Webbing holster (dutch/ belgian?)

Hi All,

I recently bought this holster, assuming it was a early dutch holster. I'm not able to find anything about it.

It is somewhat similar to the Canadian fn holsters and postwar Belgian holsters. There are however no signs of beltloops/ d-rings ever being present like on the Belgian examples.

The webbing seems typically dutch in color and weave, like the postwar smallpacks.

The fittings on the back look like the ww2 British holsters; two c-hooks for the belt and one to attach to a compass pouch. The brass has been blackened like the later dutch fittings.

On the Inside there is a pocket for a spare magazine, a sleeve for a cleaning rod, and some leather reinforcement.


I can't really place this, I would appreciate any help identifying this item.

I have seen a similar holster in photographs of Dutch marines, but I am not sure what the back side of that holster would look like; ie, does it have US-style hanger or C-hooks like this one?

Either way, I think this is not a common holster.

Thanks for your tip, I wouldn't have thought about the mariniers.

I've found a few photos like the ones you mentioned, but I couldn't see the type of belt worn with the holster to. From what I've seen they could be from the 1960's, as later the mariniers went over to holsters with wire hangers.

For now I will assume this holster is dutch marines 1960s issue. I will be looking into the equipment used in that period and see if it would be compatible.

I think that the holster would work okay either on the US-style marine belts or the KL M52 belts. Because the US-style belts are somewhat thinner than the M52, it might be necessary to press down the C-clips to prevent the holster from sliding along the belt. If you find a spare holster like this, I would be interested.

Externally similar but not the same as  this Belgian GP35 / HiPower holster? This holster is worn low  on 1911 clips.
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My gut feeling is that it is not  Belgian Holster.

Not quite the same.

Wolverine wrote:Not quite the same.

Externally similar but actually quite different. The one I pictured is used with a separate two magaxine pouch and there is no internal mag pouch within the holster. ( justa pocket for a cleaning rod. )

Not related, and my gut feeling is the holster in question is not Belgian.

I think it is likely Dutch.
Also, the basic design is similar to the late-war Canadian 9 mm holsters, in that C-hooks are used and the spare magazine fits under the flap.

I've asked around at other places, but no no avaul. I just rememered this holster came with a belt. I didn't think they actually formed a pair until now. The belt is probably an dutch marines issue american type

Unless other information comes to light I classify this as an early postwar webbing holster for the dutch marines. (Although I don't quite understand why it has the 3 c-hooks).

I agree.

Dutch marines with said holster.
I have one in the same shape but only has C-hooks.
Also, old KM Jungle First Aid Kit pouches had the C-hooks in addition to the US hooks.

Nice find, yours seems to be a bit more green than my example. Perhaps they didn't need the extra hook as the holster has an internal mag pouch.

I don't quite know why the marines liked the c-hooks so much, Even my marine K-gasmaskbag has the double option.

Is this something special for the Korps Mariniers?, or was it something for the whole dutch navy. Come to think about it, I haven't really got a clue what the navy was issued with. Could it be that they were using up old stocks of p37 webbing?

Yeah the C-hooks mostly appear on earlier equipment, after some time they faded away. The KL had them too, on the basic pouches.

Interestingly the C-hooks on the gasmaskbag allow the bag to be worn on British P37 belts without eyelets, slung below the belt about the same height as worn with US-hooks on M52 belts.
This type of loop appeared on the very first trial series of K-mask bags, but the KL didn't adopt the C-hooks flap, just the US-hooks.
Dunno what normal navy wears, I do think they also had the same gasmask bag as the marines, I haven't paid any attention to what other gear the navy used.