When out in the field, soldiers needed a lot of gear. Once they had everything on, their equipment weighted a ton, so they needed a certain level of fitness to be able to carry it all. Today we explore some WW2 Allied combat equipment for sale across the web.
1937-pattern Officer’s Valise Bag
Officers needed to carry a lot of paperwork, maps, diaries and their personal belongings. Their briefcase-like side bag was called a valise. This ’37-pattern canvas officer’s valise bag is in good used condition. It has a few marks, but is otherwise fine. It is marked ME Co (Mills Engineering Company) and dated 1940 – along with the War Department Broad Arrow marking. All of the stitching is in good shape and the brass work looks near mint. Given the condition, this is a great price for a valise in this day and age.
Available from Oliver’s Army Militaria £35.00.
Supplementary British 1937-Pattern Bren Gun Magazine Pouches
A good matching pair of British Army Bren gun supplementary pouches for carrying extra mags. They were designed to be an additional pair of pouches to be carried alongside the standard ones. To be used and then disposed of when in combat. In particular, they were for assault units who would expect to use a lot of ammunition very quickly. They are dated 1945 on the neck strap.
Sets such as this were most commonly used for invasions or assaults like D-Day, Dieppe, Dunkirk etc. Having a late-WW2 date, they could have seen late war service. But perhaps they have simply been sitting in storage for the last 70 years given the fantastic condition. The pouches are both maker marked M.W. & S. LTD which stands for Martin Wright & Sons, and they have a date of 1941 which makes them a lovely matching set.
Available from Battleflag Militaria 55.00.
Australian Army Water Canteen
A standard-issue Australian army khaki canvas and felt water bottle, cover and carrying harness. This piece is a nice “been there” condition item. A little mothy, but it is just a nice, honest item that all soldiers would have been issued with.
Available from Sabre Militaria in Australia AU$95
‘Emergency Production’ Canadian Army Service Revolver Holster
A very clean 1937-pattern service revolver holster. It is a so called ’emergency production’ version, because they had to mass-produce it quickly, cheaply and efficiently in order to keep up with the war effort. This was relatively easy due to its simple design. Manufactured in khaki webbing, this holster was for the Webley and Enfield 38-calibre revolvers. It has a brass press-stud for fastening, and on rear there are the usual three hook belt fixing bars made of brass as well.
The underside of the holster lid is stamped by the manufacturer ZL & TL LTD and there is a date stamp of 1943 as well as a Canadian War Department arrow. It is undamaged, clean with all the original stitching still intact. One of the best examples we could find online today.
Available from JC Militaria £125.
Mk 1 Bren Gun Sling
A green webbing sling manufactured to carry the MK1 Bren light machine gun. It is approximately 54 inches long and comes complete with the two end sling hooks. It is in issued condition but given its age, it’s in great shape.
Available from Saracen Exports £35.00.
British No. 4 Bayonet Frog
This is a No.4, British Army 1937-pattern bayonet frog. Maker marked S.N.L Ltd and dated 1943, it was the standard issue for the No. 4 bayonet during WW2. A very clear date and maker’s mark makes this a great example to have, and with the item being based in Canada, an ideal opportunity for our North American customers to get a British item without expensive shipping from the EU, where most of these items are found.
Available from Military Tour $24.99.
Have you seen this recent article? British WW2 Helmets
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