IR15

Your backpack for Madsen Mg sparebarrel is actually the second known example of this type. Mine beeing the other one. They don’t have this in the Norwegian Army museums storage or any other museums and collections that I know of. This was until I found this «a missing link» and I hope to restore this with eutentic Bergans leather straps. If you could one day measure how long the top strap is in centimeters, I would be very grateful. Regards Jon

Yes, when the Germans took over the garrison of the Norwegian Infantery Regiment no.15 at Elvegaardsmoen (at Bjerkvik) on the 9th of april 1940. They took over brand new uniforms, guns, ammunition, radio equipment etc that the Norwegian soldiers on duty at that time didn’t have. This was because of the thinking then that all old materials should be used before new was handed out. This saved alot of German soldiers life actually. Even the Fallshirmjägers trew away their paratrooper shoes and got norwegian soldiers beksomboots that protected them better against frostbite. The Gebirgsjägers had good backpacks, but you see them also discarding their backpacks and using norwegian insted because they had frames that made them better to use when carrying heavy loads. Here you have Gebirgsjägers using Norwegian Bergans backpacks in the Narvik mountains in 1940. Here you have the Bergansframe for carrying ammuniton and watercan boxes for the Colt M/29 heavy machinegun and the frame also fits for ammunition boxes for the Norwegian 81mm mortar.

Hello again Chris, the norwegian army's Madsen mg carrying system with Bergans backpacks consists of 3 types. One for ammunition/magazine case wich is the same as the one for the field telephone. Then there is one for the main machinegun. And the last one for the sparebarrel. here you see the ones in my collection. Here you see the frame and fittings for the Madsen Mg. The backpack here has leather reinforcements in the back to protect it from heat of the gun if attached after use. And here you see the one for the cogger with the spare barrel in it. I think your backpack might be this one. Is it possible to get an image like this one of yours? For hopefully yours stil have the leather straps to connect the spare barrel cogger. regards Jon

Hello Chris Boonzaier. Would it be possible for you to post some more pictures of the Bergans backpack frame here? It should be quite easy to losen the sack pouch from the frame. Because I think this Bergans backpack is for the spare barrel leathercarrier of the Norwegian Madsen M14/M22 machinegun.