Swedish soldiers during WWII - sporting sunglasses and the M1900-12 cartridge belt.
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The primary task of the M1900 cartridge belt was to carry ammution for the Swedish M/1894 Carbine, The M/1864 "Long Riffle", the M/1938 "Short riffle". All based on the famous German M/1893 Mauser.
There is a couple of different cartridges belts our there, but some of the main differences are:
The earliest betls, are without the shovel hook on the left hand side.
The earliest belts are all stitched.
The riveted cartridge belts are a "newer" version, and were used until the 1980's.
The navy belts had only four pockets and no D-rings or utility hook (for the M/1906-12 shovel).
The earliest belts had piping around the pocket edges.
The sides of the pockets are made of a cotton
There is an even older, and more elusive version - the M/1898 cartridge belt.
As may, or may not have guessed, the earliest cartridge belts had no utility hook. The utility hook was introduced in 1912, at the same time they made a small hole in the top of the shovel. (M/1906-12 shovel) This enabled the soldier to carry the shovel on the belt instead of the usual way. - Strapped onto the rucksack.
There exist a pair of braces for the cartridge belt, but most commonly the belt woud be worn as it is, together with water bottle and bayonet.
The M/39 rucksack have to hooks the fit the D-rings on the inside of the belt, and it help to distribute the weight from the belt onto the shoulders of the user. Much like the German and Danish "webbing" systems at the time.
A small side note: I know this belt is known, on the internet, as the M1910 cartridge belt. I don't know the origins of that designation, and can only back my designation with what I know from the Swedish Army Museum (Armémueseum) in Stockholm.
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My own M1900 cartridge belt:
It is an newer version, with the rivets and the utility hook.
The leather is pliable, but it is well used.
Thanks for the article, I've had one of these for years. Do you have any suggestions on cleaning the cotton between the leather pieces without damaging either?
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