Danish Pattern 37 - like Pouches

The straps on the rear of the poncho case can be threaded through the plastic D-rings on the top edge of the respirator carrier.

It's like this one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DANISH-ARMY-BUTTPACK-belt-POUCH-for-PONCHO-Rubberized-MINT-WEBBING-/162010980230?nma=true&si=zbYd8%252BG1n%252F91JOohArTeRhIbal4%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557


And ok, but then it would be floppy as hell, as the maskbag already stands above the belt a bit, and with weight hanging from th etop it would hang back a lot

Agreed, but it is possible to tie everything together by running the rear brace ends through the D-rings as well. If you look very carefully at the photograph below, it would appear that the man on the far right has done so, although these guys aren't wearing the poncho carriers.

But, since there are two pairs of D-rings on the respirator bag, it is possible to weave the brace ends through one D-ring on each side, and to weave the poncho carrier straps through the second D-ring on each side.

Also, see here - we can't see if this NCO has weaved the braces through the D-rings, but he has clearly attached the poncho carrier to the respirator carrier.

And here too:

Great, thanks! I've hung mine like that now, until I find a nice green backpack it'll stay like this

michelwijnand wrote:
The magpouches are German made, but apparently came from Danish stocks.

Wolverine has done a great analysis of the difference between German and Danish rubber mag pouches here:
https://iacmc.forumotion.com/t10668-g3-magazine-pouches-bw-versus-danish-manufacture

I still haven't been able to find any Danish manufactured one. May I ask what website you ordered from?

Anyone love the webbing posts and the pictures of the gear in action.

I found Danish-manufactured rubber/vinyl pouches here: http://www.armyvarer.com/shop/frontpage.html

Be warned - Danish shipping costs are very high, even by today's standards.

Yeah I ordered it from Bisgaard & Nielsen. They were quite happy to search for many unlisted items in their stock, but as soon as I told them about the L-straps being the wrong type (I specified brass hooks and they agreed to it) and different lengths, all I got was silence.
Bit of a weird shop, all other items are perfectly fine as ordered, and they turn into a stone wall over something this petty.
Apparently some danish people have had similar experiences, with items either being packed badly (my stuff was packed perfectly, so they must've learned from that), or not getting the item as described.

Anyway, I've already been mailing with the 417 shop about various items too, and an actual Danish pouch is on my list, though German made ones are correct too, I'd just like to have 1 at least.
A shop here has a big crate of them that they got from old Danish army stocks (Wolverine, you know this shop well!).

And yes shippingcosts from there can cost a premium. Somehow from B & N it was not as expensive as listed on 417's page though.

Yes, I know that shop too well. I was almost buried there under falling piles of webbing.

I have ordered once from Bisgaard & Nielsen, and yes, the shipping was a little less expensive than 417. I didn't have trouble with either Danish shop, but one order each is not enough to guarantee perfect service in the future.

Of interest, the earlier Danish L-straps with brass hooks may all have come from British sources, but I am not sure. I don't think I have seen any Danish-made L-straps with brass fittings, but I do have British-made examples with later Danish markings added.

Haha I almost fell from a high stack of gearcrates there, it seems this place attracts dangerous situations

And yes exactly, the early stuff was MECo made, and Danish marked, but I still want a Danish marked set instead of WW2 British.
It's easy to see in old photos, the old L-straps all have reduction woven top straps, and only a few British companies could manage that, which is why later Danish made straps are of the "Attached to" sewn type

I have to admit, I've been following this thread for a while now from the shadows, and finally decided to chime in.

The fitting instructions for the M/45-59 only states there is one way to carry the poncho roll, and that is on the belt.
However, as you may have found out by now, photographic evidence suggest that it was carried in a number of ways. It all has to do with the gas mask carrier you were issued (and eventually personal preference). The M/45-59 fitting instructions were made before the introduction of the M/69 (Canadian) gas mask, and the new carrier. The carrier previously used was altered British / Canadian / Commonwealth Lightweight Respirator packs in different versions. The gas mask bags are to be carried in the rear end should straps - the "tabs" that are left when they are worn in a proper size.

Below are the "fighting order" (left) and "marching order" (right) of the M/45-59 W.E.:


"Marching order" - seen from reverse:


Hopefully it should be evident, that the altered gas mask carrier is carried in the rear end part of the shoulder straps, and that the poncho roll is carried on the belt. The poncho roll could be carried underneath the "small pack" as well.

The altered Lightweight Respirator Bags had home grown nomenclature, and there were three destinct types.
The M/45A, M/45B and the M/45-59.

