Black 'Spike' Bayonet Frog

[old crow]

I have a 1949 LB mfr No. 4, Mk I* with it accoutrements, which includes a bayonet frog which appears to have been painted black. I obtained this frog from a reputable LE collector, many years ago in a swap of accessories and as I divested myself of my small LE collection, this black frog remained with me.
This No. 4 is the last remaining of my LE arms; I am 80 years of age and became incapacitated for all of my previous collecting, shooting, ammunition reloading, etc. some 10 years ago by a debilitating nerve disease.
I seem to recall being told that the RAF painted its frogs black. ?
I have searched on-line for a khaki frog, but every one I find is a reproduction. My No. 4 deserves 'the real thing', in khaki, if I can find one.

[Aragorn243]

I'm pretty sure the RAF painted their gear dark blue. I'd check eBay. I used to seem them on there all the time. Plenty of real ones, the trouble is if you want a WWII dated one or not.

[browningautorifle]

Black would be Queens' Own Rifles of Canada if it's Canadian. They're a rifle regiment and their gear was black.

[Aragorn243]

I would think that would make a black one highly desirable.

[Flying10uk]

I seem to recall being told that the RAF painted its frogs black. ?

No, blue webbing, blancoed blue. However I do also have some bits of khaki coloured Pat. 37 webbing that are marked A.M. and so presumably the RAF also used khaki webbing as well.

[limpetmine]

Yes, the RAF blue webbing and frogs that I have are dyed blue, not painted. I've got a rifle and matching bayonet with blue webbing and frog that I picked up in Chattanooga a few decades ago. Issued rifle, which makes the matching bayo I think quite unusual. I've seen some American kit painted. Not sure about UK or Canadian.

[Aragorn243]

I have pattern 37 webbing that is both died blue and blancoed blue so both were used for the RAF. I have some later webbing that was blancoed green I think but not able to look at it now. This was when they changed colors from Khaki to green I believe, 1950's maybe?

[Peter Laidler]

You're dead right. The RAF always had that grey-blue webbing, blancoed with a greasy shiny blanco. That was until Sir Derek Rayner (from M&S) got to grips with this - and a lot of other stupidity in approx 1972. He told the RAF to stop this nonsense and to wear standard webbing, as issued to the Army. Thereafter the blue/grey webbing was replaced with standardised patttern '58 webbing. And rightly so!

He also dod a LOT more cost cutting too, in the right direction. He stopped the nonense of Army cars and vans, that would never go to war, from being painted deep bronze green. Leaving them standard coloyrs and more saleable after their service. And the RAF and Navy having different coloured vehicles. NO! They would all get the same colour and they would all get the same registration numbers instead of their own.