Regimental Badge

65th (2nd Yorkshire North Riding) Regiment of Foot

Regimental Badge

Equipment List and Suppliers

Here is a list for recruits, or anyone interested in setting up a British Army re-enactment unit of this period, detailing approximate cost and preferred suppliers. Where there is only one supplier listed, that supplier is the only one with the exact correct item.

Many of the items can be sourced from the US. If you are lucky enough to go to a Civil War re-enactment, you can buy direct from sutlers there. You will save a lot, especially by not paying import duties on leather items.

Arms

Item

Cost (in $NZ) - way out of date - check with supplier

Available from

Required

Enfield Rifle musket, 3 band, pattern 1853

$930

$1180 for "defarbed" rifle

The 65th regiment were first supplied with the 2nd pattern p.53 in 1858. There are no suppliers of this model.
Best repro to use is the Armi Sport model. These are an accurate copy of the interchangeable Model 3, whereas the others are of the Model 4 (which weren't used here, but almost all converted to Sniders). Pedersoli also make a good version.

Pedersoli firearms are imported into New Zealand by The Outdoors Hut in Upper Hutt.

Any supplier in the US - 

The Euroarms and Parker Hales must be defarbed to turn them into Model 3:

  • strip off the varnish and apply boiled linseed oil
  • replace the Baddeley barrel bands with the ones used by Armi Sport (available from Blockade Runner Sutler.)
  • replace the upper sling swivel
  • replace lower sling swivel and screw escutcheons (if you want a BSA contract - don't change the escutcheons for a L.A. Co.)

Lodgewood Mfg. can also supply all these Enfield parts, plus lock plates etc.

yes

bayonet

50 - 70

The socket and locking ring on the repro bayonets will need to be blued.

but - The NZ Police in their wisdom, have declared this a restricted weapon, and you must obtain an import permit from the Police before ordering !!

 yes

scabbard

80

yes

muzzle stopper

10 - 25

or anyone else who stocks the tompion with the cork body and brass top.

 yes

snap cap with chain

40

 yes

Enfield nipple wrench

  • 50
  • 120

- you must grind off the spring cramp (and blue the bare metal) on the sergeant's tool to make it the tool issued to privates

optional

Enfield Oil Bottle

40

optional

Clothing

If you want to make any historic uniforms or clothing, I recommend K&P Historic Textiles.

Boots - Blucher boots

340

  • Missouri Boot & Shoe Company - They will make a special order (non-catalog item) of the correct British Army boots, even with the right pattern of hobnails. See photo.
  • N. J. Sekela - They make a 'British Import shoe', similar to the regulation British army boot.
  • Any US civil war sutlers sell 'brogans' - not quite accurate but better than nothing.
 yes

Chaco

350

optional

Trousers, navy blue

190

  • The 'best' original blue trowsers with a red welt to buy are the Royal Marines trousers - they are serge. Guards trousers look right, but are the heavier winter weight cloth.
 yes

Tunic – red, parade

700-1200

Contact me

optional

Great coat

50

locally made from grey blankets

optional

Accoutrements

Note that since 2023, both Phil from VMA and Kevin from Military History Workshop have retired. Quartermaster Stores in the UK have gone into receivership, still owing me money.

Pouch, expense, black (1855 pattern)

125

yes

Bag, ball, white buff (1859 pattern). I have seen no photographic evidence that the 65th were issued with these. Also, the 40th don't appear to have been re-equipped. However, many of the other regiments in Waikato, Tauranga, South Taranaki had them.

125

no

Pouch Belt, buff

50
110

yes

Belt, waist, buff

50
110

yes
Regimental belt buckle, for waist belt 100 Contact me yes

Canteen, with strap

250

yes

Frog, bayonet, buff

45

yes

Havresack

10

Contact me yes

Enfield Cartridge pouch

  • 65
  • 250

1850s 60-round pouch used in the Crimea, India and Taranaki. Since the demise of Quartermaster Stores, no-one lists this item. However, try asking:

1859 50-round pattern used in Waikato, etc -

  • Graham The Leather Guy He calls it the sergeant's pattern, but it's actually the private's, as it has the 50-round tin insert. A sergeant's model has the 20-round tin and is slightly shorter.

Note: The 'imported Enfield Cartridge Box' available from many American Civil War sutlers is not correct for the British Army. The boxes imported by the Confederate States were a contract version, supplied by private contractors, one of whom, Isaac & Campbell, lost the British Army contract after the Crimean War for sub-standard workmanship. The original contract accoutrements were of inferior quality (by design) because they were cheap and the Confederates didn't really care. The Confederate box is the correct size and contains the correct five-compartment tin inserts. However, it doesn't have the cap pouch and tool receptacle.

I know that many of you are happy enough to use these - they look okay for an 1860s pouch. The best one, I reckon, is available from C & D Jarnagin. Pricey, but the tab is blind stitched to the flap, using tunnel stitching, which is correct for British pouches.
Most other civil war repros have visible stitching and some even have a rivet. PLEASE DO NOT!

yes

Cap Pouch, buff

30

yes

Sling, musket, buff

30

yes

Necessaries

Boot Blacking

?

any modern shoe polish yes

Braces (Americans call them suspenders) - must be canvas with no elastic

45

optional

Brass button

?

  optional

Brush - brass cleaning

?

  optional

Brush – clothes

?

  optional

Brush – shaving

?

any wooden or bone brush with natural bristles optional

Brushes - shoe X 2

?

  optional

Comb, wooden or bone

10

optional

Holdall

20

Contact me optional

Knapsack

?

optional

Knife, fork (three pronged), spoon

40

spoon - second hand shops - must be one with "shoulders"

yes - if you want to eat

Mitts (black wool) - fingerless

10

Camping supplies stores optional

Razor and case

?

Antiques shops optional

Shirts, British army "ticking"

115

 

300

N J Sekela

Any shirt from a US sutler will do. If you look at contemporary paintings, you'll see they weren't fussy. British 'greyback' shirts didn't really appear until the 1870s.

yes

Socks, worsted

15.95

"Norsewear" white wool socks - Camping supplies stores - but remove the elastic yes

Sponge

10

Art supply shop, etc optional

Stock and clasp (worn with tunic only)

5

Contact me yes, with tunic

Straps for greatcoat X 2

20

Try Graham The Leather Guy optional

Tin, mess

100

Contact me optional

Mess tin cover and strap

10

??? optional

Towels X 2

?

  optional

Soap

*

  optional

Blanco - in lieu of pipeclay

7

Soldier of Fortune yes

Account book, small

30

Contact me optional

Bible and prayer book

?

?  

Additional

Cap, forage (Kilmarnock)

120

yes

brass regimental numerals

15

Contact me yes

bugle badge

15

Contact me yes

Frock, fatigue jacket - navy blue. Worn by all soldiers from Nov. 1860.

150

Contact me yes

Blanket – grey

Opp shop?

  optional

Blanket, waterproof ("gum blanket")

80

optional

Clay pipe

8

Contact me optional

Of course, equipment changed over the period. Here are some List of Changes, mostly regarding rifles, ammunition haversacks, waistbelts and expense pouches.

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Updated 1 November, 2024