Bandolier South Africa .303

Piet · 06-20-2018, 04:07 AM

I bought a .303 bandolier during the nineteen sixty's . My friend and I played "cowboys and crooks" and this came in handy to complete the outfit. (Bought from a Military surplus store in Pretoria)
This bandolier has to go to my son's two boys to play with - but then I started to clean it and thought about the historic past with South Africa being under British rule.
I found a mark on the leather and I attach a sketch of it.
I could not find more information on the internet except to confirm it is a .303 Lee Enfield type of bandolier. It might eminate from the Anglo Boer war in the 1900's or later when South Africa's military supplies were supplied mainly by Britian.
Any guesses of what the marking tells us?
(The markings are very faint and open to interpretation!)

DonVoigt · 06-20-2018, 09:02 AM

I would think it is the mfg /broad arrow/date; probably DLW/ba/18.
If not the date, then an inspector? JMHO.

Piet · 06-20-2018, 12:30 PM

Thanks Don.
I turned the leather in all ways, using sunlight to find the shadows of the letters.
It seems as if the last two characters can be 42.
The mark that you call "broad arrow" is a British government acceptance mark, also found on bayonets.

06-20-2018, 04:07 AM	#1
Piet User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 143 Thanks: 155 Thanked 35 Times in 22 Posts	Bandolier South Africa .303 I bought a .303 bandolier during the nineteen sixty's . My friend and I played "cowboys and crooks" and this came in handy to complete the outfit. (Bought from a Military surplus store in Pretoria) This bandolier has to go to my son's two boys to play with - but then I started to clean it and thought about the historic past with South Africa being under British rule. I found a mark on the leather and I attach a sketch of it. I could not find more information on the internet except to confirm it is a .303 Lee Enfield type of bandolier. It might eminate from the Anglo Boer war in the 1900's or later when South Africa's military supplies were supplied mainly by Britian. Any guesses of what the marking tells us? (The markings are very faint and open to interpretation!) Attached Thumbnails

06-20-2018, 09:02 AM	#2
DonVoigt User Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: near Charlotte NC Posts: 4,681 Thanks: 1,441 Thanked 4,350 Times in 2,040 Posts	I would think it is the mfg /broad arrow/date; probably DLW/ba/18. If not the date, then an inspector? JMHO. __________________ 03man(Don Voigt); Luger student and collector. Looking for DWM side plate: 69 ; Dreyse 1907 pistol K.S. Gendarmerie

06-20-2018, 12:30 PM	#3
Piet User Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: South Africa Posts: 143 Thanks: 155 Thanked 35 Times in 22 Posts	Thanks Don. I turned the leather in all ways, using sunlight to find the shadows of the letters. It seems as if the last two characters can be 42. The mark that you call "broad arrow" is a British government acceptance mark, also found on bayonets. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by Piet; 06-20-2018 at 12:38 PM. Reason: wrong word, spelling