This week’s postcard is what appears to be at first glance a fairly standard postcard depicting a soldier in India in the interwar era:

The cap badge of the King’s Own Regiment can be seen on the front of his Wolseley Helmet which is resting on the ground by his feet:

It is however what he is wearing on his feet which is of most interest. Instead of the usual leather ammunition boots he wears canvas shoes:

These leather and canvas shoes were a popular private purchase item, especially in hot climates where they were presumably a more comfortable item of footwear off duty than the standard army boot. The boots were made of canvas with leather reinforcing for the lace holes, toe cap and ankle bone protector. The shoes were available in two styles that were officially approved by the military, the “Canvas Shoe No 1” that was priced at 4/- and the “Canvas Shoe No 2” that was priced at 3s 9d. There was also a “Canvas Shoe No 3” which was specifically designated for use on troops ships.