The M/45A is the one previously used with the M/45-50 W.E., and is carried vertically on the belt. The M/45B is the unaltered version. Most often used with the Home Guard. The M/45-59 is a Lightweight Respirator that have had two buckles added to the left side (when seen vertically) that enables the two 25mm tabs from the shoulder straps to be threaded through. This enables the soldiers to "draw" the mask with his right hand, and avoid having the straps of the mask getting caught on the entrenching tool.  




Important to remember is, that prior to M/1959 the poncho was carried underneath the flap of the "small pack", as should be evident from the photo below from 1955:  



However! The above is all nice and well. But every single one of us that has worked just a tiny little bit inside the armed forces know, that fitting instructions are more guidelines than actual rules. . . Well, at least according to some.

Source: 'Vejledning i anvendelse af hærens oppakningssystem', Hærkommandoen, 1962.  

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Below are a few "period" photos from the Cold War, from the late 1950s - 1980s:

love the period photos. The more the better!!!

Great info and pics in both threads, thanks for the share! Finding Danish reference photos can be pretty hard

michelwijnand wrote:Great info and pics in both threads, thanks for the share! Finding Danish reference photos can be pretty hard

No worries!

The set I like the most, is the M/45-50. It is the '37Webbing - as it should have been in my opinion.
Gone is the strange '08 entrenching tool and the water bottle - the two items the Danish army really wanted to loose as fast as possible.








Two photos of a mint M/50 'U-taske':




More reference photos:
Pre 1960s












From 1965, when the M/44 uniform (the short, wool battledress uniform) was used for garrison duties primarily:





And in M/1958 - M/1958-61 uniforms:

The ammo pouches with the lower access entry are forsale down here in NZ!

Oh I finally remembered I needed to ask this, does anyone know what exactly the strap at the top of the magazine pouch is for?

Is it part of some special way to attach the 2 brass rings to the brace attachment?

Yes it is. I will try to pull out some pouches and take a photograph that shows up close how it works.

Ok thanks, now I just pushed the buckle of the attachment through the 2 rings and made it fit, but the small strap is just sticking out looking hopeless

Michel,

It is a bit tricky, but here is the manual from 1954:




The small strap that is permanently attached to the U-taske, attach the top part of the brace attachment when the small pack is not worn. The brace only attach to the bottom part.
The idea is, that when the small pack is worn the hooks from the L-straps are keeping it together. It is a strange system, but I will try to take some photos of it.

/M55q.

Oh that clears it up a bit at least, thanks.
With my webbing I have the small pack, so when the pack is worn the straps are not used like this, where would they go then, still through the buckle to the body, but not upwards again?

Oh and how much were M50 bayonets actually issued? Were they quite standard issue, or almost not issued like the M62?

And slightly offtopic, does anyone know what exact model of boots was before the M58 ones?
I know they must be British style low boots, but were they produced in Denmark or imported?
And if Danish made, were they any different, and what model number are they actually?

michelwijnand wrote:Oh and how much were M50 bayonets actually issued? Were they quite standard issue, or almost not issued like the M62?

And slightly offtopic, does anyone know what exact model of boots was before the M58 ones?
I know they must be British style low boots, but were they produced in Denmark or imported?
And if Danish made, were they any different, and what model number are they actually?

The M/50 was issued to all infantrymen issued the Garand - or in other words, a general issue item.
Very, very common!

The boots used before the M/58 comes in a variety of versions. First they were modelled after the brown Swedish low boots, used by the Danish exile army DANFORCE in Sweden (1943-45), then they came in a black "ammo boot-esque" version, and finally in a light brown version.

The last version:


The low brown boots were used well into the 1960s, as the conscripts were issued one pair of low boots, and one pair of M/58 boots.
The boots were made in Denmark, and is almost impossible to source these days, as they were a very sought after surplus item. Well made, of good quality full grain leather, they lasted a decade or more with the right care in civilian hands. Now there is none left. I purchased a mint pair of boots a couple of years ago, and at the time I had actively been looking for a pair for 4 years.

Ok thanks! Finally some good info and photos of the boots.

And as for the bayonet, would it have been common for a US made bayonet to be carried, maybe in a Danish made scabbard?
Or only Danish made ones with Danish made scabbards.

michelwijnand wrote:Ok thanks! Finally some good info and photos of the boots.

And as for the bayonet, would it have been common for a US made bayonet to be carried, maybe in a Danish made scabbard?
Or only Danish made ones with Danish made scabbards.

Both US made and FKF / HTK marked bayonets were used at the same time.
They were not altered in any way, and was carried in either the M/50 bayonet carrier or the M/59 carrier.

The scabbard was made of laminated wood, and that is the only version I know of in Danish use.
You are unfortunately not able to use the green scabbard so often found with the US bayonets.