BGS BundesGrenzSchutz

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

Renier has sent me the photos of the BGS MG42 Gunners pouch plus pictures of what appears to be one of these pouches before it was modified into gunners pouch. Enjoy!

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

#2,

[Gordon Craig]

#3,

[Gordon Craig]

#4,

[Gordon Craig]

#5,

[Klaus1989]

great to finally see photos of one! Look for several years and never see one. Never look like it had the riveted rings on the side.

Also never seen flare pouch with tan leather inside. Landespolizei?

Regards
Klaus

[Gordon Craig]

Klaus,

I think the pictures of the black leather and tan leather are of the same pouch. Perhaps Reiner can confirm that.

Regards,

Gordon

[Klaus1989]

I know both pouches have black leather on outside. I meant the inside of it. I have never seen this before.

Regards
Klaus

[Collectinsteve]

That's really cool! Thanks Rainer!

It looks like they popped the four rivets for the flair panel, sewed on two belt loops, removed the two shoulder strap loops, riveted a new panel into the same 4 holes, and sewed on a new pouch to one side.

Pretty ingenious!!

It also explains the really odd feature of having a MG gunner's pouch with a flap that has two straps. That really puzzled me before, now it makes perfect sense.

Steve

[Klaus1989]

Not see any traces of the shoulderstrap loops on side. It look like they took incomplete flare pouches to convert at factory and not finished ones.

Regards
Klaus

[ReinerMB42]

MG-Pouch

Not see any traces of the shoulderstrap loops on side. It look like they took incomplete flare pouches to convert at factory and not finished ones.

Regards
Klaus

Hi Klaus,

when you look at the right picture of #4, you can see the black threads of the cut-off strap-holder on the lower pouch. On the other side there are the stitch-holes, where the holder has been. Sorry, no stamps on both pouches to identify unit or maker.

Best Regards from Bonn

Reiner

[Klaus1989]

I saw the stitches and assumed were for holder inside, but was not sure. I have not seen stitched loops for strap holder on flare pouch before, so is new for me.

Regards
Klaus

[Gordon Craig]

Gentlemen,

Reiner also sent me some pictures of an early BGS gas mask can yesterday. Now that the discussion on the MG42 parts pouches has resided its time to post pictures of the can.

Regards,

Gordon

[Gordon Craig]

#2,

[Klaus1989]

nice one! Every BGS can, that I have seen made by Auer. Here are mine. One is painted strange shade of green (brighter in real life), not sure, if 60s BGS repaint or someone else do it much later. Original paint and BMdI stamp still inside. The one with Bw straps (one with BGS reinforcement) came that way, I suspect are period replacements. Gasmask is also BGS marked. They used both rubberised and rubber masks, but rubber version is more common.





Interestingly, all carry different numbering. The green one have unit designation visible under paint 1./GSAB M (=GS-Bautabteilung Mitte).



Regards
Klaus