British leather fieldgear WWII

[Carl Ellingstad]

Hi guys!

Can some one tell me if this is a pair of leather Lee Enfield ammo pouches and a Bren gun (M37) magazine pouch? The small pouches are dated 1941 and on the strap marked with arrow and number 17. The "Bren gun pouch" is marked with arrow and the year date 1941. I came across this a couple of days ago, and I have never seen anything like before. I searched the internet for information but with out any luck. Im not into English WWII so I might have bigger hope than its might be but are they rare?

[Carl Ellingstad]

backside

[Carl Ellingstad]

Lee enfield pouches?

[Carl Ellingstad]

reverse side

[Jurryt]

didn't the artillery (home front) people used it?

[AndyD]

The items look like Home Guard issue.

I have a Home Guard bayonet frog made from the same colour leather.

Are there any maker marks on the items?

Kind regards,
Andy

[Carl Ellingstad]

Hi Andy!

Its so faint that I cant make out the manufacture name.
Any idea how this items ended up in Norway, if its English homeguard related?

[AndyD]

Hi Carl,

If it is Home Guard issue,maybe it was sold as surplus at the end of the war and bought by the Norwegian military.

Although,I seem to recall that the British supplied the Norwegian resistance with equipment,so maybe it came to Norway that way.

Have you tried rubbing chalk over the maker mark to make it stand out a little more clearly?

Kind regards,
Andy

[Carl Ellingstad]

Its seems like: S.E.N.....1941

The British supplied the Norwegian home resistance from as early as autumn 1940 with airplane drops. And it might very well come from such supply.
Was it used by other British troops pre-war or war-time than Homeguard?

[AndyD]

Home Guard units were issued with mainly leather equipment,belts,pouches etc,but some were also issued with webbing equipment.

I can't honestly say whether leather equipment was used by the regular army,maybe one of the other members can help with this one?

Kind regards,
Andy

[Carl Ellingstad]

Thanks Andy for your help!
Is this kind of British field gear rare?

[Gary Jucha]

Norway

Carl,
A lot of surplus British kit was sold to the Norwegians after WW2.

..An example of items "returning" are the MK2 lightweight gasmasks which a few years ago were commanding £75 + ....
.. Then a stock of unissued - WW2 dated ones starting appearing for sale in mainland Europe and England....
Suddenly the price collapsed as hundreds appeared from "No-where" !!!!

On examination of a couple of the newbies ... low and behold there were Nowegian instruction sheets in them ..

Thus, I suspect, your leather "webbing" most probably was part of British Government surplus sale on-mass to the Norwegians ..

Gary J.

Hi Andy!

Its so faint that I cant make out the manufacture name.
Any idea how this items ended up in Norway, if its English homeguard related?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Carl, as already mentioned by Andy this type of leather 1937 pattern equipment was used by the Home Guard. (I also have it in the back of my mind that this type of kit was maybe used by the Indian Army? They certainly used leather pouches for the Vickers Berthier MG.) I am not sure of a value for you? The appeal is limited to Home Front collectors really.


Like Gary says these most likey ended up in Norway as post war surplus.

I recall all those Lightweigh respirators too Gary. My Dutch dealer friends had piles of them at £20 each.

Cheers, Ade.

[Carl Ellingstad]

Thanks to all who have contributed to clear up what it is! I was hoping that it was more interesting than just homeguard issue but you learn something new everyday.

Regards
Carl

[RobNZ]

Belgian Colonial Armies

Hi all,

The 'Pattern 1939' Leather version of the Pattern 1937 Web Equipment was also supplied by Britain to the troops of the Belgian Colonial Army in the Mediterranean.
There is a picture of them in wear on page 142 of Andrew Mollo's book 'The Armed Forces of World War Two'

Best regards

Rob NZ