Page 18 - Chiron Calling Autumn/Winter 2022

The origins of the RAVC white lanyard
The last edition of Chiron Calling, Autumn 2021/Spring 2022 page 28 asked “Who has the answer on the RAVC Lanyard?”
“Lanyards date back to 15th century France. A lanière was a strap-on apparatus or thong that would allow French soldiers to keep weapons and other items close to hand. The French word “lanière” translates to strap, and this was eventually adapted into “lanyard”. A lanyard can also refer to a kind
of rigging on a ship that would be used to secure items. In this sense, the word refers to any string or rope loop that is used to secure items.1
Throughout history, lanyards have primarily been used by the military to help keep things organised and
to hand. Small weapons like knives and other items such as a Bosun’s pipe would include a string loop that would help the wearer to get a better grip of the small handle. It would also help to ensure they don’t drop anything in the heat of battle.
“Historically lanyards were worn by officers so that they may suspend a white whistle, (as a means of communication), compass, or other similar items in a practical way, attached to the shoulder via the lanyard and closed within a pocket: this would ensure that the item would not be lost if dropped.2
Lanyards associated with dress came into use in the late 19th Century, when field guns, such
as the 12 and 15 pounders, used ammunition which had fuses set with a fuse key. The key was a trouble-free device and every man had one, attached to a lanyard worn around the neck. The key itself
was kept in the breast pocket until needed. The lanyard was a simple piece of strong cord, but it was gradually turned into something
more decorative, smartened with Blanco and braided, taking its present form.
In the war years that followed, the lanyard could be used as an emergency firing lanyard for those guns which had a trigger firing mechanism, allowing the gunner to stand clear of the guns recoil.
Prior to the South African War, Gunners were issued with steel folding hoof picks, carried on the saddle or in the knife. In about 1903 these were withdrawn and replaced with jack knives, which were carried in the left breast pocket of the Service Dress attached to a lanyard over the left shoulder. The knife had a number of uses; the blade was for cutting loose horses which became entangled in the head and heel ropes of the picket (piquet) lines and the spike of the knife were used a hoof pick, for the removal of stones from horse’s hooves”.3
Given the above description it is very likely this is perhaps why the AVC and RAVC have the lanyard.
The question of which shoulder bore the lanyard depends on the date. There is no certainty about this, but the change from the left shoulder to the right probably
took place at about the time of the Great War, when a bandolier was introduced, because it was worn over the left shoulder. But there
are some who insist that 1924 was the date of change, when sloping of rifles over the left shoulder would soil the white lanyard. (This is easily noted from observing Corps photographs of this time; later images do show the lanyard worn on the right-hand side).
Eventually in 1933, the end of the lanyard was simply tucked into the breast pocket without the jack- knife.4
Lanyards are often of a regimental pattern, ensuring that the colour remained continuous throughout the unit. The differing colouring of lanyards is attributed to individual Regimental or Corps uniform colours or the tradition of retaining the white or ‘Blancoed‘ lanyard.
RAVC Dress Regulations (December 2019) state:
“0235. The lanyard is a mandatory item of dress worn by SSgt’s and below and is available through
QM Departments. The approved pattern is one white cord and is only worn with Nos 2, 4 and 6 Dress. It
is worn around the left shoulder underneath the shoulder epaulette with no loops hanging. The large loop is worn securely fastened in the left breast pocket for males.
The lanyard should be worn so
that the upper end passes down through the lower loop. Females
are to wear a loop pattern lanyard around the right shoulder, secured with a stud fastener. The female half of the stud fastener is to be sewn
to the shoulder seam of the jacket approximately one cm from the shoulder/sleeve seam. The male half of the stud fastener is to be sewn to the lanyard in union with the female half ”.
It should be noted that often that there are images of recent RAVC personnel wearing the lanyard on the right side and officers wearing on the left side. This is normally due to training organisations incorrectly instructing personnel to wear on the left shoulder on passing out parades.
“There has long been a tale about Gunners wearing a white lanyard for cowardice, allegedly for deserting their guns. Of course, this story is nothing more than a piece of leg pulling”.5 The same tale has been heard in RAVC ranks at times and
1 lanyardsonline.co.uk/why-are-lanyards-called-lanyards/
2 Great War Forum https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/134440-lanyard-on-left/
3 RE Online forum – extracted from information held by the RE Museum
4 Ibid.
5 http://www.regimentalrogue.com/blog/index.blog/2353267/lanyards-and-the-artillery/
16 / Chiron Calling