve and lacked the third horizontal hook.
This Holster, Pistol features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code 783549/38 and production year of 1938.
An interior view of the set, which clearly shows the three part belt comprised of the Strap, Adjustment and a pair of Pieces, Side.
The Strap, Adjustment featured two spigot halves of a press fastener which were used with the Pattern 1925 bayonet frog when the set was configured for a Rifleman.
The right-hand Piece, Side and an Attachment, Brace.
This right-hand Piece, Side features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code A/1213/40 and production year of 1941 (the contract was completed the year after it was placed). The Attachment, Brace features the Air Ministry Mark and was made by Michael Wright & Son, Limited of Quorn, Leicestershire in 1941.
The left-hand Piece, Side and an Attachment, Brace.
This left-hand Piece, Side features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code A/1213/40 and production year of 1941 (The faint ‘U’ acceptance stamp makes Mills Equipment Company, Limited the likely manufacturer). The Attachment, Brace features the Air Ministry Mark and was made by Michael Wright & Son, Limited of Quorn, Leicestershire in 1941.
The Strap, Adjustment features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code A/1213/40 and production year of 1941.
The Brace, Left features the Air Ministry Mark, contract code A/1213/40 and production year of 1941. The left brace also had a webbing loop for the Braces, Right to pass through.
The Brace, Right features the Air Ministry Mark and was made by Michael Wright & Son, Limited of Quorn, Leicestershire in 1941.
Although not part of the 1925 set, the blue-grey webbing gaiters are heavily associated with the pattern. They were adopted around 1936 to replace glue-grey puttees, first for officers and then for all Airmen.
This set of Gaiters, Blue-Grey feature Air Ministry Marks, contract code 825758/38 and production year of 1938. They are a size 5.
Thank you very much for reading!
