Received My First "Uniform"

On Tuesday 13th October 1914, Private S.T. Fuller, a new recruit of the 8th (Service) Battalion, noted in his diary; "received my first "uniform" - one of the blue serge suits, - about two sizes too large. I measured 36 inches round the chest - the coat 42 inches. This allowed for quite a lot of future expansion!"
The day before, he had noted that "rifles were issued for the first time to the whole of the men. They were old "Long Lee Enfields" like the ones issued at Shorncliffe. Most of them were minus safety-catches. Mine (No. 155), had an 'odd' bolt."
The photograph left, taken from Fuller's Diary, shows some of his colleagues on the firing range with their newly issued rifles.

---