Paddy1 Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 (edited) I wonder if anyone can identify this belt. A mate of mine picked it up years ago in Alma barracks in Blackdown. It's a bit of a mystery. It has a 37 pattern clasp but the material is not the same as 37, it's much softer. The pouch looks just the right size for a pistol mag and looks like it's had something oily kept in it. The press studs are different from that found on US kit. Any ideas? Edited February 4, 2011 by Paddy1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 That looks very like the old RN money belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy1 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 I managed to find pics of RN issue moneybelts and though they are slightly similar, the part where the money is kept is quite flat, for notes or coins. The pouch on the unknown belt is much bulkier. I did find this whilst trawling the net today, The badges are attached to a belt which, though it has a different buckle, is made of the same light canvas and has an identical brass slide. The badges are described as being from WW1 and I wonder if the belt might date from that period. The only fly in the ointment is the press stud on the unknown one which I don't think was around then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Hi Paddy,........Interesting article, sorry, doesn't look like anything I've come across. have a look at www.karkeeweb.com had a (very quick)look myself and couldn't see anything, but maybe's worth contacting them with a pic. (them letting us know, if you find out. :-)) All the best, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 hi it looks like 1928 patton raf webbing .is the webbing blue.sparky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy1 Posted February 6, 2011 Author Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks Sparky. No, the belt is standard army khaki colour, doesn't appear to be designed to be blancoed or anything. I think it would be too flexible to keep any on. It's unusual to put something on for identification - and I've tried a few other sites - and nobody can place it. Luckily enough I stumbled onto www.karkeeweb.com last night and have been in touch with the webmaster with some better pictures. If he is able to turn anything up I'll post a follow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted February 6, 2011 Share Posted February 6, 2011 Thanks Sparky. No, the belt is standard army khaki colour, doesn't appear to be designed to be blancoed or anything. I think it would be too flexible to keep any on. It's unusual to put something on for identification - and I've tried a few other sites - and nobody can place it. Luckily enough I stumbled onto www.karkeeweb.com last night and have been in touch with the webmaster with some better pictures. If he is able to turn anything up I'll post a follow up. Hi Paddy, I did mention this site to you,a couple of posts back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy1 Posted February 7, 2011 Author Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hi Sparky and Lee Enfield: John from www.karkeeweb.com very kindly responded to my enquiry regarding the belt but could not find anything that matched it. He thought the light webbing belt itself of is of a type used for cadet equipment many years ago, which probably originally used the snake-type buckle that disappeared after WW1. Somewhere along the way, it's been married to a Mills pattern brass buckle and the small pouch. He doubts that it was ever official issue and thinks it may have been just made up from odd parts. So there we have it. I remember several officers and soldiers during my service, who were members of civilian shooting clubs and owned their own pistols, which were kept in the unit armoury. Some of them also used non-issue holsters for shooting and I think the belt may have been made up for just that purpose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Doubt it would be of any use as a pistol belt. The material you say is soft. When a pistol is in a holster a soft belt buckles under the weight and can rub your hip raw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted February 7, 2011 Share Posted February 7, 2011 Hi Sparky and Lee Enfield: John from www.karkeeweb.com very kindly responded to my enquiry regarding the belt but could not find anything that matched it. He thought the light webbing belt itself of is of a type used for cadet equipment many years ago, which probably originally used the snake-type buckle that disappeared after WW1. Somewhere along the way, it's been married to a Mills pattern brass buckle and the small pouch. He doubts that it was ever official issue and thinks it may have been just made up from odd parts. So there we have it. I remember several officers and soldiers during my service, who were members of civilian shooting clubs and owned their own pistols, which were kept in the unit armoury. Some of them also used non-issue holsters for shooting and I think the belt may have been made up for just that purpose. Thats interesting, Paddy Thanks for the update. All the best, Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy1 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Doubt it would be of any use as a pistol belt. The material you say is soft. When a pistol is in a holster a soft belt buckles under the weight and can rub your hip raw. No, it's still quite substantial, even though it's not as stiff as a belt from a webbing set. Most of the civvy-owned pistols I saw in the army were small calibre, much lighter than 9mm issue ones, and weren't worn for long periods. I think the belt would have been perfect for that, with a couple of magazines in the pouch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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