British gear

[tommyboy]

was wondering if you anyone here could point me in the direction of WWII era (reproduction is just fine with me) gear. I am in need specifically of pouches for the STEN SMG, but any and all WWII era gear would be great. I am going to be assembling an entire WWII Royal Marine Commando kit, so I am going to need all the proper gear, from uniform on up. also if anyone knows of any reference sites, place I can see pics & images of WWII british 'Marine' & 'SAS' Commando's would also be appreciated. Thank you
Tommy

[chapped]

Jim Pharris and/or John Warther with the No. 5 RAC are going to be your best sources on AP when it comes to that.
Hit em up!

[Starkist]

www.whatpriceglory.com would be a place to start. You can get head gear, boots, battle dress and insignia from him

Jim

[LettuceHead]

I do Brit Para but am getting Commando kit together as well. They mostly use the same gear but there is little bits that really say 'Commando'!

www.onlinemilitaria.net and http://www.sofmilitary.co.uk/reenactors/index.asp is where you are going to be spending some money.

Onlinemilitaria is the same business as What Price Glory, just the website Jerry has customers order on now. He's the best US source for Battledress and many other original and reproduction Brit kit.

SoF has much of the same but they are located in the UK, so the Pound to Dollar conversion and shipping usually costs more. However, their Insignia selection is outstanding and they have lots of other little bits that make an impression more authentic.

Everything else I need I find on Ebay. If you keep your eyes open you can find lots of great deals on there. Thats where I got the majority of my webbing.

In a nutshell for RMC you'd need:

Battledress - Either P37 or P40 Economy repro, itchy and spendy but will last darn near forever. People used to buy Canadian or Greek BD and convert it but those are rare and expensive now. There is Denim Battledress repros available too. The Denims were issued for work fatigue wear and rear echelon troops but were used on the frontlines in Italy, North Africa and late summer ETO. Not as 'correct' as wool BDs but serviceable.

Webbing- The British used the same basic P37 webbing thoughout the war. For basic purposes you will need:
- P37 Belt
- P37 Braces (Shoulder straps, one should have the crossover loop)
- Two Basic Pouches. These are the long rectangular pouches in front. Make sure to get the MK.III versions as these were lengthened to accept Sten magazines (these are most common though). Make sure to get them with snap enclosures, not the QRF pulltab type.
- Water Bottle and Carrier. Wool covered water bottle, preferably the green enamel model. There are two types of carriers, skeletal or sleeve type. Sleeve type came out in '43, but skeletal carrier was issued throughout so it works for any era of the war.
- Not strictly necessary but proper to have is the P08 entrenching tool and carrier, P37 Small Pack, Bayonet and Frog (even support gunners had to carry a bayonet, though many would discard them).

Leggings - P37 gaiters. Repros are available.

Boots - I found the current repro Ammo Boots are horrible in the field. The real deal are now collectors items. Find a modern cap toe boot that looks close, they'll be mostly covered by the leggings anyhow. Leather laced and ladder-style lacing is proper.

Headwear - The green beret is essential, just make sure it is the era pattern. British berets from the era were much wider than todays, they'll droop to the bottom of the ear on the floppy side. A Brodie-style helmet would be correct and a helmet net with some scrim (burlap) can hide blemishes. The Commandos were also known to be fond of the Cap Comforter (scarf rolled up to form a stocking cap). Whatpriceglory has repros in the proper length and color. I bought one and love it.

Weapon - You said you wanted the Sten AEG which is perfect. The Commandos were also issued Thompsons and many preferred it over the Sten. A Colt 1911 will also fit the bill. A Fairbairn-Sykes Knife rounds out this category. These guys make a rubber one http://www.thefieldwerks.com/fairbairn_ ... plica.html

Scrim Scarf - the camoflauge head scarf was issued to all troops. It was often worn around the neck to keep the BD collar from chafing the neck.

Toggle rope - not entirely necessary for airsoft but proper.

Leather Jerkin - not necessary but is pure Commando porn. Real deal is crazy expensive, post-war Dutch would pass for airsoft. Haven't seen the repros firsthand.

Thats a good start. Mind you I'm approching this from a reenactment point of view, anal about the details

Pics: http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/sh ... andos-WWII