Bren Spare Barrel Holdalls, identification?

[Flying10uk]

I have these 4 Bren spare barrel holdalls which I recently purchased at a militaria fair and I was wondering if Forum members would be able to help me by identifying the country of manufacture/origin, please. I have identified each holdall with a number between 1 and 4 purely for identification purposes so that we know which holdall we are talking about. I randomly assigned each holdall one of these numbers marked on a label and on each picture you will see the label with the number on it, identifying the holdall.

I'm not sure that holdall number 4 is even for a U.K./Canadian/Australian spec Bren because the pocket is not as deep as on the other three examples and it does not readily take the standard wallet. Although the wallet will slide into the pocket it is not deep enough to easily close the flap, without using undue force which could rip the canvas.

I would appreciate any help with identification, please and any further information is always interesting. It is mainly the country of origin that I am particularly interested in, rather than the specific company that made it. Thanks.

Information

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[tombear]

Once upon a time I could have identified them all by the smell let alone looking at them but since I've sold on all my .303 sets ( less one two Late British ones to go with the Mk 3 Ive kept) Ive managed to forget the differences.

Anyroad the last one, No 4 is definitely a early war Australian one with the too small to take a full wallwt pocket. I've some contemporary documentation on that one shiowing what goes where.

PM us a address to send them to and I can send on the Info I have if you want.

ATB

Tom

[Peter Laidler]

Not really relevant to the question but the location of what went where in the holdall and wallet changed by the month and year almost, depending on where the kit was used and occasionally, what Inf Trg pamphlet you were using and where you were in the universe depending on the oil/lubricants/cleaning regime . For the last days of the Bren/L4, say from the late 70's on, the holdall was obsolete because the shortie second barrel (if you had a Bren or an L4A1,2 or 3) was carried across the chest, on top of the pouches, under the risers. The gas cylinder cleaning rod.mop.brush were in the 'new' modified wallet which was the only thing that was carried. The double pulllthrough was obsolete too and the practice of scrubbing out with gauze was banned, big time! The QM's was knee deep in old obsolete holdalls for the asking including the later dark green ones (anyone remember them?). They couldn't be used for anything else and I know that disposal was '.......under local arrangement'. So the next November Guy Fawkes night, they went on the bonfire with all the old obsolete cotton camouflage nets

[tombear]

The holdall was also part of the CES for the M1919A4 as its barrel bag, more robust than the U.S. one and no doubt there were huge stocks laying about.

ATB

Tom

[tankhunter]

A Mildly interesting note on these holdalls.

A Weapons Manufacturing Company I used to work for after leaving the Army. Had the access to Farm Building nearby. This was because one of the key workers was left this Farm in a will.

Being in fulltime employment with the company, & a very amiable sort of chap. He used to rent out the long wooden Buildings on his Farm to the Boss of the company for storage.
And we used to store non secure, or non restricted items in the buildings. Like Bren & .303" Browning LMG Transit Boxes & such like.

One of the many varied items stored there, were Bren holdall's. LOTs of them!..........
The Boss had not sold any of them for many a year. As Brens were obsolete with a lot of Modern Nations. Who had changed over the years, to more modern & updated LMGs in their respective services.

These Spare barrel Wallets did indeed, take up a LOT of space!......Space needed for the storage of more saleable equipment/ items!.....

One day, the Boss approached myself & another Armourer. To go up the farm & clear out the wallets for 'Disposal'. 'They are of no value these days' said the boss! 'So Please burn the lot'!!...... So I in a quick thinking mode said: 'To save labour & Time. Can I have them please?'.......'Yes of course' said the Boss!.....

So....One lunchtime we drove up to the Farm in my Van. & loaded the LOT very neatly stacked. Right up to the top of the van roof internally!.....

A LOT still had the original stores card label's on them. & they were generally tied up in bundles of ten!.....

mmmm, What to do with them I thought?.....I picked out a half a dozen of the best, in differing variations/ colours for my own collection. Then contacted a major Militaria Supplier friend I knew well. Down in Portsmouth. He said He would take the lot at a £1 Pound Each!..Well they cost Me nothing. So....A date was struck & I duly delivered.

At a thousand, it was difficult to find anyone who would want that much & want to pay Money. So I agreed beforehand, to take a credit note for the £1,000 I was owed.
I never took money ever for these, I simply took in goods. Each time I visited the warehouse.
Every 'Purchase', was deducted from the credit note upon each visit. It did take a couple of years t use it all up! However, I gradually acquired in this way. LOTs of items for my personal Militaria Collection!

I never thought He would shift them all! However, over the years He did!

However: The end note to this Tale was. It was all for nothing in the end. A few years later, my 'Lovely' Wife of the time. decided that she wanted a Divorce & stole & sold. Everything I owned. Whilst I was in Hospital with a severe illness!....

I have since spent MANY years, attempting to rebuild that collection. A lot has been replaced, but. There were a few unique & prototype items that can never be replaced!...
but I have gone in different directions in some of the collecting fields. So have an interesting collection these days!

They say that 'Time Heals' Which is true to an extent. but......I can never forget!....

[Flying10uk]

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience with your ex, Mike, but at least you found out what she was really like in the end. Lets just hope that who ever ended up with your gear realised what the stuff was and has looked after and preserved anything rare.