The 58 pattern webbing set was the mainstay of the British Army throughout the Cold War and although we have covered odd pieces on the blog before, a recent purchase of a nice clean set of webbing has given the opportunity to go back and look at the set as a whole and then study the missing components not previously covered.
When it was introduced the official list of changes from 1959 described the set as:
The above items of web equipment are hereby introduced to meet the requirements for an improved pattern of equipment for use in temperate and tropical climates. The equipment will enable the soldier in the field to carry his ammunition, rations, water, personal clothing and necessaries. Issue will be restricted to units as nominated by War office from time to time.
The new design comprises two orders, Fighting and Marching.
The main features are:-
- Transference of the weight from the shoulders to the hips
- Transference of the ammunition pouches from the front of the body to the sides of the waist belt.
- The fitting of a yoke to the shoulder straps to provide greater stability
The design was to remain in manufacture for over thirty years and many of the components were updated and their design tweaked with experience. This example is a very late set, but shows the basic principle and the primary components:
The water bottle and its carrier were not originally included in the set, and had to be retrospectively added. This component is not shown above, but we have covered it here. Also not illustrated is the large pack, which was universally detested for its poor design, again this has been covered previously here.
The web gear was attached using a combination of traditional wire ‘c’ hooks and also straps with metal hooks and loops that secured each piece to the belt or yoke:
The yoke itself was a major advance for this set of webbing as it was padded and far more comfortable than previous webbing sets and the 58 pattern set was to see service right through until the mid-1990s, with the Falklands campaign being its shining hour. By the fist Gulf War it was partially replaced by PLCE, but was still used by many troops who had not yet received the new PLCE web set.
The first set of fitting instructions gives the following, comprehensive, overview of the set:
With this equipment a considerable part of the load is normally borne by the waist, but the import of the old adage “a change is as good as a rest” can be brought into effect by the simple expedient of unfastening the buckle of the belt, thus transferring the load entirely to the shoulders. The equipment can be assembled in “fighting order” or in “marching order” and by means of easily adjustable straps the load can be shifted whilst the wearer is on the move. The front of the body is kept free from encumbrances which might restrict certain movements.
The items of this equipment, which are not interchangeable with similar items of earlier types of webbing equipment, have been designed to accommodate the latest types of arms and accessories issued to the Services, including the lightweight pick and shovel.
Description of the Equipment
The main items of equipment are made of rotproofed and water repellent lightweight webbing, dyed to British Standard Camouflage Colour no 15.
The metal fittings are principally of light alloy with a dull protective finish which should not be removed. Quick release fittings have been used wherever possible to give quick access to the contents of the pouches etc.
The following are the component parts, which can be assembled in a variety of combinations to meet differing load carrying requirements:
- Belt, Waist
- Carrier, Cape
- Pack
- Pouch, Amunition, Left
- Pouch, Ammunition, Right
- Pouches, Rear (pair forming one item)
- Straps, Utility (two)
- Yoke
The turn buckle was replaced with a strap and blackened metal buckle to hold the top flap down:
The underside of the lid has a small pocket sewn to it that can hold a set of water purifying tabs:
The pouch is a snug fit for the water bottle and cup, but it does slide in and out easily enough:
This pouch is in unissued condition, without a single scratch to the buckles or any storage dirt whatsoever, as can be seen most clearly on the rear:
The back of the pouch has a pair of ‘C’ hooks to secure it to the 58 pattern webbing belt:
And the maker’s details, stores code and date are stamped on in a large ink stamp:
These water bottle pouches were put to far more uses than just carrying a water bottle and examples were added to the 58 pattern set as utility pouches. Other uses saw them marked up with a red cross and used for first aid kits, their slim width making it easier to add them as extras onto a standard webbing load out.
It is more square in shape than earlier designs and the box lid secures with a brass turn buckle rather than a press stud:
The lid opens to allow a marching compass to be fitted inside:
The interior of the pouch is padded with felt to help protect the slightly delicate compass from shocks and bumps:
Manufacturer’s details were printed on the underside of the box lid, unfortunately in this case they are now very faint and I can’t make out who made this pouch or when:
The rear of the pouch has a single metal ‘C’ hook and a transverse webbing loop to allow the 58 pattern yoke to be slotted through:
For some reason, this pouch has had a splash of yellow paint added to the rear:
I am not sure exactly why this has been done, possibly it has been added by a previous user so he can quickly identify his piece of webbing in a pile of his comrades.
The shoulder brace is quite reminiscent of a 37 pattern strap, with a wider portion 2” wide in the centre where it passes over the shoulder, thinning to 1” at each end of the brace. As the 58 pattern belt was never designed for use with traditional shoulder straps, simple loops are fitted to pass a belt through. At the fixed end of the strap there are two of these, one above the other:
The opposite end of the strap is plain and a separate loop with a buckle is provided to go over the belt:
The plain end of the shoulder brace goes through this buckle and allows the length to be adjusted easily for comfort. The strap is an official piece of webbing rather than a piece made at unit level. The straps had an NSN number of 8465-99-130-0246 and this was stamped on the strap, although it is very faint on this example:
The straps came as a pair, one plain like this one and a second with a loop on the back to allow the straps to be worn crossed. Sadly I don’t have a complete pair yet, but like any SAS related equipment this strap is quite scarce and commands high prices on the collectors market. The prices for SAS related objects often have as much to do with the cache of the Regiment than any actual relationship to their scarcity. Often far rarer items sell for much less because they do not have the association with Special Forces. Happily for me, this strap came as part of a general job lot and was a pleasant surprise when I finally managed to identify what it was for!
A box lid fits over the altimeter and is secured with a single press stud, keeping the contents safe and secure within:
Due to the size of the pouch it was impractical to have it mounted on the belt itself, so a pair of one inch drop straps allow it to hang below the waist belt:
The large eyelet is to allow a lanyard to be fastened, securing the altimeter to the pouch and preventing it being dropped and lost. Underneath is the faint markings of a stores code and date, it seems to have been made by MW&S in 1982:
I have struggled to find much further information on the pouch, presumably due to the secretive nature of special forces there is not much out there on the pouch. I did however come across this photograph which I believe is a 1980s photograph of an SAS belt kit set up (the site I found it on is in Polish so I have no context I can give to the image). Here the altimeter pouch can be seen on the belt, but it is being used to carry a compass:
If anyone has any pictures of the actual altimeters used with this pouch, please get in contact as it would be interesting to see what is supposed to fit inside the pouch!
As can be seen the set consists of one 58 pattern ammunition pouch and two water bottle pouches on a 58 pattern belt:
This set up emphasises the need for hydration during grueling foot patrols, with minimal ammunition needed. One ex soldier describes what he carried in Northern Ireland:
