These pages go into some of the detail of the equipment that the Vickers machine gunner would have used or carried that wasn’t necessarily specific to the Vickers machine gun.
We also have a playlist of videos on YouTube where we talk through a range of uniforms and equipments.
Personal Weapons
As well as the Vickers machine gun, machine gunners carried their own personal weapons. Depending on the time period and the specific role, this could have been a revolver, pistol, sub-machine gun or rifle.
Load Carrying Equipment
Personal equipment, usually made of webbing or leather, carried the ammunition, water, rations and other small equipment that each individual soldier required. There were some specialist items only carried by machine gunners but the majority was equipment of the standard infantry soldier.
Uniforms of the MGers
Machine gunners wore uniforms that were normally standard issue to any other soldier in their service and time period. There were a few items specifically for machine gunners and these are highlighted here.
Anti-Gas Equipment
During the service of the Vickers machine gun, gas and chemical warfare developed and required soldiers to maintain anti-gas equipment as part of their personal items.
Rations and sustenance
It was necessary to ensure that machine gunners were kept fed and watered. This section covers the food and rations that were used by machine gunners through the Vickers’ service.
