Hey there, just wondered if I can pick a brain or two on my planned (half finished) US Ranger impression.
So far I plan to go with the 1937 trews and M41 combination, which has been well covered elsewhere, but I have a quandary when it comes to kit, and in particular belt kit and/or webbing.
My weapons are Garand, Greaser and 1911. As far as the M3 goes, I have a mag bag for it, so if I take it or leave it behind, the bag is with it and won't interfere. However, I want to wear a belt holster and I'm not sure if it will look too incongruous attched to the cartridge belt.
So what's better?
*cartridge belt and holster
*pistol belt (with holster), and clips carried in a bandolier
*something else I haven't though of?
Much obliged, and if you have pics, even better.
Mike
The first to options aren't wrong at all,
Attaching a holster to a garand belt doesn't look too out of place, but you'll have no place to safely store your spare magazines. (alternatively: Mounted Cartridge Belts with the extra pistol magazine pocket were a rare sight in the ETO).
Another option is to wear the holster on your pistol belt and use the Universal pouches (carbine pouches) to store your enblocs for your Garand.
Other options....M3 or M7 Shoulder holsters.
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Thanks Mr. F.
The other option I forgot to mention was the Ranger assault vest, but I'm not sure I like it. I thought about the shoulder holster, but mag storage for the 1911 is again a problem.
Hanging the magazine pouch of one of the holster straps does look a bit 'airborne'-like 
You could also hang the pouch from your suspenders if you're hanging the holster of the cartridge belt.
The assault vests weren't worn for more then a few days in Normandy by the Rangers (and apparently some men of the 165th Signal Photo Corps) as far as I know. Personally I've not seen photos of pistols hanging off those. I imagine it looks kind of weird.
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You could try a pistol belt and some of the airborne rigger pouches, I'm sure Rangers would have been able to get their hands on them. Alternatively you could just keep mags in your pockets.
thing to bear in mind is whether the garand mags will fit in the cartridge belt too. worth checking before comitting. personally I dont think the holster will look out of place on a cartridge belt but you could always get a shoulder holster if you arent 100% sure
another options get the pistol belt, the holster, a pistol mag pouch, and then maybe some m1 carbine pouchs to hold the garand mags. like these
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WW2-M1941-3-cell- ... dZViewItem
Nice one, thanks all.
The bandoleers don't work too well with the Marushin enblocs, so I'll have to do the cartridge belt or universal mag pouches with the pistol belt. I also like the idea of hanging a pistol mag pouch off a suspender.
Just a different sugestion, why not use a D Day assault vest, SOF has their first run stuff for about
sorry to hijack a little
Was just playing a little call of duty 2 and surfing over the SOF site.
Out of interest who would have used the green/tan ammo vests? In the game etc its always a commanding officer with a thompson. However I would have thought it'd be more of a ammo runners type thing?
also was it issued to airborne as well as infantry? as I've only turned up a few rare examples of that happening but googles not always too acurate heh.
Only asking as I quite like the look of it and may get one for the future. they look fairly comfy. anyone here have one?
Do you mean the M2 Ammo bags? or the Assault vests?
The bags were for support crews like mortars and MGs.
Assault Vests were issued in both khaki and green, the assault vest was given to members of the 1st, 4th and 29th Infantry along with the 2nd Rangers. Having 1 in the group is fine as they were very rare (7000-8000 made).
So I guess one or two NCOs per platoon might have had one. Definitely not an airborne thing
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aye the m2 ones like these
might have to find myself a support weapon then if i get one heh
Ah yes. They're used to carry a number of Ammo cans or mortar rounds.
I doubt an officer or NCO would be caught dead wearing one if he could boss someone else into carrying it
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Assault Vests were issued in both khaki and green, the assault vest was given to members of the 1st, 4th and 29th Infantry along with the 2nd Rangers. Having 1 in the group is fine as they were very rare (7000-8000 made).
The Idea behind Churchills is a Commando raid a few weeks after the Normandy landings, as such a ranger would fit in beautifully. It was my understanding that 2 Rangers had 1 for evry 1 not crewing a support weapon or wearing some other specialist webbing type(Medics etc).
