Greetings All,
Just to help kick start this forum, I offer a few WWI Allied infantry impressions.
United States.
The doughboy wears a M1917 helmet copied from the British Brodie helmet, the gas mask is also a M1917, copied from the British small box respirator; the tunic is the M1917 with infantry and US collar insignias; the cartridge belt is an M1917 and is supported by the shoulder straps of the M1910 haversack; on the right front hip is the M1910 first aid pouch, the dressing was sealed in a brass container and contained nothing more than a gauze bandage; on the left front hip is an M1917 trench knife; the trousers are M1917 and the M1917 boots are topped with puttees; on the back of the knapsack is the mess kit pouch with the M1910 entrenching shovel hooked beneath it; on the left rear hip is the M1910 canteen nested in the cup in the cloth pouch; the soldier facing the camera is armed with the Winchester M1897 trench shotgun, the soldier facing away is armed with the Eddystone M1917, a redesign of the British P1914 Enfield; both weapons use the same bayonet the P14/M17 and the scabbard is carried on the left side of the knapsack.
Italian infantryman
The Italian soldier is wearing the M1916 Adrian helmet; the cape on his left shoulder is the Mantellina, issued in lue of a great coat; the tunic is a M1909 in grigio-verde of war time maufacture; the M1907 trousers are reproduction; M1912 ancle boots are topped with puttees; M1907 belt equipment (mostly of post war production) two double ammo pouches supported by a strap passing behind the neck, the scabbard for the M1891 Carcano bayonet is on the left hip; slung onthe left hip is the M1907 haversack with the M1917 water bottle strapped to it; the rifle he carries is the Carcano N1891 rifle with bayonet.
The next selection is the Poilu, French soldier,
He is wearing the Adrian M1915 helmet with infantry badge; The gas mask is the ARS1917; The overcoat is the mounted/artillery model, identified by the split coat tail, under the overcoat is the symplified tunic;; the breeches are piped in dark blue indicating mounted troop; the puttees are the M1910 over M1917 boots; the ammo pouches are M1905 supported by belt and M1892 Y straps (braces); the M1886/93 bayonet is carried in the M1888/14 frog; on his back is the M1893 knapsack with shelter half and M1952 mess kit strapped on top;on his left hip, rear, is the M1892 haversack; on the left hip front is the M1877 two liter water bottle; on his right hip is the M1877 one liter water bottle with 1/4 liter cup;a F1 fragmentation grenade is hanging from his haversack strap; the Poilu is armed with the M1886-93 Lebel rifle with the M1986/93 bayonet.
A Belgian Soldier Wearing a late war US made tunic with summer weight trousers; he is wearing the M1915 Adrian helmet with the Belgian Lion insignia; the ARS 1917 Gas mask, made in France patterned after the German Ledermaske; Mills pattern 1915 belt, ammo pouches and knapsack made in the UK; Belgian leather leggings with French M1917 boots; Mess tin and water bottle patterned after the German counterparts; early war haversack (I am lacking the Mills haversack, and the belt and ammo pouches shown here are probably Portuguese or Brazilian); The weapon is a Carbine M1889 Mauser made in England during the war. The Belgian Army was a small force, and they were equipped in the later years of the war by materials manufactured in other allied countries due to the fact that Belgium was nearly completely occupied by Germany by the end of 1914.
A soldier of the British Commonwealth, could be identified as a Canadian by the Canadian pattern overcoat; he is wearing the Brodie steel helmet and the M1917 small box respirator; the web gear is the Mills P1908 equipment consisting of left and right ammo pouches on the belt supported by braces that also support the P08 Valise or large pack, on his right hip is the entrenching tool head and water bottle, on his left hip is his bayonet and helve for the entrenching tool as well as the haversack; on the back of the large pack is his mess tin in cover; a pair of wire cutters is stuck in his belt and a Mills #5 bomb is hanging from his belt; he is armed with a SMLE #1MKIII rifle and bayonet.
