Various Canadian ww2 Militaria

[Avitas]

Hello Gents,

Just thought I'd start a thread for the various pieces of ww2 Canadian and Commonwealth uniforms and other various pieces that aren't medals. I will update this post as I get new stuff, so check back once in a while. First up I have my RCAF Great Coat I got last year. It is in really nice shape and is really small! My girlfriend (who is 5'6" and slim) could barely fit it on! Those tiny airmen! I have heard these are pretty hard to come by, but I got it at a little old antique store in Vernon that I tend to find a few treasures at. Anyways, any comments on the jacket are welcome.

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Here is another pic of the jacket, enjoy! My grandpa was in the RCAF and still has all his stuff hidden away, I will have to convince him to let me post them all! It is a great story and my whole reason for being interested in militaria is when I was young seeing my Gramps old RCAF gear and his "souvenirs" that he got off of some Germans that he battled (SS officer's dagger, fully operational Mauser, he snuck the firing pin back by sewing it in his jacket! and various caps and Overcoats that got lost somehwere in all of his stuff). He doesn't talk much about it now, but he used to tell the stories of drinking whiskey and playing cards on the off time between fixing Spitfires and defending the airbase! Oh well, one day I will convince him, and thanks for looking at this piece of RCAF history and keep checking for new updates!

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Hello all,

I finally scanned my 1927 issue British Empire Service League Canadian Legion member pin, with early number 44675 and made by William Scully of Montreal, a prominent Canadian maker, along with a couple miniatures. They have great blue and red enamel and great detail for such tiny pins. I picked up the two miniatures separately and one is made by G. Lamond Montreal, and the other is unmarked besides "D.M.W. PAT 1858686" on the fastener piece. They appear to be from the same period. I haven't seen any of these on the forum so I was wondering if anyone else has any of these member pins and can fill in on some more details. Here is a pic of the fronts,

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Here is the back of the large pin, with number 44675 on it. Any info on this type of badge is welcome! I think it is one of the very early types.

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Here is a neat little item which I believe is from about the same period as the above mentioned Legion Pins, an original Poppy made by Vetcraft (organization for vets work) and with the same "British Empire Service League, Canadian Legion" stamping on the reverse as well as the Vetcraft logo. I had never seen one of these before and the gentlemen I bought the Ridley Dodds 39-45 War Medal and the King Ludwig 2 Memorial Medal threw it in as a freebie, nice chap! It really has a stark feel to it, as this is the symbol of rememberance, and this was worn by people who had just finished living with the first war, and it is no wonder it has survived this long, despite its cardboard manufacture and amazingly, still with original pin. If anyone has any information on the date of this item (my guess somewhere in the 1920's) and perhaps how easy they are to come by please let me know, as well as if anyone can answer some of the previous questions in this thread that would be awesome.

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

And the reverse of the poppy with the emblems on it. My grandpa is the head of the Canadian Legion up in Ft.St. John, BC and I always like to pick up anything related to the Legion, especially the early years. A nice little piece!

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Here is a humble little ribbon bar, but an oldie! It is the Defense Medal, CVSM with maple leaf, and 39-45 War Medal ribbon bar that is pretty common, but this is a period example with sturdy construction and pin-back. THanks for looking at this little assortment of odds and ends in my Commonwealth collection.

Cheers,

Pat

[Avitas]

Hello again,

Here is what I think is a Canadian ammunition pouch stamped 1943. It could be American also, but their stuff is usually a darker green colour. If anyone can decipher the other markings for me that would be great. A nice little piece of militaria I picked up at the flea market for $5. Sometimes it pays to go to the flea market when you could have been sleeping in!

Cheers,

Pat

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Pat.

Looks more like a general utility pouch, some times they were used to issue first aid hits or decontamination kits etc.

Nice pouch none the less, pretty soon you will be able to make up a mannequin

[peter monahan]

Looks more like a general utility pouch, some times they were used to issue first aid hits or decontamination kits etc.

Pat

lawrence is correct: a British/Cdn pouch.

The "British Empire Service League" officially changed it's name to the "Canadian Legion", (later Royal Canadian Legion) in 1948 throughunder a private bill in Parliament.

I've always associated the copper BESL badges with World War I, not II, for no better reason than that I saw them most often and first with WWI medals. It's quite possible, maybe even probable, however, that the pattern was in use till 1948, covering WWII service as well. Nice "little" pieces in their own right: usually carefully made and in good shape because anyone who got/kept one treated it with respect. Well done, Garndpa!

Peter

[peter monahan]

Pat

Just looked again and saw the "broad arrow" mark on the pouch, so definitely NOT American. A broad arrow inside a "C" was the Canadian mark but I would not want to say absence of the "C" = British. Lots and lots and lots were made and used all over the Empire and who knows what weird and wonderful variations came out.

