I think it's fair to say the sales pitch is creative!

[Buccaneer]

I assume that the seller knows what he's talking about because if it's who I think it is he's an ex armourer. I won't say who, but I leave it to him, if he wishes, to make any comments.

I have had several very interesting and pleasant email exchanges with the seller who is an ex Army SNCO armourer. I asked if there was any official authority for the use of the twin tubes or was it a case of "that's what we have so fit it anyway". His answer was "You are quite correct with your comment of; That's what we have, so fit it anyway. I have seen no officially sanctioned documentation to support my comments / experience of what I told you previously. It was simply, just done!.....As this was noticed towards the end of the useful Service life of the L42. This would have made complete sense logistically. After all, if you are casting a weapon system, WHY would you buy in non essential spare / accessories at a huge cost to the public purse, if the system / equipment was going to be got rid of."
I was at the Birmingham Arms & Militaria fair last Sunday and I was talking to another ex army armourer about this subject and he also confirmed that he had seen / used the twin bottles in the L42 CES kits but he said that he never saw any in the L96 ones.
It would therefor seem that although there was no official documentation to support the use of the twin bottles they were if fact used, if only for a short time, towards the end of the lifespan of the L42.
So the sellers claim that they were "genuine" can be taken as correct as in his experience they were used, but as the CES specification was never altered to include them then for the collector the only correct item would be the single bottle.
It has been pointed out many times on this forum that the first item out of the spares rack was the one that was fitted and no one bothered to see if they were "matching" so it would seem in this case what they had is what they used.
If the seller reads this then many thanks for answering all of my questions, I will not name him but if he wishes to comment then that's up to him.