Pattern 37 misc web equipment, need value?

[rayg]

I had picked up a box full of this web equipment but have no use for it as I only collect up to 1945. All I know from looking it up on the web that most of it is Pattern 37 with 52-53 dated packs and pouches and with some of the straps dated 41-42. Can anyone give me a total value of it as I would like a any general estimate so I can price it all to sell as a lot and move it on to someone who collects that period. I know it's not worth the value of pre 1945 items but maybe somebody would want it maybe a re-inactor. Most of it is in almost minty condition, Ray
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Information

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[Badger]

Not sure if this is helpful or not Ray ....

However, as part of her Enfield Rifle collection, my wife owns this these wonderful little pieces if history ....

It's amazing to see all of these individual items from the 1940's, stamped with government ownership military "broad arrow" markings, including the individual cigarettes stamped "HM Forces".

MKL entry - 1937 Pattern - WWII British Soldier's Haversack (click here)
(Packed with soldier's personal kit dated from the 1940's)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

167 pic detailed photo montage (click here)

MKL Entry - 1937 Pattern - WWII British Webbing Set (click here)

(Click PIC to Enlarge)

85 pic detailed photo montage (click here)

Regards,
Doug

[Peter Laidler]

The letter T before the army number on the small pack straps indicates someone from the old Royal Army Service Corps. Their army numbers started with a T-. In fact they were REGIMENTAL numbers until just after the war, issued on a regimental basis until proper 8 figure ARMY numbering such as 23961234 (issued in Jan 63) started in the later 40's or so. Officer and WRAC (Womens Royal Army Corps) numbers were all 6 figure numbers such as 423665 (issued in 1964 or so). Now there's no difference. I think that they are now an 8 figure number starting several years ago at 30000000

[Gil Boyd]

Ah well Peter, that accounts for the 37 Pattern Kit being in good order then, RAOC??? he probably exchanged it every time he got it muddy in his own stores
Ray you would probably get about £50-£75 for that little bundle if it helps

[Peter Laidler]

You gott'a laugh! In the early 70's or so, about 1974 I was on the ranges as a young Territorial REME Corporal doing our annual range classification shoot with a load of other rear echelon bods. There with us were a load of much older, long serving Royal Signals 'valve jockeys' from the Signals TA centre at Frome. Who had been told that the days of having passed their annual shooting (and presumably, PT test....) were over and that they had to shoot/classify to warrant their annual gratuity. This must have brought on the pains a bit because they all turned up in all manner of kit that they'd been issued with in the 60's or so. Not being 'front line' but rear echelon troops (I use the word 'troops' carefully here.....) working from the rear of olde-worlde Mk1 and 2 FFR Landrovers and Humber wireless trucks (which they turned up in). They wore a mix of old early 60's green combat kit with a mix of newer camouflaged kit, gaiters instead of wrap around puttees and a sorry assorted mixture of old threadbare, gungy, ill fitting '37 pattern skeleton order webbing. I don't think that they'd even heard of '58 pattern stuff as the stuff we had was something totally new and alien to them

What a sight........ Shrieks of laughter all round. I'm not sure whether they did actually shoot their rifles or whether they just did the odds and sods range jobs, such as butt markers and ammo point orderlies, dishing out the packed lunches etc etc. At the end of the day they all seemed to have passed though!

[rayg]

Oops, just noticed, it looks like this 6th picture didn't make it in the post, one too many photos I guess. Ray Attachment 53434

[Gil Boyd]

Nowt wrong with puttees ha ha!! we couldn't wait quick enough for Combat Highs to hit PARA Reg RQMS stores in the 70's. Still makes me laugh...........best thing they were good for were tourniquets or holding up broken limbs, yet another legacy of the 1st World War. At least we didn't have them scrolled up to our knee caps.
We trialled the plastic stuff in the jungle in 73, but besides the bergen it was real crap. It was a PARA thing but we slung the yokes of the 58 pattern and carried everything on our belt order in NI as it was more convenient.
Of course by being so cowboyish, your hips suffered when you were running so the next really sensible thing we did was to use the 58 Pat straps utility, and cut a slot through all the belt order to feed them through, that sorted it............... NOT.

All joking aside, 58 pattern was good kit if you wore it as it was intended, and adjusted it to suit. Why is it though, whenever kit like that is taken on by the British Army, someone at MOD had to have a correct packing list for everything?? What a joke, that went right out of the window, unless we were on Spearhead or similar op tasking then everything had to be as per MOD SOP.
We ALWAYS wore 44 Pat water bottles because they were more versatile and easy to access than the 58 Pattern bottle strapped webbing container, and the metal mug was still being used in the Falklands, with the compulsory black masking tape to stop burning your lips when you used it to boil a brew in.
I still miss those days though it was ground breaking in terms of getting kit right.
The issues with 37 pattern were the chest pouches had to be worn in one spot against your ribs and hopeless to lay down in the prone position for long periods without all the fluid collecting in your lungs leading to a very quick ineffective squaddy.

So in short Ray...........RAOC be buggered for a job, but someone had to do it

[rayg]

Ah well Peter, that accounts for the 37 Pattern Kit being in good order then, RAOC??? he probably exchanged it every time he got it muddy in his own stores
Ray you would probably get about £50-£75 for that little bundle if it helps

Thanks Gil for the value opinion. I'll put it on a FS site in the US for probably about $100 and see what happens, Ray

[Peter Laidler]

I thought that the BEST part of the 58 pattern webbing was the yoke. It was well padded and comfortable

[Gil Boyd]

Peter, You are not wrong