Home Guard kit

The belt slider is for the 08 pattern belt which has issued to the Home Guard as an all purpose item. Some units did also get 39 and 37 pattern equipment.
Home Guard were issued black leather anklets. You may need to provide a link or a picture for us to say if they are the same. I believe there are also at least ARP versions as well.

There is a pair of "Dutch Lace" gaiters on Ebay now, http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0968004727,
Mine are the same as these, and the display at "Blitz and Pieces" are also the same style and reputed to be Home Guard, I reckon that they'd make a good alternative variation to the usual 39 pat gaiters.

They were issued Brown leather anklets as well. The belt is 03 pattern not 08. The only bit of 39 I think the were issued is the mag pouch and then it's only one usually.

There was a hell of a lot of variation in what they used.

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Hi, I've read that only one mag pouch per weapon, (Thompsons, Stens, or Lewis guns), all seems rather vague with no clear guide lines, so maybe a bit of 37, 39, and the earlier belt, and "Dutch Lace" gaiters, gas mask case, would be as correct as anything else, and I pressume that the Auxilliary would be equiped the same, apart from the pistol and holster.

They were issued Brown leather anklets as well. The belt is 03 pattern not 08. The only bit of 39 I think the were issued is the mag pouch and then it's only one usually.

There was a hell of a lot of variation in what they used.

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Sorry fat finger syndrome and poor checking.

I presume that the Auxilliary would be equiped the same, apart from the pistol and holster.

Presume away as the Auxilliary were secret they did not parade in uniform. They would probably have been expected to not wear uniform at all even in the event of invasion. The British seem to have decided that all bets were off as far as the laws of war are concerned once an invasion had happened.

That must be the ultimate re enactor loadout, any awkward questions you just explain that "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you !", and to just go about with no one looking over your shoulder, no drill, bull or bluster, must have been good, a sort of senior SAS for the older gent, with the ultimate shed, buried in a wood somewhere, playing with automatic weapons and plastic explosives, anyhow, so the uniform was just worn because it drew little notice (just another Home Guard), and enabled access to places that civilians couldn't go.

must have been good, a sort of senior SAS for the older gent,

The Auxiliaries were recruited predominantly from the young men who found their way into the Home Guard, either from being too young for the front line, or because of some medical reason - most were well under 30, and a few of the older locals with prominent positions of resources and knowledge, like farmers, etc...

Yes guy's like farmers, (not too many young lads owned a farm), game keepers, poachers, and other's known to the Chief Constable, (thats why he had to go after invasion), one of the main criteria was a very good knowlege of their area, and the ability to live off the land, not too many pre enlistment guy's qualified, and would they be reliable in action anyway, so I doubt the members were that young, and those of enlistment age....enlisted, that leaves the ones with a reserved occupation, or the guy's who were refused entry into the forces on medical grounds, and of course guy's in their 40s and over.

Just one more question about pouches, if a Home Guard had a Thompson, would he wear 1 basic canvas pouch, and the other a leather 39 pattern for the mags, or a pair of basic canvas, and a leather 39 pattern as a mag pouch ?? and is the "Home Guard issue mag pouch" on Ebay genuine or bogus.

The "basic pouches" would be the Home Guard BAR pouches, not 37 pattern ones. SoF make repros.

A HG member with a Thompson would probably have a single 39 pattern pouch and a single BAR pouch.

Though note that all this "pouch" business is very late war and probably more done on the coast where an invasion is at least possible.

The general Home Guard issue was no pouches at all. For that matter hardly any ammo as well. eg a single clip of .303 (etc)

The best HG impressions have very little equipment.

and is the "Home Guard issue mag pouch" on Ebay genuine or bogus?

If you're meaning this type of pouch...

...then they are Danish issue mag' pouches for the Danish M50 SMG. Lot's of shysters try to sell them as rare/special/Home Guard issue Thompson or STEN pouches.
Why'd they look like they're British made 37patt you may well ask? Because they are British made, by Mills Equipment Co. for the Danish army to supplement the post-war Danish variant of 37patt webbing known to the Danish as the M45-50 webbing system. Most of the equipment (apart from the specially made items, such as these pouches) issued early on in this contract from Mills Equipment Co. to the Danish army was in fact just old altered and - from 1961 onwards - re-dyed WW2 era British 37patt and 44patt!

They are very handy to airsoft with and hold airsoft STEN/MP40 mags a dream!

Thank you, for that info, I thought that they just couldn't be Thompson because the commonly used Thompson mag was 20 round, and these (yes I bought one ages ago), are definately for 30 round mags. Any idea why those straps come all the way round to the front of the pouch, when they could have been stitched to the back ??.

They'd be useful to hang your tin mug from:)

Cheers
Martin

Not when you are crawling it won't.
Heh, I have a pair of these and jolly useful they are as Sten pouches (when perfect accuracy isn't a necessity) and I have also wondered at the seemingly pointless straps that do nothing (or at least a sledgehammer to crack a nut).

Any idea why those straps come all the way round to the front of the pouch, when they could have been stitched to the back ??.

...and I have also wondered at the seemingly pointless straps that do nothing (or at least a sledgehammer to crack a nut).

The reason why these M50 SMG pouches do not have belt C-clips to attach to the standard Mills Co system is because as these are "additional" ammunition pouches which would be needed to be taken on and off while equipping the webbing while it is being worn. The straps and buckles reach right underneath to the front, so that they can be easily undone/done-up within normal reach, rather than have to fiddle behind the pouch and belt.

And also because they were not used as the main 'Universal Pouch', hence no brace attachments. The Danish 'Universal Pouch' can be seen here in the picture below as item '3'.

Also to note, the small pack in the picture below, item '2'. Even though the picture may not look it, but these are exactly that same shape and size and general pattern as the standard '37patt small pack except for the extra brass oval loops on the top and sides, and the buckled and lift-the-dot fastened strap around it's waist. Again shysters try to sell these as "super rare airborne para small pack" etc... ...which they're not. Mint unissued ones can be bought for as little as £7 on Portobello Street Market in London, and even cheaper elsewhere in the UK.

so I doubt the members were that young, and those of enlistment age....enlisted, that leaves the ones with a reserved occupation, or the guy's who were refused entry into the forces on medical grounds, and of course guy's in their 40s and over.

I believe that being a member of the auxillaries was a reserved occupation in of itself. Quite a few young men of service age were accused of cowardice by their neighbours for not signing up, and of course they couldn't tell people the reason why they hadn't, as they'd signed the OSA.