Help ID'ing WWII Field Gear *PICS*

Sixer · April 12, 2009, 05:07 PM

I recently bought an assortment of vintage military bags, pouches, and miscellaneous field gear from a fellow TFL member. Lots of cool stuff that looks to be from the WWII or Vietnam era. Many of the items have no identifying markings and I honestly don't know much about this stuff at all.

I'd like to figure out what some of these items are... without having to post a number of pics. Can anyone recommend a good website or book that would help me identify some of this stuff on my own. Thanks for the help

Tom2 · April 12, 2009, 08:02 PM

How did the seller represent the stuff? Maybe a quick start would be on www.garlic.com/~rgkay/ and look at his WW1 and WW2 items or between war items. Vietnam era, probably somewhere on the net. I just did a google.

Chris_B · April 12, 2009, 08:57 PM

Is it US gear? I am afraid without pics you're not going to get much help online

Try the forums here if it is US stuff, they also have sections on books that may help you:

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/foru...ex.php?act=idx

They are extremely knowledgeable. I am fairly knowledgeable about some US gear...but without seeing what you're asking about it is hard to tell you anything

Can you at least take a photo of several items of interest and post them? It only takes a few minutes to do

Sixer · April 12, 2009, 10:41 PM

Thanks for the links guys, here are some (BIG) pics of most of the stuff...

armsmaster270 · April 12, 2009, 11:10 PM

A lot of it is foreign but the top photo top Item is a M-2 50calMG barrel bag.for the spare barrel they are issued with 2 barrels as are the M-60. And you have the Bipod for the M-16 over its bag so you know what it is.

Chris_B · April 13, 2009, 08:40 AM

Agree, very little US made stuff...not even sure of the era of most of it. Bipod and case look very new...reproductions of these are being made today so heads up

There a couple light tan "khaki" pouches that have the 'lift-the-dot' fasteners common to WWI and WWII US gear but the symbol and lettering on them is nothing like US issued gear (last pic)

Some of those other things look commercial and not milsurp to me

Pathfinder45 · April 13, 2009, 11:02 AM

A couple of those bags in the last picture have a symbol inside a circle that certainly looks like a hebrew letter, [Tzadei].

HKuser · April 13, 2009, 04:27 PM

It looks like a mixture of mostly commie (EG raindrop pattern) or IDF or Canadian. Most is not U.S.

Tom2 · April 13, 2009, 06:44 PM

Yep it does look like the only thing US is the barrel pouch, maybe. There is Israeli, E. German, British, etc. The black ammo pouch looks exactly like the ones that they give you now when you buy a Russian Mosin Nagant. But mine are brown or tan. Being black it might be Russian Navy. Frankly I see piles of that kind of stuff at the gunshows around here and I dont' think any of it is very valuable. So if you have a particular use for any of it, don't be afraid to wear it out. The black pouch might be worth a few dollars more than the common brown MN pouches. If you paid 30-40$ for all of it, you did good. Maybe would cost a little more if you bought it all piecemeal. US field gear generally has a large black US stamp on it somewhere, usually the flap. But so does the reproduction stuff.

trippingpara · April 13, 2009, 07:14 PM

The green pouch marked with Light II J H & Co (Ltd) is a WWII British Respirator pouch. You can faintly see the Broad Arrow below the other markings. The rest of it is a mixture of foreign equipment. The tall gray pouch looks like a British design Basic Pouch (part of their P37 gear). With it being gray not green or khaki, it is probably South African made.

Sixer · April 14, 2009, 12:25 AM

Great info guys! Now I just need to find out what type of Israeli pouches I've got and where the shoulder bag in the first pic originated. I'm also curious where the pistol belt (top of pic 1) came from... I can't seem to find anything on it. Then again, I've probably been looking in all the wrong places. I had no idea that I bought a bunch of foreign / commie stuff

I'm not a collecter of Millitaria stuff, but I thought I might be able to use some of these things... and most of it looked older and interesting

For $25 I figured it was probably worth it. Thanks again for the help!

