The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
A British manufactured body armour vest that was originally covered with brown leather. The leather covering has been cut away from the front and back panels, near the edges, to reveal flexible armoured panels. The armour is made of numerous 38mm by 38mm by 1mm square metal tiles that are laid out in an inverted 'T' pattern. Each tile abuts its neighbour and is joined at each corner by a smaller square metal tile that overlies the junction of the corner of four tiles. These smaller tiles have a lug on each corner, which passes through a corresponding hole in the corner of the larger tiles, and is folded over behind them. The vest is lined with two layers of khaki cotton drill and the armour is riveted to only the outermost layer. The vest is open down the left side and has two dark brown leather straps with buckles over the left shoulder.
Found in a dugout in the Drocourt-Queant line in 1918 by Major A Sanderson DSO MC, 3 Australian Tunnelling Company, AIF. Presumably captured from a British officer or soldier by a German.
Bullet Proof Vest. Sleeveless and collarless. Seven buttons fasten the front (three missing). Two tabs on each side provide a means of adjusting the size of the vest. Maker's label on inside at neck.
German soldier's body armour made up of four steel plates, of which the lower three, protecting the lower abdomen and groin, are suspended by means of a pair of cotton webbing straps. The uppermost pl
Curved steel bullet resistant armour plate, designed to fit inside a vest which contained a number of similar plates. This example is from the centre proper left pocket. This plate was contained i
Curved steel bullet resistant armour plate, designed to fit inside a vest which contained a number of similar plates. This example is from the upper proper left pocket. This plate was contained in
M69 khaki nylon covered fragmentation vest containing a ballistic nylon filler sealed in a waterproof vinyl plastic casing. The filler consisted of 12 thicknesses of ballistic nylon cloth in the front
M69 olive green nylon covered fragmentation vest containing a ballistic nylon filler sealed in a waterproof vinyl plastic casing. The filler consists of 12 layers of ballistic nylon cloth in the front
