“Modele de Foyer” Belt:
Missing eyelet holes on left side of buckle, as worn. Possibly a non-standard production error, though many belts with the same type of error have appeared on the market.
Buckle:
“RAPCO” buckle. “RAPCO” is the company. The belt works by inserting the left “male” side into the space of the open “female” side.
Adjustment Hook:
For adjusting length.
TAP 50/53 Belt
This belt has all the eyelets present. The color is more green than “Modele de Foyer” belt above and the other metal hardware is identical.
TAP Suspenders:
TAP 50/53 Suspenders:
This is the later TAP 50/53 version with the more durable “solid” rivets (source: https://www.passionmilitaria.com/t207544-tap-50) . Canvas feels thinner and softer than US WW2 era webbing.
The square metal buckles were intended to be used to hang a backpack from like other webbing systems of the period (source: https://frenchindochinawar.proboards.com/post/4340/thread).
Pouches:
MAS Ammo Pouches:
Likely for holding clips of 7.5 x 54 MAS ammunition for the MAS 36 or MAS 49 rifles.
Inside:
The 3 rivets on the hangar and the 2 male snaps on the pouch closure means this is the Mle 50/51 version (source: https://www.passionmilitaria.com/t207544-tap-50).
Grenade Pouches:
Laces at bottom are for tying around leg to keep pouch in place.
Pistol Magazine Pouch:
Very similar to US M1912 pouch used in WW1. The two rivets at the top means this is the Mle 50/53 version (source: https://www.passionmilitaria.com/t207544-tap-50).
Inside:
Side:
Slides over belt and fixes in place with snap on left.
Snap:
Canteens:
Mle 1951 Canteen:
Belt loops are too narrow to easily fit over TAP belt above. Two Mle 1951 covers can be seen on this 1970’s era British SAS Escape and Evasion belt: https://collection.nam.ac.uk/detail.php?acc=1992-09-336-1
Sides:
Top:
Bottom:
Metal Canteen and Cup Set:
Canteen:
Bottom has 1951 date.
Canteen is closed by a cork.
Cup:
No markings on cup.
Canteen Cover:
Very similar to US M1910 canteen cover. Also has wool liner, but thinner than US version.
First Aid Pouch:
Laces are meant to tie pouch to the suspenders.
Sides:
Top and Bottom:
Stamp and Markings:
Inside:
Bandages:
Two bandages and two packs of hydrophilic, absorbent cotton. The bandage used to illustrate the back is dated 1953 and the hydrophilic cotton box facing backwards has the same 1958 date as the one with the visible label.
