| Place | Oceania: Australia |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/18353.005 |
| Collection type | Heraldry |
| Object type | Uniform |
| Physical description | Brass, Buff leather, Tin-plated copper |
| Maker |
W Jones and Co W M Jones & Co |
| Place made | United Kingdom: England, Greater London, London |
| Date made | c 1884-1888 |
| Conflict |
Australian Colonial Forces, 1854-1900 |
1882 Pattern (Mark III) ammunition pouches : British and colonial forces
Description
Pair of buff leather ammunition pouches, 1882 Pattern (Mark III) Valise Equipment (described in List of Changes 3994 13 January 1882 and 18 May 1884) designed to carry 40 rounds of Martini Henry rifle ammunition. The pouch is made from five pieces of leather – front, back, front flap, gusset and inner guard, stitched together. The measurements of the pouch are as per the sealed pattern being 6 inches wide and 5 3/4 inches high. It has no internal compartments but does have a small leather tab stitched to the inside front of the pouch. The front flap has a stitched dart in each side to provide shape and is secured with a leather strap with two holes and slits which fit over a brass stud. A leather guard lies along the top front opening of the pouch to prevent loss of ammunition. Both leather guards have stitch holes through them indicating that the piece of leather from which they are cut previously had cartridge tubes sewn to it. Two loose vertical leather loops are stitched and riveted to the back of the pouch enabling it to be carried on the waist belt. A cast brass retractable ‘D’ loop sewn under a leather tab to provide attachment for the braces when worn is missing from the top of both pouches. A small horizontal stitched loop lies along the lower back to secure the front strap when the pouch was empty. ‘W JONES & CO C&M ?? REGENT ST’ has been stamped into the surface of the inner guard. One of the leather guards also has the numbers '10' and '?6' impressed into the surface.
History / Summary
The 1882 Pattern Valise Equipment replaced the 1871 pattern. It was used well into the 1890s and was in service for some years after the introduction of the 1888 Pattern (Slade-Wallace) equipment. The complete equipment consisted of a waist belt, two ammunition pouches, a case and a strap for the Italian water bottle, a pair of braces, two straps for the valise or mess-tin, two straps for the mess-tin or great coat and a valise to hold clothing and personal equipment.