The standard equipment of the WWII Scottish Infantryman was the British 1937 pattern web gear. The infantry set consisted of a web belt, two shoulder cross straps, two basic ammunition pouches, water bottle and carrier, entrenching tool and cover, and the bayonet and frog. The bayonet that was used in North Africa and Sicily (as well as the Far East) was the pattern 1907, the long sword bayonet used with the Enfield No.I Mk.III rifle. The bayonet that was issued for fighting in (primarily) Nortwest Europe was the simplified spike bayonet, which was used with the Enfield No.4 Mk.I rifle. Scottish Infantry of WWII also carried the small pack on the back, which had two "L" straps which buckled into the tops of the basic pouches. Sets of this pattern gear are available, and most pieces can be located with a little searching.
(click on image for enlargement & descriptions)
In Africa and Sicily, troops of the Camerons typically wore raw, unblancoed khaki webbing. However, due to sun exposure and scrubbing of the webbing from cleaning, the gear tended to fade to white. In Northwest Europe, it was common for the troops to color their web gear with a substance known as Blanco. Blanco was a powder, issued in cake or powder form, which was used to coat the webbing to renovate it, or to change it to an acceptable color, as khaki webbing stood out amongst the terrain of Northwest Europe. Troops in the Camerons would Blanco their gear in shade 97 (light green) earlier in the war and then most predominantly in shade 3 (dark green), especially for Northwest Europe.
Ammunition was carried in a khaki cotton bandolier. The service issue box respirator (not pictured), in its large chest bag, was carried during the operatons in North Africa and Sicily. The light gas mask and bag (also not pictured) was issued to the Camerons from mid-1943, and was carried for the remainder of the war.
The Mk.II steel helmet was worn by the soldiers of the Cameron Highlanders, as well as all British troops. This was very similar in appearance to the WWI British and American "Doughboy" helmet. During the campaigns in North Africa and Sicliy, the troops would often camouflage paint their helmets to blend in with their surroundings. Thus it was common to see helmets painted in dark yellow shades as well as mottled appearances to help disrupt the shape of the helmet. Plain helmet nets were also sometimes worn over the helmet to aid in reducing glare and to somewhat diffuse the outline. It also became common pratice in Northwest Europe for the soldiers to cover their helmet with a camouflage net. Strips of dyed burlap, called scrim, would be woven and tied to the helmet nets to disrupt the outline of the helmet and help to conceal the silhouette of the wearer. Scrim was also used in the Sicilian and Italian campaigns, but much more moderately than in Northwest Europe.
The headgear of choice in Southeast Asia was typically the Australian-style bush or slouch hat. This item kept the sun as well as the frequent rain from blinding the wearer, and was proudly worn by the troops that fought in these regions. They were even favoured by some as preferential to the helmet in combat. While most Scottish troops wore the Tam when out of the line, many retained the slouch hat as their walking out cover.
