Dutch army loadout displays (cold war era)

Here's some of my old loadouts I recently made new photos of, as some needed mistakes fixed, and some have been expanded in the meantime.

Dutch army ca 1953 - early 60's.

M53 Battledress uniform
Khaki shirt and tie
M53 (M1) helmet with fiber liner and helmetnet
M52 belt
M52 magazine pouches (Different than British p37 in that the front flap isn't pointy but straight)
2 Suspenders (1 Dutch and 1 British p37 reissue)
German WW2 style folding shovel in leather carrier
Metal canteen in pouch
K53 gasmask in bag
Small pack with camo-strings (British p37 reissue)
2 L-straps (British p37 reissue)
British p37 style anklets
Low boots.

In the background:
Leather jerkin
Mesh scarf
Another M53 battledress tunic that is actually part of the loadout, but is too small for the mannequin.
It has patches for Dutch army 4th division, sergeant rank chevrons, and a rampant lion.
Around 1963 shoulder emblems (not visible in the photo) were moved to the collar.
Such battledresses were used alongside the M58 uniforms for quite a while.





Dutch Marine Corps 1960's, New Guinea.

M60 HBT uniform (USMC P44 cut)
HBT cap (similar to USMC cap)
BAR belt with suspenders (many argue these are Belgian, but I have some proof that seems to show these belts in very limited use with Dutch marines)
US M42 first aid kit pouch
Dutch canteen cover with US canteen
US style leggings
US 50's type boots

Not shown but present in my collection and also usable for this loadout.
US M36 belt
2 Dutch made M1 carbine magazine pouches.





Dutch army ca 1969 - 1976. (since the earliest plastic canteen I have is dated 69, and the K gasmask was supposed to
be replaced in 76, though I'm not sure how long the wearout period was)

M58 summer uniform
M58 winter uniform
Private rankslides
M53 (M1) helmet with soldiermade camo (fiber liner shell)
Early type M52 belt
2 Early type M52 suspenders
2 p37 style basic pouches (1 WW2 British pouch with wrongly repaired closure, 1 possibly Dutch copy of a p37 pouch)
US M43 folding shovel in Dutch carrier
Plastic canteen in pouch
K53 gasmask in pouch
M52 small pack
2 early type M52 L-straps
M66 boots

Not visible/shown but present:
M58 hood
M58 cap
2 early type M52 brace attachments
Padded jacketliner
Long and short underwear





Dutch army 1980's - early 90's.

M78 winter uniform
Corporal rankslides
M53 (M1) helmet with soldiermade camo (plastic liner shell)
Late type M53 belt
2 Late type M53 suspenders
2 Late type M53 brace attachments
Trifold shovel in carrier
Plastic canteen in late type rubberized pouch
C3 gasmask in early pouch
Pistol holster
Pistol lanyard
Late type rubberized small pack
Late type M52 L-straps
M66 boots

Not visible/shown but present:
M78 summer uniform
M58 cap
M58 winter cap
Padded undersuit
Long and short underwear

Very nice set-ups. From studying photos, and complete kits offered for sale by former reservists, it seems most common to have a mixture of the older and newer components for reservists from the 1980s (ie, some rubber items mixed with older canvas items).

The C-3 carrier shown here is one of the examples that was exported from Canada. It is nearly identical to Canadian C-3 carriers, with some minor differences in the outer storage pocket.

Thanks, you're right about the mixing of gear, but I chose not to do that since I would have to use duplicates of the old type, and then couldn't show the late type on any kit.
I also have 2 older canteens with partially rubberized pouches, and gasmask bag in the rubberized material like the backpack, but those are all reserved for other loadouts already.

I see I forgot to put another loadout in the first post, I can't modify it anymore, so here it is.

1953 - early 60's Marechaussee (MP).

