Wednesday Dec 12th, 1917
Reveille 6:00. Still in harbour, waiting more troops. Submarine drill 10 o’clock. Route march 2:00. Bought haversack of apples – not enough food, eating crumbs off table. Slept over boiler house.

While Frank was focused on assuaging his hunger, the officers were probably more concerned with having a large contingent of bored troops in a very confined space on the HMS Kashmir.

As such, they would have taken the opportunity of still being in port to take the men off the ship and route march them through Marseilles. A ‘route march’ is a march along a defined route that does not necessarily require either marching in step or silence.

Clearly, for Frank, the route march also provided a little time for shopping. The haversack he mentions putting his apples into would be identical to the one illustrated  here.  It could be worn in various positions dependent upon the soldier’s preference.  The haversack was part of the 1908 pattern webbing equipment that was used throughout the War (though due to fabric shortages in 1914 some early ones were made of leather).  It was designed to hold 150 rounds of ammunition, entrenching tool, water bottle, bayonet and came with a large back pack and the haversack.

By 1914, it had already been in use for six years with various enhancements along the way (for example the Pattern Haversack was on its third issue).  The equipment pack was  light and durable and could be taken off and put on in a single motion rather like a waistcoat – the benefits of which are obvious. In total, the soldier’s equipment and gun weighed in at about 60lbs and were meant to go with him wherever he went. The haversack itself was supposed to be used for a few personal items including food, so Frank got that right.* ¹ ²

References & further reading

*  image and info from ‘Pattern 1908 Web Equipment‘ on Karkee Web

^ image may be subject to copyright

¹ ‘08 Pattern Haversack‘ on Tales from the Supply Depot

² ‘What Tommy took to War:1914-1918’ (Shire General) by Peter Doyle & Chris Foster