Tom2 · April 14, 2009, 02:08 PM

If you don't have a Mosin rifle, you could maybe ad the "rare Russian Navy ammo pouch" on ebay and make most of what you maybe payed for the rest. I don't know if the black Navy stuff is really rare, but the sellers seem to tell you it is and price accordingly. IF that rain pattern pouch were a holster instead of a pouch, that is 40-60$ right there.

Sixer · April 14, 2009, 03:32 PM

Thanks Tom, I will try it

Thanks to all the info, I'm starting to nail down just exactly what this stuff is...

ChrisB pointed me in the right direction, noting that this was mostly foreign gear.

armsmaster270 got me going with the U.S. items

Pathfinder45 hit it on the head with the IDF pouches. That Hebrew letter is the Zahal mark for the Israeli military.

trippingpara left nothing to suprise! I never would have guessed that was a British respirator pouch

HKuser called it with the East German Raindrop pattern. Right on the $$$.

Tom, correct me if Im wrong, but is the Russian ammo pouch made of pebblegrain?

What's still bugging me is that pouch in the first pic with some type of symbol on it... As well as that dang pistol belt! I'll keep scouring the web and see what I can turn up. You guys have been a great help

April 12, 2009, 05:07 PM	#1
Sixer Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,891	Help ID'ing WWII Field Gear PICS I recently bought an assortment of vintage military bags, pouches, and miscellaneous field gear from a fellow TFL member. Lots of cool stuff that looks to be from the WWII or Vietnam era. Many of the items have no identifying markings and I honestly don't know much about this stuff at all. I'd like to figure out what some of these items are... without having to post a number of pics. Can anyone recommend a good website or book that would help me identify some of this stuff on my own. Thanks for the help __________________ Hopp Custom Leather <------ click for HOLSTER awesomeness!! -There is no theory of evolution... Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live. Last edited by Sixer; April 13, 2009 at 02:06 AM.

April 12, 2009, 08:02 PM	#2
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	How did the seller represent the stuff? Maybe a quick start would be on www.garlic.com/~rgkay/ and look at his WW1 and WW2 items or between war items. Vietnam era, probably somewhere on the net. I just did a google. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

April 12, 2009, 10:41 PM	#4
Sixer Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,891	Thanks for the links guys, here are some (BIG) pics of most of the stuff... __________________ Hopp Custom Leather <------ click for HOLSTER awesomeness!! -There is no theory of evolution... Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

April 12, 2009, 11:10 PM	#5
armsmaster270 Senior Member Join Date: November 25, 2008 Location: California Posts: 1,951	A lot of it is foreign but the top photo top Item is a M-2 50calMG barrel bag.for the spare barrel they are issued with 2 barrels as are the M-60. And you have the Bipod for the M-16 over its bag so you know what it is. __________________ http://www.armsmaster.net-a.googlepages.com http://s239.photobucket.com/albums/f...aster270/Guns/ Retired LE, M.P., Sr. M.P. Investigator F.B.I. Trained Rangemaster/Firearms Instructor & Armorer, Presently Forensic Document Examiner for D.H.S.

April 13, 2009, 11:02 AM	#7
Pathfinder45 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2008 Posts: 3,224	Israeli? A couple of those bags in the last picture have a symbol inside a circle that certainly looks like a hebrew letter, [Tzadei].

