Bren Vest

[Gil Boyd]

Jim,
On a theme by the look of it, close enough I think and clearly for the Bren Mags

[Flying10uk]

Another completely different version but same materials. My understanding is that the standard basic pouches were sown onto the front of this vest for attachment.

[browningautorifle]

close enough

Yes...wonder if it's just late V/S early or different makers.

Another completely different version

Kind of like the ranger tac vest...except the additions. You don't see many of those either.

[GeeRam]

It wasnt specific to the Airborne Forces.
The Assault or Battle Jerkin was an experimental design going back to 1943, with the aim of creating a load carrying system which gave a more even weight distribution than the '37 Patt webbing system. After tests it was rejected as a general replacement for the web equipment, but not before some 19,000 had been ordered. Its use during the NW Europe campaign was almost entirely limited to D-Day and a short time immediately afterwards, most having been dumped by the users within a short while afterwards.
I know someone with a mint unissued large size Battle Jerkin in their collection, which they have owned for over 30 years.
The more skeletal Bren Bra as posted by the OP, is not something I've seen before. I suspect again, it was an attempt at providing a means of carrying extra mags over existing equipment for assault purposes, to be discarded as soon as the mags had been expended?

[Mk VII]

A fairly large number of these emerged in the late '80s/early '90s from some store and they were reasonably common on the market for a while. Always more common & cheaper than the Battle Jerkin which has always been rare (and I used to have one).

They have also been reproduced from tent canvas more recently.

[Gil Boyd]

GeeRam,
Can only go by whats written in historic records, but the one I showed is highly likely one of many variants produced throughout the war, and the reason why its not the same pattern as the original one shown.

[GeeRam]

GeeRam,
Can only go by whats written in historic records, but the one I showed is highly likely one of many variants produced throughout the war, and the reason why its not the same pattern as the original one shown.

Given they were a trail item, there were probably quite a number of different variations produced by different makers for the trials and evaluation during 43/44. Its highly likely that the museum example could be one of those, and thus maybe now the only example of that pattern left.
The collector I know with one took it to Normandy in 99 for the 55th Anniversary events, and had it on display with various items of Commando and 6th Airborne equipment - and a Commando veteran saw it and told him that he'd wore one when he came ashore on D-Day.

[Warren]

I have an identical one and have had it since the late 50's or early 60's

[browningautorifle]

since the late 50's or early 60's

That would be about the same as the one I saw here...you know where.

[Ben Grun]

One has just appeared on Ebay UK, BUT, BE AWARE!!!!!!!!!!!!, Seller is VONGOLD, from Stansted Essex, a well known seller of fake badges (especially SAS- Commando) and many, many faked groupings (items put together with a single NAMED item, making a far more 'exiting' proposition to the unwary buyer / collector)
Item 362824647671
Pretty sure these vests have been faked in the past.