This WW1 digger is wearing the standard Australian
pattern tunic and breeches of WW1. The tunic is dated 1916 and the breeches
are dated 1917. The helmet is a second pattern Brodie, with the leather
chinstrap and 'leatherette' liner. The leather equipment being worn is
a purely Australian made set.

Australia adopted the English web equipment,
Pattern of 1908, shortly after the British army adopted it. Large quantities of P'08 were sent to Australia in 1912. And in the beginning of WW1 it was found that the supply and production of the web equipment could not be relied upon to fill Australia's needs. Even before Australia's entry to the conflict of the Great War it was seen that Australia may not be able to rely upon supplies from overseas. So a localised attempt at reproducing the successful pattern of British web equipment was trialled. The Australian Government sent out contracts to reproduce the P'08 in Australian produced leather, almost as soon as the P'08 equipment was developed. Several tests were carried out, but at the beginning of WW1, attempts were made in earnest. The Australian Leather Infantry Equipment was an identical copy of the web equipment, early attempts varied in the type of ammunition pouch closures and securing methods. Some of this equipment found its way to the battlefields, photos exist of Diggers wearing versions of the leather equipment in the early battles around Pozieres 1916, numerous photos also exist of Australians in training camps in Egypt, and England, wearing an early version of the equipment.  There are also photographs of this equipment being worn in the field up to the conclusion of hostilities.

In 1916 a report of the leather equipment (known as Australian Infantry Leather Equipment) some contributors condemned it as lacking when compared with the web P'08. The major complaint was the equipment stretched and slipped when wet. This problem was rectified by adding tongues to the two inch buckles and also the one inch buckles on all the equipment. Despite these modifications the leather equipment does not appear to have enjoyed much popularity, in the Great War, after 1916, mainly because the British web was readily available and already tested. The leather equipment continued to see service throughout the rest of the war. At the beginning of WW2 this leather equipment was taken out of stores and issued again. 

Commonly this equipment is called 'Pattern 1915', or P15, as this is generally accepted term used by most collectors
as the date of its first appearance in any great numbers. Most examples today show manufacture dates of 1916, and re-issued dates of 1917 and 1918, mainly to Commonwealth Military Forces units. It was withdrawn from Australian service in about 1942 where it was described as Australian P08 Equipment

For more recent discussions on this equipment see the web site Karkee Web.

Close up of:-
Right hand view
Left hand view
Rear view