The 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles
And
And
Famous Irish Regiments
19
For thousands of years Infantry soldiering has been the same. The normal soldier on the ground has had to carry his own weapons and personal equipment. The rule has always been the same. If the item was of value and use it was kept. If it was useless and a ' dead ' weight it was thrown away. I once spoke to a Normandy vet who said he threw the ' Piat ' away in a bush because the thing was too ' bloomin heavy ' true or not i do not know. If something could be obtained that made your life easier it was scrounged, or bought. If you could gain an item that was better than your own equipment, you could swap something that was of no use to yourself. And so the game went on and still continues to this day. The Golen rule was that you never stole from your mates. This could often lead to a good ' kinckin ' or worse!! Private purchase items from ' Civvie ' street were often obtained and ended up in a soldiers pack. Normally they were far superior to army issue. If you took 20 Irish soldiers from World War Two who fought in the same platoon and examined the contents of their small packs, each would be different. A privately purchased razor , a nice bar of soap, a hair brush, a jumper. Items sent by loved ones, items found in bombed out houses. If it came in handy and you could use it, you carried it and you kept it. Above are just some of the items a sergeant of the Royal Ulster Rifles might have carried on the 6th June 1944.
22
9
38
10
23
21
8
20
18
16
7
14
6
11
24
15
13
17
12
4
34
5
35
36
37
3
33
32
31
30
2
27
29
28
26
1
25
1/ Army issue blanket.
2/ Woolen gloves.
3/ Woolen Jumper
4/ Spare underwear, vest and pants.
5/ Cap comforter which can also be used as a scarf.
6/ Two Mills Grenades.
7/ Army issue clasp knife with lanyard.
8/ Light Weight Gas Mask.
9/ Leather Jerkin.
10/ MK2 Sten carried normally by Corporals and Sergeants. The lance- corporal carried a No4 Lee Enfield.
11/ 5 Sten magazines.
12/ Various army issue tins containing boiled sweets, cigarettes, tea, and Emergency rations.
13/ Mess tins and linen cover.
14/ Life belt.
15/ Additional cigarettes.
16/ Private purchase cooking stove.
17/ Cigarette case and driving licence.
18/ Machette. This item is normally associated with the Lance
Corporal of the Bren Group but close examination of the photo
right, from the excellent book by Osprey shows a full corporal ( front )
of the 2nd RUR with his men after landing at Sword Beach, wearing a
machette. These were sometimes also worn by senior NCOs
A good example of scrounging a good piece of useful kit.
19/ Toggle rope: 6.4ft, Although associated with Commando
units some Infantry soldiers also carried this item. The picture
right shows the same corporal with a toggle rope hanging
loosely over his right shoulder.
20/ Hessian covered Mk3 Tutle helmet. One of the men right
can be seen wearing the standard Mk2 type.
21/ Small pack with waterproof cape on top and enamel mug.
22/ Large shovel: although entrenching tools were included on
the webbing sets, large shovels were more effective for digging
deeper quickly. They were also very handy in a fight and were often worn down the front of the belt so that the spade covered some of the chest area. A somewhat primitive form of protection against enemy bullets.
23/ RUR 1940 pattern battledress. Distinctive rifle insignia and black buttons. The brown tabs represent ' B ' Company.
24/ GS Beret and RUR badge.
25/ Great Coat.
26/ Neck scarf.
27/ Rifle cleaning kit and rag. ( for Riflemen )
28/ Hankerchief
29/ Playing cards.
30/ Compass.
31/ Army issue glasses. Designed to be worn undeneath the gas mask.
32/ Family photograph
33/ Dubin, Brushes, Foot Powder, Water purifying tablets. ( Dubin was used after 1943 to prevent gas blistering )
34/ Wash Kit, Housewife, spare boot laces, knife, fork and spoon.
35/ Army issue Bible and useful items of reading, such as a book on useful French phrases, pamphlet on the dangers of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, pay book, writing pad, wallet and French money, British coins.
36/ Spare bar of Vegeton Soap. American war aid.
37/ Field Dressing and scissors.
38/ 37 pattern webbing with sten bayonet, gas cape and wire cutters. Also 160 9mm rounds for the sten.
2/ Woolen gloves.
3/ Woolen Jumper
4/ Spare underwear, vest and pants.
5/ Cap comforter which can also be used as a scarf.
6/ Two Mills Grenades.
7/ Army issue clasp knife with lanyard.
8/ Light Weight Gas Mask.
9/ Leather Jerkin.
10/ MK2 Sten carried normally by Corporals and Sergeants. The lance- corporal carried a No4 Lee Enfield.
11/ 5 Sten magazines.
12/ Various army issue tins containing boiled sweets, cigarettes, tea, and Emergency rations.
13/ Mess tins and linen cover.
14/ Life belt.
15/ Additional cigarettes.
16/ Private purchase cooking stove.
17/ Cigarette case and driving licence.
18/ Machette. This item is normally associated with the Lance
Corporal of the Bren Group but close examination of the photo
right, from the excellent book by Osprey shows a full corporal ( front )
of the 2nd RUR with his men after landing at Sword Beach, wearing a
machette. These were sometimes also worn by senior NCOs
A good example of scrounging a good piece of useful kit.
19/ Toggle rope: 6.4ft, Although associated with Commando
units some Infantry soldiers also carried this item. The picture
right shows the same corporal with a toggle rope hanging
loosely over his right shoulder.
20/ Hessian covered Mk3 Tutle helmet. One of the men right
can be seen wearing the standard Mk2 type.
21/ Small pack with waterproof cape on top and enamel mug.
22/ Large shovel: although entrenching tools were included on
the webbing sets, large shovels were more effective for digging
deeper quickly. They were also very handy in a fight and were often worn down the front of the belt so that the spade covered some of the chest area. A somewhat primitive form of protection against enemy bullets.
23/ RUR 1940 pattern battledress. Distinctive rifle insignia and black buttons. The brown tabs represent ' B ' Company.
24/ GS Beret and RUR badge.
25/ Great Coat.
26/ Neck scarf.
27/ Rifle cleaning kit and rag. ( for Riflemen )
28/ Hankerchief
29/ Playing cards.
30/ Compass.
31/ Army issue glasses. Designed to be worn undeneath the gas mask.
32/ Family photograph
33/ Dubin, Brushes, Foot Powder, Water purifying tablets. ( Dubin was used after 1943 to prevent gas blistering )
34/ Wash Kit, Housewife, spare boot laces, knife, fork and spoon.
35/ Army issue Bible and useful items of reading, such as a book on useful French phrases, pamphlet on the dangers of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, pay book, writing pad, wallet and French money, British coins.
36/ Spare bar of Vegeton Soap. American war aid.
37/ Field Dressing and scissors.
38/ 37 pattern webbing with sten bayonet, gas cape and wire cutters. Also 160 9mm rounds for the sten.
Below, a superb book by Osprey
Kept in Battalion Transport : Large Pack, Kit Bag, Greatcoat, Leather Jerkin, One set of battledress, Two sets of denim overalls, Plimsolls,
One pair of ankle boots, Spare underwear, Cap comforter, Housewife, Gas protection clothing, Three blankets ( 5 per man in winter, in a second kit bag, small personal belongings.
This would obviously depend on the circumstances and the Battalion Commander.