April 12, 2009, 08:57 PM	#3
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	Is it US gear? I am afraid without pics you're not going to get much help online Try the forums here if it is US stuff, they also have sections on books that may help you: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/foru...ex.php?act=idx They are extremely knowledgeable. I am fairly knowledgeable about some US gear...but without seeing what you're asking about it is hard to tell you anything Can you at least take a photo of several items of interest and post them? It only takes a few minutes to do

April 13, 2009, 08:40 AM	#6
Chris_B Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2007 Posts: 3,101	Agree, very little US made stuff...not even sure of the era of most of it. Bipod and case look very new...reproductions of these are being made today so heads up There a couple light tan "khaki" pouches that have the 'lift-the-dot' fasteners common to WWI and WWII US gear but the symbol and lettering on them is nothing like US issued gear (last pic) Some of those other things look commercial and not milsurp to me

April 13, 2009, 04:27 PM	#8
HKuser Senior Member Join Date: January 24, 2008 Location: PA Posts: 625	It looks like a mixture of mostly commie (EG raindrop pattern) or IDF or Canadian. Most is not U.S.

April 13, 2009, 06:44 PM	#9
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	Yep it does look like the only thing US is the barrel pouch, maybe. There is Israeli, E. German, British, etc. The black ammo pouch looks exactly like the ones that they give you now when you buy a Russian Mosin Nagant. But mine are brown or tan. Being black it might be Russian Navy. Frankly I see piles of that kind of stuff at the gunshows around here and I dont' think any of it is very valuable. So if you have a particular use for any of it, don't be afraid to wear it out. The black pouch might be worth a few dollars more than the common brown MN pouches. If you paid 30-40$ for all of it, you did good. Maybe would cost a little more if you bought it all piecemeal. US field gear generally has a large black US stamp on it somewhere, usually the flap. But so does the reproduction stuff. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

April 13, 2009, 07:14 PM	#10
trippingpara Member Join Date: March 2, 2009 Location: New England Posts: 27	The green pouch marked with Light II J H & Co (Ltd) is a WWII British Respirator pouch. You can faintly see the Broad Arrow below the other markings. The rest of it is a mixture of foreign equipment. The tall gray pouch looks like a British design Basic Pouch (part of their P37 gear). With it being gray not green or khaki, it is probably South African made.

April 14, 2009, 12:25 AM	#11
Sixer Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,891	Great info guys! Now I just need to find out what type of Israeli pouches I've got and where the shoulder bag in the first pic originated. I'm also curious where the pistol belt (top of pic 1) came from... I can't seem to find anything on it. Then again, I've probably been looking in all the wrong places. I had no idea that I bought a bunch of foreign / commie stuff I'm not a collecter of Millitaria stuff, but I thought I might be able to use some of these things... and most of it looked older and interesting For $25 I figured it was probably worth it. Thanks again for the help! __________________ Hopp Custom Leather <------ click for HOLSTER awesomeness!! -There is no theory of evolution... Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

April 14, 2009, 02:08 PM	#12
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	If you don't have a Mosin rifle, you could maybe ad the "rare Russian Navy ammo pouch" on ebay and make most of what you maybe payed for the rest. I don't know if the black Navy stuff is really rare, but the sellers seem to tell you it is and price accordingly. IF that rain pattern pouch were a holster instead of a pouch, that is 40-60$ right there. __________________ Your gun is like your nose, it is just wrong for someone else to pick it for you!

April 14, 2009, 03:32 PM	#13
Sixer Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2008 Location: Missouri Posts: 1,891	Thanks Tom, I will try it Thanks to all the info, I'm starting to nail down just exactly what this stuff is... ChrisB pointed me in the right direction, noting that this was mostly foreign gear. armsmaster270 got me going with the U.S. items Pathfinder45 hit it on the head with the IDF pouches. That Hebrew letter is the Zahal mark for the Israeli military. trippingpara left nothing to suprise! I never would have guessed that was a British respirator pouch HKuser called it with the East German Raindrop pattern. Right on the $$$. Tom, correct me if Im wrong, but is the Russian ammo pouch made of pebblegrain? What's still bugging me is that pouch in the first pic with some type of symbol on it... As well as that dang pistol belt! I'll keep scouring the web and see what I can turn up. You guys have been a great help __________________ Hopp Custom Leather <------ click for HOLSTER awesomeness!! -There is no theory of evolution... Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live.

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