Belgian copy of Brit '37 Pattern webbing

1960 kit bag



Shame it has a tiny wear hole through the bottom though, otherwise VGC.

Sometimes it is finding something quite inconsequential that really makes my day.   I had never even seen a photo of a Belgian tin opener, and now I have one in my collection!

ABL 1959



Now I have to find a 50's 60's ration tin!

That one is new to me also.

Hello
my kit bag from 1965

Antarmike wrote:As we know the US set up a shop to make kit for the US army in Belgium, and that is how Belgium adopted US pattern Canteen sets.  I should have bought this when I saw it.  A Belgian made  cup for the Americans, made on the same machinery that would later make cups for the ABL.

Well having missed the first one I saw on Ebay, I didn't miss this Ebay one.  "Reverse lease-lend" Cup made in Belgium for the U.S.Army.

Doesn't directly relate to my ABL collection, but it sort of fills in the history of how the Belgians ended up with U.S, style cups I suppose.......




It is actually a better fit for this ABL Water bottle than the ABL cup (dated 1956) I had it paired with originally...

belgium_one wrote:Hello
my kit bag from 1965

Thanks for sharing. Metal looks a little less corroded than mone, nice.

Navy ZM/FN Bayonet frog (for FN-49 AFN?)




FN-49 Oil Bottle and cleaning kit / pull through

Gaiters 1958?

Not sure if this Leather FN-49 Energa Rifle grande launcher pouch is ABL or not? advice please?

Added another FALO Chest rig.
This one has an extra pouch.



I am guessing from size and shape it might be for stripper clip charger?



I am assuming that this is the earlier of the two chest Rigs, and that the pouch was omitted to make it more confortable to fire from prone position?

This appears to be yet another version?

I know of three different types of the automatic rifle belt. If I recall correctly, one has six magazine pockets, one has four, and one is like that you have illustrated. I am not sure what the small pocket was intended to carry.

Antarmike wrote:

Not sure if this Leather FN-49 Energa Rifle grande launcher pouch is ABL or not?  advice please?

I am pretty sure it is ABL.

Wolverine wrote:

Antarmike wrote:

Not sure if this Leather FN-49 Energa Rifle grande launcher pouch is ABL or not?  advice please?

I am pretty sure it is ABL.

I tnink I am going to have to make a reproduction Energa launcher. They are available in the US but nobody is prepared to ship one to the uk. Has anyone got one. I need the overall length as a starting point for producing a scale drawing for manufactur. My best estimate so far falls betweem 273 and 278 mm, but I need to know for sure. Thanks if anyone can help.

What about dealers in Belgium?

Wolverine wrote:What about dealers in Belgium?

EU deactivation rules complicate things because in EU a launcher has to be welded to the muzzle.  makes sourcing In Belgium virtually impossible.

Googleing the item only brings results in US or Canada.

Ah, I see.

I finally found this version of the shovel carrier. It is made from canvas that has been recycled from other components, probably a British WE 37 large pack. The outlines of old stitches are visible.

A question - has anyone come across the Belgian WE 37 small pack in air force light blue (not naval dark blue), with the straps for attaching the entrenching tool directly to the pack?

Hello,

You mean such a small pack? I am pretty sure that this is from the Air Force.

I saw a few for sale on facebook a month or 2 ago

Yes Marc, that's the one. Are there any markings under the flap?

There are no markings to find.

michelwijnand wrote:I saw a few for sale on facebook a month or 2 ago

If you see more let me know.

Will do!

I have one in same colour  It is stamped FN/ZM VOLH 65,  so it is Navy but is in this blue/grey.