Code: 58401
A scarce 1914 Pattern Leather Equipment Haversack of the 3rd Issue type, Haversacks being one of the most difficult pieces of this Equipment to source.
1914 Pattern Leather Equipment was introduced by the British in WW1 as an emergency stop gap alternative to the 1908 Pattern Webbing Equipment. It was used by all Commonwealth troops during that conflict.
There were three different types of Haversack issued with 1914 Pattern Equipment, this is the 3rd Issue made all in webbing which was introduced in late November 1915. Prior to this Haversacks issued with the Equipment had a webbing body but leather straps and tabs. Unblancoed and in good service condition overall, the closing flap with service fraying to the webbing edges on both sides and the buckles to the lower back corners removed. This being a very common occurrence in WW1 as these buckles were intended to attach the Haversack to the straps at the back of the 1914 Belt but were little used. To the inside there is a Government inspection stamp and to the rear a unit marking.
Late in WW1 these all web 1914 Haversacks were for the most part modified to accommodate 1908 Webbing by having the pronged side buckles at the top replaced by the wider 08 type, this making unmodified examples such as we have here rather scarce.
