Kings Royal Rifle Corps Authenticity Regulations

I. Headgear
Helmet Mk. I
Source: Can be found second hand or ebay. Will have a split rivet design to hold the
chinstrap suspension in place. Original shells can be restored with a Reproduction
Helmet liner and chin strap
Source: What Price Glory
Prairie Flower Leather Company
Service Dress Cap & Trench Cap
Manufactured of khaki serge Requires 2x 14 mm KRRC Kings crown buttons
Sources: Best Source – Khaki on Campaign.
Acceptable – What Price Glory or SOF
Balaclava Helmets, Cap Comforters, etc.
Sources:
World War Knits
What Price Glory
II. Insignia
Cap Badge
Blackened brass. Originals can be found on ebay
Shoulder Flashes
Black “KRR” flashes, one for each epulate. Originals can be found on ebay
Buttons
Black horn KRRC buttons with a Kings crown not Queens crown. Originals can be
found on ebay
III. Uniforms
Jacket - Service Dress Pattern 1904
Sources: Best Source – Khaki on Campaign.
Acceptable - What Price Glory “1907” Pattern. Should shave it a bit with a straight or
safety razor. Requires 5x 23 mm buttons and 6x 17 mm KRRC Kings crown buttons.
Trousers Pattern 1902
Sources: Best Source – Khaki on Campaign.
Acceptable – What Price Glory “1907” Pattern. Should shave it a bit with a straight
or safety razor.
Trouser Braces (Suspenders)
White Cotton woven or sewn variants with brown leather button tabs.
Source: What Price Glory – British Trousers Braces/Suspenders
Shirt – British Issue 3 Button Greyback
Source: What Price Glory
Jerkin, Leather
Source: Soldier of Fortune, Ebay, events, gun and militaria shows. Original WW2
Issue Jerkins are nearly identical to their WW1 counterpart except for the buttons.
Color should be a straight brown; some of the WW2 Jerkins were “camouflaged”
with different dye applications to the leather. Belgian Post-WW2 models have an
ugly finish and most modern reproductions have a strange sheen and are often too
short.
Buttons should be leather or wood covered leather and shanked through with a split
ring securing the button.
Overcoat, Dismounted, Single Breasted
Source: What Price Glory Requires 23mm KRRC buttons (Exact number TBA)
Boots
B5 pattern with various iterations. Brown Rough or Smooth Out or Black Pebbled
Grain. No Toecaps. Billed sole with light hobnailing toward toe or wear points and
with Heel and Toe Irons.
Production did not kick off in numbers until 1916. By 1917 the B5's were the
predominate type of ankle boot.
Sources: Best Source – William Lennon
Acceptable - Soldier of Fortune or What Price Glory
Socks – Grey Army Issue or homemade knit socks.
Source: What Price Glory or similar gray wool socks. No Cotton socks!
Puttees – Full Length
Source: What Price Glory
Underwear
Bottoms
Source: Any sort of period underwear bottom can be worn.
Top
Source: The Vintage Shirt Company. Specify Short Sleeve Three Button Vest Stock
Number UN210. Other original period undervest is fine.
Handerkerchief, Khaki Cotton
Source: Any. Just be sure it is a subdued color. You would not have wanted to put
anything white in front of your face in the trenches.
Woolen articles for cold weather, balaclava helmet, mittens, scarves, etc.
(Optional)
Source: World War Knits. Also any antique stores and Ebay. In addition to issue
garments such as sweaters, balaclava helmets, mittens, wristlets, scarves, etc. an
immense amount of home-made product was shipped to the troops and commonly
manufactured to Red Cross and other charities patterns and instructions.
World War Knits. http://www.worldwarknits.com/about.html
IV. Equipment
Pattern 1908 Webbing Equipment. Consisting of:
Braces
Belt
Bayonet Frog
Ammunition Carriers R&L Post 1915
Canteen Carrier
Helve Holder
Entrenching Tool Cover
Small Pack
Large Pack
Utility Straps x 2 - 4
Source: What Price Glory, Lawrence Ordnance, Soldier of Fortune
Entrenching Tool.
Source: Head SOF Handle SOF or Ebay.
Water Bottle Canteen – Blue Enameled with woolen cover.
Source: What Price Glory covers on an Original, SOF or Ebay. You can find RAF
canteens for about $15-$20 on Ebay.
Mess Tin – British Pattern 1908 – with cover
Source: What Price Glory, SOF, or Lawrence Ordnance. Please be careful with cover
selection – many modern replicas are badly fitted, formed, or sewed.
Small Box Respirator
Source: SOF or What Price Glory
Ground Sheet Mk. VIII
Source: TBA
Field Dressing
Source: What Price Glory. They have WW2 Australian issue dressing for $2 and they
are nearly identical except for the dates.
