What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Flare cartridges pouch

batonroundcollector

batonroundcollector

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
Just bought this unusual little pouch complete with five inert flare carts; I think the carts themselves are German from what's left of the markings (??) but unsure about the pouch... I don't recognise the camo pattern (very faded - unsure if from strong light or by design) and there are no belt loops etc as you would expect on a military issued item - could it be custom-made?

1_765208.jpg

2_111077.jpg

3_212560.jpg
 
Thanks George! Closest match I could think of was WW2 Brit (airborne?) scrim scarves and had an idea that similar pattern was used by Belgium post-war - third one down here:

https://www.camopedia.org/index.php/Belgium

It says above pattern completely phased out of use by 1953 though, so if pouch is Belgian the cartridges with '80s/'90s headstamp dates are anachronistic (of course the pouch and carts may have nothing to do with each other).

I wondered about the fully-serrated vs half-serrated rims on the carts; I could only guess that this is a device to help user differentiate between different types carts in the dark by touch, maybe?
 
Isn't the camouflage Italian? To me it looks like the pouch was made from an Italian individual poncho/tent, however, the fabric seems really faded, that's definitely not the original design and this raises the original/fake issue. Does the thread look old and faded? Is it matching the fabric condition? To me it seems very "civilian" in a sense it's a very small thread to sew on a poncho/tent fabric, but obviously it's hard to tell from a picture.
 
The flares are German as you guessed. 2 red and 3 white signals.
111 and 1V model DM . The side view is possibly a DM 15B1 but print is missing.
The flares are a mixture of years so used to fill the pouch at a later date ?
Also Slick that was an interesting web site on British flares.Thanks.
 
Slick - thanks for link - very interesting - will have a read :)

doppz92 - the two colours here are similar to two of those in the Italian three-colour pattern but a third colour isn't present (at least not that I can make out). The fabric is a thin cotton so not poncho/tent material. Not sure what the incentive would be to produce a 'fake' here (am unware of an issue pouch it would be replicating) so assume it is a 'custom' piece for use to carry carts... Hard to say whether thread is of the same vintage of the fabric. Yes not the heavyweight stitching you would expect on military pouches but then the load it is carrying isn't heavy so I wouldn't have to be I guess.

ron3350 - thanks... were these used by any specific branch of the German military then - army, air force etc?
 
I am Australian so really not sure if German army or police use. I do not have these cartridge types in the collection.
 
Hi batonroundcollector, you are right I did'nt use the right words, what I meant is what you said, it is pretty surely a custom made pouch, now what's difficult is to estimate the manufacturing date, however, as you pointed it, it doesn't replicate any known (?) pouch, so what's the point creating an unknown fake??. On the picture it's difficult to see the type of fabric used, hence my suggestion about the camouflage. The design looks well thought, since there's some fabric at the bottom which seems intended to be held in one hand when extracting the cartridges with the other one?
 
Btw, is anyone (in UK) interested in this set? Looking to streamline my collection, focusing on a few areas only and clearing anything else...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top