Sunday, August 24, 2014

Military kit through the ages: from the Battle of Hastings to Helmand

From the crude weaponry and armour of the Battle of Hastings, to the high-tech kit of modern conflict, a new photographic survey explores the personal equipment carried by the common British soldier through the past 1,000 years

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The "equipment is not "crude" or "primitive" In EVERY era it is "state of the art" and the best available at that time. We would do well to remember that a sword ,longbow, crossbow, muzzleloader, or SMLE in the hands of a trained man, is just as deadly RIGHT NOW--TODAY as it was in its heyday. There are NO dangerous weapons , only dangerous men.---Ray

Kenneth Moore said...

Big differences in today's soldier than over last 1,000 year!

No doubt too, the weight difference of today's "basic load"! Wonder what would be?

A huge quality difference in weapons today that last few hundred years too.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Moore; No not really. The quality is relative. The Yew longbow is still the finest wooden bow of its kind ever made. The steel windless crossbow was so difficult and exacting to make that modern craftsmen have yet to match it. Period sword steels are still unsurpassed in both quality and craftsmanship. The SMLE is far and away a better weapon than any than the AR-15. Saying we are better today is simply wrong. FYI The "basic load" for an infantryman has been 70 pounds for about the last 3000 years, its only in our "civilized" period (the last 100 years), that loading the infantry down like mules has been popular with governments.---Ray

Anonymous said...

A revealling article on the loads carried by soldiers through the ages:

http://www.everyjoe.com/2014/06/23/politics/the-soldiers-load-the-immobility-of-a-nation/

III