M53 Battledress uniform with Marechaussee shoulder buttons
2 Marechaussee shoulder emblems
Rampant lion patch
2 Marechaussee 1st class chevrons
2 Marechaussee shoulderstrip patches
1St "armycorps troops" patch
White Aiguillettes cord
Khaki shirt and tie
MP armband
M53 (M1) helmet fiber liner
White British p37 style belt
White British p37 style suspender
White British p37 style brace attachment
White British style holster (Browning Hi-power?)
Pistol lanyard (now replaced with a blue one)
White British p37 style anklets
Low boots





I'm also working on a UNIFIL loadout with some interesting custom pouches, and I just need a small patch to finish it, so that might come up here soon too

That is a very nice KM set. I am working on one myself, circa 1970s, with the M58 fatigue uniform. I have a nice beret for it, but still miss the helmet liner.

I'll keep an eye out, they are pretty rare here too.
Last one like this I saw sold for about €40 though.

Just got done making this one.

Dutch army UNIFIL, early 80's.

M78 summer uniform
UN Netherlands sleeve patch
UN blue shouldercord
Khaki armlet with UN patch
Trouserbelt
Private rankslides
UN blue beret with badge
M52 belt
2  M52 suspenders (1 late type)
2 KMarns seperated FAL magazine pouches modified onto British p37 brace attachments
Custommade magazine/multipurpose pouch
Canteen in early type rubberized pouch
M66 boots





Might as well add these too.

Dutch Airforce (KLu) ground troops, 1978 - early 80's.

M78 grey-green summer and winter uniforms
M53 (M1) helmet with soldiermade camo (grey plastic liner shell)
Grey M52 belt
2 Grey M52 suspenders
2 Grey UZI magazine pouches
Plastic canteen in grey M52 pouch
C3 gasmask bag
Grey M52 small pack
Grey L-straps (1 M52, 1 British p37)
Black M66 boots
Grey cap
Grey-green cap
Grey mittens





Dutch Marine Corps, 1978 - early 90's

M87 DPM summer uniform
M87 windproof smock
2 Marine 1st class rankslides
M87 DPM cap
Marine Corps beret
Dutchmade US M36 style green pistolbelt
Suspenders (with an added strap on the right shoulder, and an elastic on the other)
Dutchmade US M42 style green bandage pouch with bandage
Plastic canteen in early rubberized M52 pouch
Dutchmade US style triple grenade pouch
FN FAL type C bayonet
C3 gasmask in plasticized bag
Folding shovel in carrier
Kidney pouches
Poncho carrier with nylon poncho
2 Packstraps as compression straps
Backpack
Black M66 boots

Great stuff!

Thanks, some of these took quite a bit of work

I believe it.

Though slightly post-Cold-War, I'm posting it here anyway, instead of making an extra thread.

Dutch Marine Corps, UNTAC 1992 - 1993 in Cambodia:

US Woodland summer uniform with green shoulderloops
UN Netherlands arm patch
Korps Mariniers shoulder patch
2 Sergeant rankslides
Green armlet with Dutch flag and UN round patch
Blue UN cap with late style patch
RBR "305" body armor in DPM camo, this type was just issued for a short while
US LC-2 pistolbelt
LC-2 suspenders
Dutchmade US M42 style green bandage pouch with bandage
Plastic canteen in Marine Corps specific nylon pouch
Plastic canteen in M52 pouch
2 Nylon FN FAL-O triple magazine pouches
Black M66 boots

In the background and in hands:
British green PLCE gasmaskbag (not worn in Cambodia but issue item, they were carried in Iraq a year prior)
Blue UN beret
2 Nylon FN-FAL double magazine pouches
Late type pistolholster

Very nice work. Were the M66 boots made in black leather ever, or are these simply brown ones that have been blackened?

Is the UN cap made in the Netherlands?

Thanks!

The boots are actually made black, originally for the airforce, I'm not sure when the Marines started issuing them, maybe with the M74 uniform standard where the standard KL pants were used, because I have seen zero photos showing KL pants worn with leggings.
Although I do have some Pre-74 pics that seem to show a mix of old boots+leggings and black M66 boots worn under Dungarees.

The UN cap is simply a generic UN property cap made in China. It was actually worn on a later mission, but it's the correct type at least.

I see my topic has been moved to the reenacting and living history section, is that because I added photos where I'm wearing stuff myself?