Dan Comes can do another article on how to repro a field dressing into WWI. I pop
them out with a printer, a piece of cloth and a $3 surplus WWII deal.
Holdall with Utensils, Toothbrush, Hairbrush, housewife, etc.
Source: What Price Glory or SOF Contents would include utensils, comb, housewife,
toothbrush, razor, soap, spare boot laces, etc. You can source the contents through
antique stores, etc.
Sewing Kit
Source: Hessen or similiar
Steel Issue Drinking Mug or White Enameled Drinking Mug
Source: SOF. Dark green enamelware teacups and a variety of tin cups are in
evidence as well.
Paybook
Sources: Best Source: Tommy's Pack Fillers, The Funk Hole UK
Acceptable: SOF
I.D. Discs – Green and Red Fibre
Source: SOF (Includes stamping)
Grey Wool Blankets
Source: ebay or though military surplus dealers. Plain grey preferred. 2 are
recommended.
Eyeglasses
Period eyeglasses with round lenses being the predominate types. Wrap around
cable arms.
Source: Many eyeglass companies make some sort of “retro” line though you may
also source originals. There is some expense to either route but it is necessary in light
of every other aspect of your kit. ASK IF UNSURE!
V. Armament
No.1 Mk III or No.1 Mk III* Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle with Sling. Other variants
such as MkI SMLE and converted ”Long Lee” Models such as ConD II or ConD IV are
ok.
Please ensure your rifle is as close as possible to WW1 Specifications.
Source: Local gun shows, surplus gun dealers, etc. Gunbroker.com/Armslist.com are
also a good source assuming you can have it shipped to a local dealer. The Curio’s &
Relics Collectors License available through the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
& Explosives is an excellent way to collect period firearms. It is good for three years,
is renewable and costs only $35.
Pattern 1907 Bayonet – No Quillon
Source: Gun Shows, Militaria Shows and Ebay. These are common on Ebay and one
of the most common bayonets to find. Manufacturer may sometimes influence the
price. The quillon models are very rare by the time the war started, please avoid
using these. The scabbard should be the type with a teardrop shaped frog holder.
Cleaning Kit consisting of Pull Through, Flannel Cleaning Patches, etc.
Source: IMA-USA (International Military Antiques). IMA has a lot of useful
accessories for the Lee-Enfield rifle including the pull through. (Specify brass tipped.)
Brass Oiler
Source: IMA, Ebay or the event. These are fairly common and you should not have a
problem securing one of these.
Breech Cover
Source: Originals turn up but are expensive, you can also sometimes find early WW2
manufactured covers on ebay that were made for the SMLE. WW2 models for the
No. 4 rifle do not pass for the earlier designs in construction (particularly length) or
color or material.
Magazine Chargers
Source: Springfield Sporters, gun shows, etc. These are crucial for carrying
ammunition in the web equipment pouches or bandoleers. It is recommended you
purchase 30-40 of these.
Bandoliers
Source: Soldier of Fortune. There were a few different patterns of cloth pattern in
use of both Canadian and British pattern. These can be sourced through Ebay,
Springfield Sporters, Gun Shows, etc. They are in various shades of khaki and olive
green. U.S. issue is not acceptable.
Blanks
Source: Sportsmans Guide (BEST), Swansons or Atlantic Wall Blanks
Sidearms
No Sidearms allowed without permission from Unit Leadership.
Wire Cutters
Sources: Ebay, IMA and many other sources are available for both original and WW2
issue wire cutters. The smaller variant of the folding wire cutter was issued well into
WW2.
Optics
Source: Trench periscopes are common. Other optics including binoculars were
extremely expensive at this time and were not easy to come by. Issue was somewhat
limited though every opportunity was taken to relieve captured optics from enemy
prisoners.
Cup Dischargers - SMLE
Source: Springfield Sporters has these. They are a secondary consideration but fun
when the unit makes up rifle grenades.
Pocket Stuffers
Source: Ebay is a good source of pocket bibles, and misc. other paper items for your
pocket. Many free files for ration labels, French currency, railroad tickets are
available. Currency would have been French paper script in smaller denominations,
i.e. 5 & 10 Franc notes with change in Centime notes. French coins would have been
available but uncommon.
Jacknife
Source: Ebay. WW1 Jack Knives turn up reasonably often on Ebay. A Jackknife
Overview is forthcoming.
Civilian period jack and pocket knives are also widely available. Recommended to
search “antique” “Sheffield” and “knife” for period civilian pocket knives.
Also, if your pocket knife doesn’t have a tin-opener, you may want to find a period
bully beef opener. They are much more user friendly than period can openers on
knives for opening canned food.