Great War Water Bottles and Canteens

I've waited a long time to get one of these bottles in my hands. This first artifact is the Oliver Pattern bottle and its leather carrier lent to my by a friend in Ottawa. Now at last I can scrutinize the stitching, both inside and out, and take all the measurements I want to take.

The Oliver Pattern bottle was the much dispised one pint glass bottle the Canadians were expected to use in the Boer War. These were too small and fragile, and were ceremoniously broken on arrival in South Africa. They were replaced by a round British canteen. Needless to say such reviled items are hard to come by. These bottles are of the era only and are not rare army issue.

The carrier is of a thin but stiffish leather that holds its form. These next pictures give some closer details.

Most notably the seam is sewn about 1/16" from the edge. The hole in the bottom allows the bottle to be pushed in or drawn out without an air lock, for it is a snug fit. 

I've measured the leather thickness to be about 3/32" or 6 ounce, but the bottom circular piece looks to be pushing 1/4"! This enables the stitches to go through at an angle and be lost in a slice.

Below I've given my page of measurements. 

In another blog I've put forth the challenge to try making one of these. I'm starting to post more patterns and measurements to help in this endeavour. Check back at the blog http://leathersatchels.blogspot.ca/

and find the Oliver Pattern post at the top. Send me your finished pictures and we can have an online exhibit. Here's my slightly oversized first version in comparison followed by my latest.

The Oliver Pattern bottle and carrier did not make it to the Great War of course. Instead the Canadian army used one of the kidney shaped blue British canteens, seen here.

The blue enamel canteen inside looks like this. The photo does not do justice to the delicious colour.

Here are details of two cork stoppers.

And details of the maker's mark and date, next my own hand-stitched reproduction.

Canadians used this canteen system until such time as they adopted the P'08 pattern cotton webbing. I don't have an original of this to show but I do have my own reproduction made up of assorted pieces I scrounged when I was beginning this collecting. The canteen itself is the same.

And finally it takes its place on the right hip.