Just wondering could someone tell me what this belt is?

Ummm it is rather confusing because it carries flags from both allied and axis countries (unless we are talking WW1) and at least two flags that I can't recognise at all.

However as I understand it POW's were encouraged to take up crafts in order to keep them active and their minds off digging tunnels so it is possible that it was an item made by a POW which would make it quite rare but I am not sure how you could authenticate it.


Can you give us a little more information on the belt?
Such as what war it could have come from?
 
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From the posters age I would assume his grandad served in WW2.

I cannot really see the picture too clearly, but it does look like a British "stable" belt. The buckles were fastened to the leather straps at the side of the person wearing it.

Perhaps the owner modified the belt from the original regimental belt while a POW.

Interesting piece of history.
 
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BritinAfrica said:
From the posters age I would assume his grandad served in WW2.

I cannot really see the picture too clearly, but it does look like a British "stable" belt. The buckles were fastened to the leather straps at the side of the person wearing it.

Perhaps the owner modified the belt from the original regimental belt while a POW.

Interesting piece of history.
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I agree although it carries the Italian flag so unless it was made after October 1943 (when Italy swapped sides) it is unlikely anyone would consider the British and Italians allies, on top of that it has both the French and Belgian flags on it and the only time France, Britain, Belgium and Italy fought on the same side actively was WW1 especially since both France and Belgium were knocked out of WW2 very early on.

It seems more plausable that it is a WW1 item to me because it would just be way too abstract or random for a WW2 item.
 
MontyB said:
I agree although it carries the Italian flag so unless it was made after October 1943 (when Italy swapped sides) it is unlikely anyone would consider the British and Italians allies, on top of that it has both the French and Belgian flags on it and the only time France, Britain, Belgium and Italy fought on the same side actively was WW1 especially since both France and Belgium were knocked out of WW2 very early on.

It seems more plausable that it is a WW1 item to me because it would just be way too abstract or random for a WW2 item.
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You could be correct Monty, and I see where you are coming from. But what has thrown me the Japanese flag isn't there, and as far as I can see, neither is the Russian, whom as you know were our Allies during WW1.

On looking at the picture again, I also noticed that the US flag isnt there, so you could be correct, which would date the belt pre 1917. What has been established however, it is a stable belt.

BTW Monty, the picture you posted hasnt shown up, only a small red x
 
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miskelly said:
all i know about this belt is that it says 1914, 15, 16 on it
and someone told me ww1.
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Well that would explain the Italian flag, I think the next step would be to figure out what the "M6+" and the "WD" stand for.

But at this point I think we can conclude that the belt was made sometime in 1916.

What is on the back of the belt?

If it is an adaptation of a regimental belt it may still have some of the original regimental markings.

There are however a couple of things I cant put together...
1) The "flag" on the far left doesn't represent any country I can place.
2) The belt seems to show the flag of Finland and yet Finland did not officially exist as a nation until after the Russian revolution of 1917. (Although this could be an inverted flag of the Shetland Islands)
3) There looks to be an inverted cross of St Andrew as well.
 
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MontyB said:
Well that would explain the Italian flag, I think the next step would be to figure out what the "M6+" and the "WD" stand for.
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I would assume "WD" stands for "War Department" a term used in UK until well after WW2 where it was changed to MOD or Ministry of Defence. As for M6+, I have no idea. Unless it stands for a Regimental or Battalion designation

If Stuart can perhaps take a picture of the reverse of the belt so we can see the colours, that would indicate which regiment it orginally depicted.
 
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well...dont know if this is right but it does make sense.

the little flag on the left was the nation where WWI started...the old Kingdom of Serbia. Allied with italy, britain, when they were attacked by austria-hungary. germany jumped in to help austria hungary...russia jumped on germany. so on andd so forth. remember, it was the assassination of the austrian duke by the serbian that started the ball rolling.

the belt would appear to be WW I in nature. my best guess
 
It could have been some thing some one made at home for some thing to do on a cold dark nights during the winter. You have to remember there was no television in those days and the radio went of during the evening as well to stop the German bombers using the transmitter as a beacon. You could not go out to far as there were no street lights and on a very dark night with low clouds you had a job to see your hand in front of your face, and if you used a torch you could wind getting shot or have a bomb dropped on your head
 
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