Military Kit Through The Ages

A photographic survey explores the personal equipment carried by the common British soldier through the past 1,000 years from the Battle of Hastings to Helmand. Detailed below is the kit carried by a mounted knight in 1244. It's a far cry from the high tech equipment carried today.

1244 mounted knight, Siege of Jerusalem

1. Gonfanon – a banner that was used after the Norman conquest and displayed on the end of a spear or flag pole

2. Kettle helmet - broad brimmed with lots of ventilation and good visibility

3. Helmet with a curved face plate, which came into use after the Siege of Antioch, which took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098

4. Sword belt

5. Shield with a flat top

6. Necklace

7. White cloth with a snip for cutting small items, a leather box of needles and a roll of thread fire steel a flint and tinder for starting a fire

8. Wooden bowl and cup, ceramic cup and a wooden spoon

9. Knife and sheaf for cutting food. There were no forks in this time period – people used spoons to eat soup or porridge, and a knife to eat meat

10. Water bottle made of leather and soaked in pitch

11. Script bag

12. Leather boots– finished just below the calf with the laces wrapped around boots

13. Gauntlet – leather gloves

14. Linen Shirt

15. Socks – made using the technique nålebinding, where long lengths of wool are woven into long thin braids, starting at toe

16. Battle dress – red tunic worn next to the body; linen canvus padded jacket, chaine maille and blue and yellow surcoat

17. Belt – made using the technique of tablet weaving, a very archaic form of weaving

18. Rosary beads

19. Belt

20. Woollen cloak shaped like semi circle - waterproof and wind proof and used for travelling

21. Glaive - a new invention for the time, the weapon was originally made from a broken sword with a new piece of wood welded on

22. Sword

23. Dagger

24. Crescent-shaped axe

25. Flanged mace

26. Thigh-length, sleeveless leather vest, which buckled down back and had metal plates inside. This was top of the range body armour for the period

28. Maille to cover the legs and linen covering that went to the mid thigh - in this time period trousers don’t yet exist so the pieces of material covering the leg and groin are two different pieces

27. Straps to attach maille legs

Much more: Telegraph



Thanks Bruce!