a fascinating and thorough posting, sir, my thanks. I have a question, however -
With such a plethora of accouterments, where (how ) will you carry your revolver(s) ?
Thank you, indeed, Professor! (As you can likely tell, I am quite excited about this opportunity finally emerging ....)
After
once trying to wear the sword while shooting (in my Black Watch persona) at a GAF Muster, I very soon discarded the bloody thing (.... thereafter reserving it only for the Dress uniform, with which firearms are not worn/carried, of course.) That permits me to easily wear a holster and revolver cartridge pouch on one side, and the "ball bag" for rifle cartridges (as seen on the waistbelt in the photo of the Private) on the other side .....
Indeed, one of my ulterior motives in deciding to keep myself at the Senior NCO level is the type of holster I can wear. Instead of the rather inconvenient full-flap officer's pattern holster I have hitherto used, the NCO pattern holster in the British Army was a relatively simple open-top pattern, like this:
Mind you, I honestly don't know how much I gain by "leaving the sword in camp", as it were. To be fully and "properly" equipped for the field as a Sergeant, rather than the standard triangular-bladed socket bayonet I would have to tote the bloody great "yataghan" Sergeants- and Rifles-pattern sword bayonet that I am wearing here in my c-1885 Queen's Own Rifles of Canada getup -