The three soldiers depicted here are all Australian World War 1 volunteers. The uniforms worn are typical of the uniforms worn in WW1 in France and Belgium. From left to right they are, an engineer, an artillery gunner and a infantryman.

The first soldier is a sapper, on both sleeves of his Australian made tunic is the circular purple patch of the 4th Division Field Engineers, near the cuff of his right sleeve he wears four blue chevrons, indicating that he has served 4 years away from Australia. Usually on the collars of the tunic would be two small Australian rising sun badges, similarly on each shoulder strap near the edge of the shoulder two curved titles "AUSTRALIA" would be worn.
His hat is Australian made and is original to the tunic (or his brother's, who served in the Light Horse), it has no markings. The leather sweatband is a light green colour and the markings are too indistinct to decipher. On the puggaree is sewn a large rising sun hat badge.
The tunic, or blouse, is a Government made item. On the inside right shoulder there is a large ink stamp, showing it was made by the Government Clothing Factory, Australia. There are also some other similar marks indicating the size of the tunic and the weight of the wool. There appear to be no sewn-in labels.
His equipment is the Pattern 1908 infantry equipment. He is wearing a 'pistol rig' as his job may preclude him from carrying a rifle. On the 3 inch waist belt is a pistol case, made of leather, held onto the belt by two brass hooks, similarly there is also a pistol ammunition pouch, fixed in the same manner. There are two 2 inch wide shoulder straps, which attach the rear by the two brass buckles on the belt, and to the front by two 'brace attachments. These devices have open brass buckles that fix onto the belt, and a 2 inch buckle that the shoulder braces attach. From this buckle, two one inch diagonal straps, are permanently fixed. The straps assist with steadying either the large pack or the haversack, when worn on the back. Not visible here is the bayonet frog, which carries an entrenching tool helve, and a entrenching tool blade carrier. Slung from the right shoulder is the box respirator, gas mask.
The metal object in the foreground is the top of a daylight signalling mirror, 1916, on a tripod, which carefully covers the large moth damage to the tunic.

The second figure is a gunner from the First division Field Artillery. The colour patches of red and blue are worn on each upper sleeve near each shoulder, just below the metal curved "AUSTRALIA" titles on each shoulder strap. It is interesting to note that this tunic is also Australian made, under contract to the Australian Government. The manufacturer was 'Stiegrad', dated 1916, and it is suspected the company was based in Brisbane, QUEENSLAND. The tunic is a lighter weight that the tunics either side of it, and it is a green colour rather that the tan kakhi of the other two. Also this tunic has brass 'Australia' buttons, where as nearly all other tunics have either a four holed dished 'plastic' type of button or a pressed leather type. On the left sleeve near the cuff are two brass 'gold' wound stripes. Each stripe represents a wound received. The equipment worn is the Pattern 1903 bandoleer equipment for mounted troops. This simply consists of a leather belt, a haversack slung on a 2 inch web strap and a bandoleer with five pockets holding 50 rounds, also on the belt is the bayonet frog and bayonet for the No1 Mk III Lee Enfield rifle. The slouch hat is most likely British made.

The ordinary Digger. The equipment is the Pattern 1908 web equipment, for the soldier. the three inch waist belt has a large open brass buckle at the front, on either side are five ammunition pouches. Each pouch holds 15 rounds of .303 Enfield rifle ammunition, in three clips. Totalling 150 rounds, and another further 10 rounds would be held in two clips in the haversack. Another 50 rounds is in a cotton bandoleer slung across his chest, only visible in this photograph is the strap of the bandoleer. Other equipment consists of a haversack, bayonet, entrenching tool and helve, and a water bottle in its carrier. This tunic, although near identical to the first one, was not made by the Government Clothing Factory, but by a company under contract. The company is G. Spiegel and Sons, and is dated 1916. The tunic is well made and strong, the buttons are also a 'plastic' material with four holes with a rimmed dished shape. The helmet is a second pattern Brodie, with a standard leather chin strap (these were still to be seen worn by Australian troops in the beginning of WW2. There are no badges on this tunic at all, it is believed this was issued as a 'coming home tunic' and the original owner could not be bothered putting any badges on it.

Grant

This page was last updated by Russell Napier Tuesday, 11 May 1999.