Also, another update, even more post-cold-war, a Dutch army SFIR-5 loadout, Garde Jagers, 11 aaslt, 2005.

3-Color desert camo parka and trilaminaat pants
Corporal rankslides
Darkgreen beret with Garde Jagers insignia
SFIR armpatch
DPM body armor "modified" cover
Desert camo M93 vest
2 Desert camo UZI magazine pouches
NBC cup canteen with desert camo pouch
Desert camo maintenance kit pouch
Desert boots

In the background some more gear that wasn't worn in the field, but part of the vest complex.

Desert camo gasmask bag
Black trifold shovel in desert camo pouch
Desert camo Rotota cargo bag

The boots are not correct, but my actual Dutch army desert boots are stuck on a mannequin, so I grabbed some available boots that were standing in my depot.

You need the ugly with desert set.
Je hebt de lelijke woestijn met witte strepen nodig!

Very nice gear!

there are some really nice loadouts Michel. Thanks for sharing

Thanks man, nice to see a familiar member from RA!

And yeah the white ugly desert stuff is also possible to use, but these old things were still used too.
The shovelpouch is a hybrid one though, old pouch with a lengthened strap with newer material.

And here's another loadout, Dutch Marine Corps uniform as used from 1974 - early 80's

M74 summer uniform (consisting of khaki KM shirt, KL M58 pants, KL trouserbelt)
QPO patch
Corporal rank chevrons
Early type Marine Corps beret
Dutchmade US M36 style green pistolbelt
Dutchmade USMC p41 style suspenders
2 UZI magazine pouches (1 regular type and 1 center seam type)
Dutchmade US M42 style green bandage pouch
Plastic canteen in M52 pouch
US M1910 pick mattock in Dutchmade carrier
Dutchmade USMC p41 style backpack
Black M66 boots

Michel, does the entrenching tool (pick-mattock) have US markings? I have some of the Dutch-made carriers, but have never seen Dutch-made tools.

It's a US one, I bought it as complete US set and replaced the carrier with a Dutch one. I've never seen any pick-mattock that was Dutch made for some reason, just covers

Your Dutch loadouts are amazing! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks man!

Good stuff - interesting to see it all together.

Wolverine wrote:Michel, does the entrenching tool (pick-mattock) have US markings? I have some of the Dutch-made carriers, but have never seen Dutch-made tools.

I believe it is the same with the Belgians, They had their own carriers but the entrenching tools were war dated Ames. (right through to the 80's)

Antarmike wrote:

Wolverine wrote:Michel, does the entrenching tool (pick-mattock) have US markings? I have some of the Dutch-made carriers, but have never seen Dutch-made tools.

I believe it is the same with the Belgians,  They had their own carriers but the entrenching tools were war dated Ames. (right through to the 80's)

There are also Belgian (or at least, European-made) folding shovels to be found in Belgian surplus stocks - they are often mixed in with the US wartime examples. Some look nearly identical to the US M1943 pattern, others have rounded tips.

Regarding the pick-mattock, the only foreign-made examples I have seen (aside from commercial copies) are Danish ones with civil defence markings.

michelwijnand wrote:Though slightly post-Cold-War, I'm posting it here anyway, instead of making an extra thread.

Dutch Marine Corps, UNTAC 1992 - 1993 in Cambodia:

US Woodland summer uniform with green shoulderloops
UN Netherlands arm patch
Korps Mariniers shoulder patch
2 Sergeant rankslides
Green armlet with Dutch flag and UN round patch
Blue UN cap with late style patch
RBR "305" body armor in DPM camo, this type was just issued for a short while
US LC-2 pistolbelt
LC-2 suspenders
Dutchmade US M42 style green bandage pouch with bandage
Plastic canteen in Marine Corps specific nylon pouch
Plastic canteen in M52 pouch
2 Nylon FN FAL-O triple magazine pouches
Black M66 boots

In the background and in hands:
British green PLCE gasmaskbag (not worn in Cambodia but issue item, they were carried in Iraq a year prior)
Blue UN beret
2 Nylon FN-FAL double magazine pouches
Late type pistolholster

These were a great resource. Can you please repost now that photo bucket removed them?