WW1 1915 Swansea Pals 14th Bn Welsh Regiment 1914 Pattern Equipment

WW1 1915 Swansea Pals 14th Bn Welsh Regiment 1914 Pattern Equipment

Recently discovered during a house clearance I have left these two web packs for the 1914 equipment as I acquired then and they remain in superb untouched original condition.

Comprising Large pack of the special pattern for the 1914 equipment. The pack retains all leather tags, straps and buckles, the leather is a good colour and supple. To the underside of the flap clear stamp for the 14th Welsh and date stamp “1 15” (January 1915). The pack is complete with a pair of 1914 pattern utility straps used by the original owner for wearing the large pack, it is more common to see these straps holding the steel helmet to the pack.

Small Pack. This is the pure 1914 pattern with leather straps, tags and brass buckles. In my opinion one of the rarest and hardest to find pieces of 1914 equipment. It is more common to find adapted examples or the official 1908/14 pattern interchangeable pack. This example is complete with dividing cloth to the inside and to the underside of the flap issue stamp, now faint. The pack retains fitted as originally used a 1914 pattern brace strap this dated 1915.

This pair of packs retain there original blanko green finish to the webbing and would make a superb matching pair to display with the 1914 equipment.

These represent some of the best pieces of 1914 equipment I have handled.

The Swansea Pals were raised as the 14th Service Battalion of The Welsh Regiment. They embarked for the  Western Front in December 1915 and formed part of the 38th Welsh Division. The Battalion took part in the attack on Mametz Wood on the Western Front during the First Battle of the Somme. By the end of the day one hundred men were lost with 300 more wounded.