Perry 8th Army Plastics equipment question

[Silent Invader]

And another contradiction.  This has a photo of an Indian Army soldier in the desert with Thompson.  If you look carefully what might be the frog (webbing holder) for the sword bayonet scabbard is partially obscured by the Thompson.

http://ww2db.com/image.php?image_id=11294

[Cubs]

Yeah, that's a point, my bad. The Sten had a bayonet issued, I forgot about the Thompson.

I think there was a plan for a bayonet for the Thompson, but whether it actually ever went into production or not is doubtful.

[Jeff965]

It looks to me like the scabbard is actually in the frog. This brings me back to my point that in an area that is swimming in weapons and ammunition you should not be surprised if people are equipped in an unusual way.

[ARKOUDAKI]

Thanks all...some useful info...and it reminded me to dig out my copy of WW2 Combat Arms and Insignia by Martin Windrow...a great book for being so old.

So to recap, SMGs no long pig sticker but a knife of some sorts...and bren and AT rifle the same...mortar guys had SMLEs so bayonets go with.

Right???

[Jeff965]

Yes that would work

[carlos marighela]

I'd just leave the bayonet and scabbard off the non rifle equipped figures, save for maybe the odd eccentric. Troops were issued with a decent clasp knife btw.

[ARKOUDAKI]

Carlos, just to be clear, the small knife for SMG/NCOs and such was kept somewhere in the kit, right...it wasn't placed externally on the web gear like the big bayonet???

[carlos marighela]

Yep, it was a pocket knife, folding type, stugged in a pouch or pocket, you could attach a lanyard to a belt loop. Useful item, sadly I lost mine. The pattern remained basically the same for well forever.

[Arlequín]

AFAIK there was only one quite rare model of the Thompson (the 1923 model), to which a bayonet could be fitted to and that was the American style one in any case. Otherwise one could not be fitted.

Jeff's pretty much on the money for me as regards what was carried. Regimental 'orders of the day' covered everything that might or might not be worn (on any particular day/week/month) and the relative strictness of your sergeant in prosecuting those orders being the final word, barring those of the CSM or RSM, which were largely four letter ones in any case.

'Officially' even Bren gunners were issued rifles which they were 'supposed' to carry along with the Bren itself, but you never see them actually doing that in photos... likewise you do not see Bren Guns on ceremonial duty photos. 2" Mortars and Boys AT rifles were held as platoon weapons, so their chosen operators, when they were required, were also rifle-armed men.

The bayonet was a really useful tool though, as a few of you have mentioned, rumour has it that you could actually use it against the enemy too if you had to. I suspect that quite a few people who did not really need one probably carried one and those who did not have one (i.e. those 'officially' issued pistols) probably acquired one. Given the numbers I and a few here have come across over the years, it sounds like it must have been the most commonly 'lost item' reported on demob in 1945... barring the clasp knife.   

For me then, in a purely general, but by no means universal sense, it's bayonets for all, unless you have pips on your epaulettes, or were wearing just the belt and pistol pouch, to which adding a bayonet might mean you were 'out of uniform'... one of the worst crimes known to man, other than losing something of course.