A photograph of a soldier's kit taken by Captain W.C. Merston in 1914. Canadian soldiers carried similar equipment to British Tommies, although the cap badges and shoulder bars read "CANADA." In this photograph, braces, belts, and ammunition pouches can be seen on the far left; next to them are Canadian-made boots that had a reputation for disintegrating in the mud and had to be replaced in England with heavy British hob-nailed boots. In the centre lies a water bottle, mess kit, and rolled puttees; to the far right are what appear to be a blanket, a shirt, and a "hold-all," which contained needle and thread for mending clothes.
George Metcalf Archival Collection
CWM 19950115-006
Canada and the First World War
