WW2 M-1 Carbine Pouches....With A Twist

[Nkomo]

Thanks to a good friend of mine, I was able to pick up this belt and magazine pouches. I THINK the belt is WW2 era (perhaps post war). One of the buckles is brass and the other side is a later black painted buckle.

The pouches are both 1944 dated M1 Carbine pouches. One is made by Pittsburgh Garter Company and the other is made by Camlin Fashions of America.

Here is the twist....the belt and pouches were given to Panama by the US and Panama has painted over the US stamp and painted GN on them. GN stands for the Guardia Nacional which was the National Guard/Armed Forces of Panama in the late 60s and 70s. This practice was continued with ALICE gear when General Noriega took over and renamed the Guardia Nacional the Panamanian Defense Forces in the 80s.

 

[Nkomo]

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[Nkomo]

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[Andrew]

Very neat items. I have quite a few different examples of US web equipment modified for foreign use, but nothing with national markings like this.

[Cap Camouflage Pattern I]

Now that is cool! Never seen any nation bother to mark over or even mark out US stamps.

[Nkomo]

Thanks for the comments and for taking the time to add to the thread.

[Andrew]

Very neat items. I have quite a few different examples of US web equipment modified for foreign use, but nothing with national markings like this.

Actually, now that I think about it, I may have some items where ROK markings have been added.

[taucco]

Now that is cool! Never seen any nation bother to mark over or even mark out US stamps.

 

Italian issue US pouches with BSM (Battaglione San Marco, italian marines) overstamp.

 

[Andrei]

In Vietnam, some Australians added an A and a T to US to make it AUST on the US webbing items.