Uniform & web equipment, Aussie Digger 1915

1908 pattern canvas infantry webbing as issued to WW1 troops. This was later replaced, for a while, with leather webbing of the same design. Leather was unsuccessful, especially in the wet conditions of France and so canvas came back into play.

• The photos above show the leather webbing that was originally issued to Australian Infantry and other Corps (except Light Horse.) to replace the 1908 pattern canvas webbing. Leather was more plentiful than canvas in Australia.

• It was Australian made and proved acceptable at Gallipoli and in Egypt but in the cold wet climate of France it was not as good as the British canvas webbing. 

• As a result the leather webbing was replaced.

Most photos courtesy of CWO (CW4) Herbert H "Sarge" Booker 2nd.

Later in WW1 they gained the nickname "gas cape" as they offered some small degree of protection against gas, especially mustard gas.

They were a returnable item and I was issued one in 1965. Also called poncho's.