Canadian-marked inter-war Patt. '08 web belt and holster

[RangeRover]

Recently picked up the two Patt. '08 W.E. pieces pictured, separately (I'm a sucker for anything marked with a C-broad arrow). The belt is M.E. Co. marked, dated 1927, with a Canadian C-broad arrow. The Holster is a 1936-dated M.E. Co. example, also C-broad arrow marked



Examples of this style of holster are detailed on Karkee Web http://www.karkeeweb.com/patterns/19...8_holster.html (what a valuable resource that is).

More pictures below. What has me curious is the holster and its application in Canadian military service. I've looked through my copies of Summers' "Tangled Web" and Law's "Canadian Military Handguns" to try to piece some things together. Here we have a a 1936 holster with Canadian markings that fits only the .38 calibre sidearms. However, aside from a purchase of Enfield No.2 Mk 1 revolvers by the RCAF in 1935, to the best of my knowledge there were no .38 revolvers in Canadian inventory until the first of the S&W Military & Police revolvers began to arrive in 1940. This holster is not in Air Force Blue.

I'm guessing it's simply a matter of, in a time of war, never throw anything way you don't need to, and this holster would have been pressed into service, on P '08 webbing when a larger supply of .38 calibre sidearms came into inventory even though the P '08 had been supplanted by the P '37 W.E. It should be noted my early 6" Canadian marked S&W does not fit into this holster.

As I say, just curious, and pleased to have these as examples of how Canadian troops were equipped between the two World Wars.

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[browningautorifle]

What makes you think these did service together and weren't put together last month by the individual you bought them from? The holster looks about new and doubtful it did any service. Just sat in stores.

[Eaglelord17]

Another thing to consider just because it is C-Broad arrow marked doesn't mean it was immediately taken into Canadian service as soon as it was manufactured. For example these could have been made in Britain (I believe that was where the Mills Equipment Company was based) and sat in storage for some years until WWII, then could have been taken on by the Canadians.

I see things like SMLEs made 1918 and earlier with the C-Broad Arrow marking on them and people trying to claim that it was used by Canada in WWI because of that. The reality is, all that means is at some point Canada acquired it, not specifically when (it would have been nice if there was a date stamp that went along with it though).

[RangeRover]

BAR, it was me that put them together...as I stated in my original post I acquired them separately. But the holster is one designed to work with the P '08 W.E. not the later Pattern .37, which is why I put them together. Eaglelord, no argument from me. My curiousity is based on the fact that while Canada went to war in 1939 in P '08 equipment, ahead of distribution of the P'37 gear, the P'08 would have been phased out as the new pattern of W.E. came on stream in 1940, when there were, to my understanding, no .38 revolvers in Canadian army service until at least 1940. I make no claims about service, just positing a scenario while sharing some Canadian-marked web gear that falls in a spot on the historical timeline where I don't have much information. If anyone has more information/photos beyond what I've seen in my reference materials, perhaps showing Canadian troops wearing P'08 WE with a webbing holster, at any point, I'd love to hear about it.

[Eaglelord17]

First photo on this website linked below shows some soldiers from the Canadian Provost Corps circa 1941 with equipment that looks exactly the same as the webbing above, with there .38 revolvers for inspection (unfortunately you are unable to see the holsters on them).

Remember at the beginning of WWII for the British (and through them the Canadians) a fair bit of equipment was lost. I imagine for the first bit any equipment that was available was used. As I know from experience it takes years to properly phase something out (and even then it still turns up in service somehow).

I am not going to pretend to be a expert on webbing, as I know next to nothing about it, just from what I have observed from being a quartermaster.

Provost Weapons

[RangeRover]

Thanks Eaglelord. Appreciate the link. Though I can't be sure, it looks like that may be P'37 web gear.