58" Kidney pouch quandary? ideas?

[RAPPLEBY2000]

Hi just a question that was never really answered for me.

on a set of 58" Kidney pouches, there is a complicated loop system to attach them to the belt.

I was issued 58" gear and no one i spoke to knew what this was...

Take a look at the straps:

on the far left and right of the pouch/es is an oblong "D" ring, that dosen't seem to serve any purpose...other than to pull the long fastening tab out(which is what we used it for).

but just the fact it's made of metal (rather than a webbing tab) makes it look like it is meant to do something...they're it the right places to join to the ammo pouches...

but pull it too hard (about 6")and the kidney pouches would fall off
like so:

if you look closely between the ammo pouch and kidney pouch "G" they've added a "utility strap" (to pull the kidney pouch/ammo pouch together)...I've never seen this before.
is this someone adding 2 and 2, or was it standard years ago?

 

[Nat]

Never attached anything to the D rings, as far as we were aware it was there to pull out the kidney pouch strap.
If you hung or tied anything to it, it pulled the strap out and you kidney pouchs would come off.
I first thought that it was for the roll bag clips, but that was uncomfortable.

 

[FGYT]

we always clipped the Poncho straps to the Ammo pouches

Well actually we worethe belt upside doewn and fittted the poncho Roll on top of the Kidney Pouches and stiched the front of the kidny pouches together for a more stable unit

BWT did you get the water bottle pouch ??

ive never seen Kidney pouches with teh extra top straps to fit o nthe yokes

its possible the kidney set up is for a quick dump system so you can dump down to ammo and water only on the move with out removing your kit
but ive never heard it refered to like that

ATB

Duncan

 

[launditch1]

The first pattern of 58 webbing had ammo pouches where the clips on the back were vertical rather than slanted(2nd patt), other differences were the waterbottle pouch with a twist tab and on the kidney pouches there was no clip that supported the pouches on the yoke.Cant think of any reason why those metal loops are there??

 

[sandbag47]

pm sent

Hi just a question that was never really answered for me.

on a set of 58" Kidney pouches, there is a complicated loop system to attach them to the belt.

I was issued 58" gear and no one i spoke to knew what this was...

Take a look at the straps:

on the far left and right of the pouch/es is an oblong "D" ring, that dosen't seem to serve any purpose...other than to pull the long fastening tab out(which is what we used it for).

but just the fact it's made of metal (rather than a webbing tab) makes it look like it is meant to do something...they're it the right places to join to the ammo pouches...

but pull it too hard (about 6")and the kidney pouches would fall off
like so:

if you look closely between the ammo pouch and kidney pouch "G" they've added a "utility strap" (to pull the kidney pouch/ammo pouch together)...I've never seen this before.
is this someone adding 2 and 2, or was it standard years ago?

 

[nickg]

The original intent of the kindey pouches were to carry a pair of 250 round link belts to feed the section gimpy. The idea was that you could mince up to the gunners and quickly drop off the spare rounds and then carry on to your shell scrape etc. The bright spark that thgought them up didnt realise that running any distance with that weight smashing into your kidneys would have half the army pis**ng blood within days. The tabs that fixed to the yoke were an afterthought to help reduce the problem. In the end the MOD stopped the carrying of ammo in them but it still went on. A lot of blokes took to nicking a second S6 respirator bag to carry link in and then use as a dump pouch for empty mags (and brass in them days), although they never lasted too long.
I dont think the d rings were intended for anything except a certain grip when reaching blind behind you to drop them off - they were like no other shape on the webbing so you knew when you had hold of the right strap to pull - the straps may be just the standard issue kicking straps put to use (they were crap at securing your battle bowler to the large pack anyway)

Cheers
Nick

 

[Rabbitsmacker]

as far as i know, the whole logic behind the kidney pouches was that they could be dumped leaving you with a basic range order plus canteen type layout to go on with the assualt. though in practise this was not a procedeure that was adopted.(the mk1 kidney pouches didn't have the top set of loops that the yoke runs thru, which you then pass the stiffened webbing strap thru and this was later added to stop them flopping forward). original sets of webbing came with steel stiffeners to help maintain the shape of the pouch lids, and vertical belt attachements.
recommend you get the book 'post ww2 jungle webbing' as it covers the 44 pattern webbing both wartime and post war variations, 58 pattern webbing mark 1 and 2, and the sas webbing that was modified from the existing sets to include specialist pouches. i have it is spot on.

 

[MrEd]

The original intent of the kindey pouches were to carry a pair of 250 round link belts to feed the section gimpy. The idea was that you could mince up to the gunners and quickly drop off the spare rounds and then carry on to your shell scrape etc.

i know it isnt, but the way you write it makes it sound like 'carry on soldiering' lol

 

[nickg]

i know it isnt, but the way you write it makes it sound like 'carry on soldiering' lol

Tell you what mate - there were times when it felt just like 'carry on soldiering' - no kidding

Cheers
Nick

 

[Minotaur]

Doh!

I fold them over and take them back on themselves, so they are covered by the thinner strap. Like the picture.

I am in the process of removing this, and using it at the end, so you can go though twice. Just need to get one for the top as well.