WW1 British Machine Gunners Waistcoat / Vest, good condition example of the special pattern piece of clothing issued to machine gun crews during the later stages of WW1. The khaki wool garment is secured by three general service buttons to the front. The shoulders with leather pads and khaki cloth covered padded support. Large fold down collar. White cotton edging to the arm holes and lower section. he idea was to support machine gunners when carrying the guns from position to position, with the shoulder support taking the weight of the gun or mount.