The one thing you may be sure of, though, is that, stamped "1943" it saw use, not just "made up for stock" like so much of the post-war stuff. I'm not sure there is a book on Cdn webbing but I believe that someone did one for british stuff - maybe an Osprey series title? MCJ, can you help?

Peter

[Michael Johnson]

If I had the dimensions, I might be more certain, but I think it is a gas mask case, for the "Light" pattern respirator introduced, oddly enough, about 1943.

Does it look like this? http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-...=Image:Resp.jpg

Edited October 2, 2006 by Michael Johnson

[Pylon1357]

If I had the dimensions, I might be more certain, but I think it is a gas mask case, for the "Light" pattern respirator introduced, oddly enough, about 1943.

Does it look like this? http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/mediawiki-...=Image:Resp.jpg

Micheal IMO you are correct this is a British Made Light Respirator case. Not an Ammo pouch or utility pouch.

The word "LIGHT is clearly marked on this one. Again indicating Light respirator. IIRC there should be a couple of dividers inside and a snap closure pouch on the inside bottom.

[Laurence Strong]

I was going to come back with that about the light respirator, I have a photo out of a uniform book I will post in a bit, that would explain the one visible side pouch.

[Avitas]

Micheal IMO you are correct this is a British Made Light Respirator case. Not an Ammo pouch or utility pouch.

The word "LIGHT is clearly marked on this one. Again indicating Light respirator. IIRC there should be a couple of dividers inside and a snap closure pouch on the inside bottom.

Hey guys,

On the pouch, it does have the snap closure pouch on the bottom of the inside and it has a separate pocket inside as well. It is similar to the one Michael Johnson linked to but the outside snap is different as it says "lift the dot" on it. The full markings say"I.H. and CO, 1943, Light II (the first "I" is not for sure, but it is probably right.) It is about 8'6" tall and about 4'4" deep and wide. Probably British Light Respirator case as mentioned by the sounds of it and I do have a Canadian DR/C large respirator to go with it that I still have to take pics of and post here.

On the BESL Legion pins and poppy, I guess they are ww1 items as they would have been given to vets of WW2 but I thought since they were "between wars" they could fit on this thread. Maybe I will have to start a ww1 thread! Really nice little pins with great enamelwork and quality craftmanship and it is nice to have an original BESL Vetcraft poppy in such nice shape.

Cheers,

Pat

[Pylon1357]

I forgot I wanted to comment on your poppy. These paper poppies are quite uncommon to be found in this condition. IIRC my father has one in very very poor shape. I asked a few years back to keep it for me but not certain that he did.

Truely these are one off now. Congrats on having one in this fine condition

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Pat

Here's a photo taken from a book called "World War ll Infantry in color photographs' it's a modeling book done with I believe period uniforms. You can just see the bag on the rear of the soldier.

[Laurence Strong]

Here's my bag, much newer than yours I think it is marked as a first aid kit

[Laurence Strong]

A shot of both sides showing the 2 pockets

[Laurence Strong]

Rear view

Edited October 2, 2006 by Laurence Strong

[Laurence Strong]

An inside shot, there are a couple of pouches or pockets. This particular specimen served many faithful years as my wash kit, been to a good share of most of canada's training areas and Croatia in 92/93, so it did not exactly live on the shelf

[Avitas]

It doesn't look like these pouches have changed in design at all Larry, your modern example is almost exactly the same as my 1943 example. I do have a ww2 Canadian light respirator that fits perfectly in the kit bag, so that is a nice set. I will be taking some pics of the Canadian respirator (1943 issue as well) and my recently acquired pair of ww2 German respirators in their original Luftschutzgeschetz cardboard box and posting them soon.

Cheers and thanks for looking,

Pat

[Laurence Strong]

Looking forward to your photo's Pat.

[Avitas]

Thanks Larry, here they are

This 1942 Canadian Gas Mask in original box is unused and in almost mint shape, except the lid on the box is ripped off, but present. It is a size large and is marked quite well. I think this is the one that goes with the respirator pouch previously talked about. The respirator is marked "6 7 42" which I assume is the date of manufacture and has the "C" with the arrow through it designating it as a Canadian issue. Here are some pics.

Cheers,

Pat

Edited November 12, 2006 by Avitas

[Avitas]

Next up we have the instructions printed on the top inside of the box, and the markings on the cloth of the gas mask saying "Large D.R./C 7-42". I think D.R./C is the company that made it and the date of July 1942 matches the respirator. If anyone has any further info or comments on this ww2 Canadian gas mask please leave them!

Cheers,

Pat