Yes its true..there was blackened webbing in WW2!! In British Airborne Troops by Barry Gregory. Page 56 ' The 4th Battalion ( Wessex ) also painted its webbing black.'
So if youve got a piece of painted black webbing..hang onto it!!!!! Learn summat new everyday...which is why we do the old reenactment lark!!
Boot polished webbing is 99 per cent likely to be suez era RA or RM webbing.
Next to non existent in WWII.
Dont do it , it looks shit and farby.
Blacking 37 is RSM bull for the post war era
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Everyone in Dad's Army (the quintessential reference for all reenactors) seems to have black belts & gaiters
Everyone in Dad's Army (the quintessential reference for all reenactors) seems to have black belts & gaiters
You'll probably find it's '39patt webbing, which is just '37patt but made out of leather.
A Proud Member Of 'Team Spleen!' who play mainly at Gunman Airsoft, Tuddenham, Suffolk.
They also use binocular cases instead of utility pouches... ffs
Yeah i noticed that!
Other than that Dads Army has some pretty good kit in it at times, most of the are in denims but mainwearing has BD.
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
If you've got a black set it was most likely done post war BUT blacking was used by special forces in WW2. Commandos, SAS and Airborne all blacked kit for night ops.
I refer to my original post re Barry Gregorys book!!! 
Not saying ALL black webbing is AB...just stating that it was done by some regiments in WW2!
You are right Houndsworth, the Northampton Regiment blackened there webbing at various times during WW2, it was used for night attacks but also ceremonial occasions, it dated back to the Canadian campaigns of General Wolf the 58th had black facings on there tunics, also talking to a Northampton Veteran, he said he was fed up with changing the colour of his webbing, there are cases of this in Italy and Europe
Black webbing was certainly a post war Commando thing, but not a WW" thing, if anything they scrubbed it for recognition at night eg St Naziare.
Not a war time SAS thing either, I have never seen anyone in any period picture with black webbing in the SAS.
The thing about black is, it is not a natural colour found in the oo'loo, unless you forest has burnt down 
Back in 19'hundred and dinosaur when I joined the Army I was issued 37 Patt webbing, we had to boot polish it black, this was acknowledged as a bullshit thing only.
5380059
WOII Ansell A.J.
2nd (Ab) Bn. Oxf & Bucks L.I.
(52nd of Foot)
Exactly, i've been saying as much for a while Andy.
Black does not mean 'special forces' in wwii no matter how much some dodgy ebay sellers would like it to. 
I can understand the odd regiment doing it for ceremonial purposes but on the whole its not done AFAIK
"I think we are in rats' alley - Where the dead men lost their bones."
Black webbing was certainly a post war Commando thing, but not a WW" thing, if anything they scrubbed it for recognition at night eg St Naziare.
Not a war time SAS thing either, I have never seen anyone in any period picture with black webbing in the SAS.
The thing about black is, it is not a natural colour found in the oo'loo, unless you forest has burnt down
Back in 19'hundred and dinosaur when I joined the Army I was issued 37 Patt webbing, we had to boot polish it black, this was acknowledged as a bullshit thing only.
Blackened webbing WAS used in WW2, on an individual, 'as and when' basis for night ops.
As now, in certain circumstances it's appropriate, in others it makes no difference - DPM provides better disruption, even at night, than a solid black mass, if the background is a mixed colour/texture, for instance.
Whilst black 'isn't a natural colour', it didn't stop the Germans using black leather webbing.
21 Reg used blackened '37 patt for a good while post-war for dress duties and there was further usage during ops in Oman.
However, most blackened webbing on sale is either RAC, or generic post-war - don't spend mega-bucks on 'blackened SAS/Commondo' webbing - just buy raw webbing and if you really want to black it yourself.
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Terms & Conditions of Sales :
Payment by Paypal only > Cleared funds must be available when deal is agreed - no e-Cheques.
Possible Swaps/Parts-Exs (with regular forum members only) -
* British BD Trousers & Blouse, to fit 48"-50" chest, 40"+ waist, tall fitting/long leg
* British Gaiters/Anklets, not blanco'd, largest size available
I refer you gentlemen to Barry Gregorys Book where he categorically states that the Wessex had BLACKENED webbing.............I havent seen blackened webbing refered to in any other book that Ive read..and Ive read hundreds.....No reference to SAS Commando AB ..nothing..just the Wessex!
Not disagreeing with you at all, mate - just working off the knowledge base that I have.
Blackened webbing WAS used by various individuals/units, at various stages, during WW2.
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Terms & Conditions of Sales :
Payment by Paypal only > Cleared funds must be available when deal is agreed - no e-Cheques.
Possible Swaps/Parts-Exs (with regular forum members only) -
* British BD Trousers & Blouse, to fit 48"-50" chest, 40"+ waist, tall fitting/long leg
* British Gaiters/Anklets, not blanco'd, largest size available
Black webbing was certainly a post war Commando thing, but not a WW" thing, if anything they scrubbed it for recognition at night eg St Naziare.
Not a war time SAS thing either, I have never seen anyone in any period picture with black webbing in the SAS.
The thing about black is, it is not a natural colour found in the oo'loo, unless you forest has burnt down
Back in 19'hundred and dinosaur when I joined the Army I was issued 37 Patt webbing, we had to boot polish it black, this was acknowledged as a bullshit thing only.
Blackened webbing WAS used in WW2, on an individual, 'as and when' basis for night ops.
As now, in certain circumstances it's appropriate, in others it makes no difference - DPM provides better disruption, even at night, than a solid black mass, if the background is a mixed colour/texture, for instance.
Whilst black 'isn't a natural colour', it didn't stop the Germans using black leather webbing.
21 Reg used blackened '37 patt for a good while post-war for dress duties and there was further usage during ops in Oman.
However, most blackened webbing on sale is either RAC, or generic post-war - don't spend mega-bucks on 'blackened SAS/Commondo' webbing - just buy raw webbing and if you really want to black it yourself.
Until you show documentary evidence it is anecdotal poppycock 
What British unit in WWII took x2 sets of webbing into the field, it would be like taking your working boots and your best just in case 
, SAS Bde Op's in Normandy for instance had a hard enough time carrying the necessities and an even harder time being resupplied with them too. Tell me where did they carry this extra set of black webbing?
Ref the box head thing, first we aint discussing them, second now you know why they lost the war, LOL 
21 Reg, who's this then, do you mean 21 SAS Regt, if so thats STAB's then 
.
Doug
I am not decrying the fact that some untils may have used black webbing, I am saying neither Commando or SAS used it in WWII.
Andy Ansell
5380059
WOII Ansell A.J.
2nd (Ab) Bn. Oxf & Bucks L.I.
(52nd of Foot)
Righty-ho, had enough!
Argy-bargy like this can be taken to a relevant reenacting forum, it's just not the CiA way.
I'm locking the thread now, forum users can pick the bones out of what information has been provided thus far should you have not already lost the will to live.
No disrespect intended to any poster on this thread, nor any value judgements made on information supplied.
