Belgian/CISO “Laoatian” Pouch (1960’s – 1970’s)

Belgium, Commercial Items, Early Cold War (1945 - 1968), Later Cold War (1969 - 1989), Pouches, Rhodesia, United States, Vietnam War, Webbing

These pouches are made from similar canvas material as British and Belgian Pattern 37 webbing. They appear to have been made for the commercial export market and were mainly used in the 1960’s, particularly in Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, Vietnam)[1] as well as in Africa (Congo[2], Rhodesia[3]).

M16 Version:

This pouch is sized to fit two 20-round M16 magazines and is designed to slide over a webbing belt.

Sides:

Top:

Bottom:

Drain hole on bottom.

Inside:

Lid Markings:

Usage Photos:

Uzi Version:

Congo Mercenary:

A photo of a mercenary in the Congo using an Uzi pouch can be seen here: https://www.shutterstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/soldiers-having-break-288826g.

Rhodesia:

September 27 – October 6, 1979: Selous Scouts during Operation Miracle, a mechanized raid into Mozambique [3][4][5]. Left foreground Scout appears to be using the Uzi pouch.

South Vietnam:

February 1, 1968: South Vietnamese forces escort suspected Viet Cong officer Nguyen Van Lem (also known as Bay Lop) on a Saigon street early in the Tet Offensive. Moments later, Lem was executed by Gen. Nguyen Ngoc Loan, chief of the national police (AP Photo/Eddie Adams) [6].

The South Vietnamese Marine in this photo immediately preceding Eddie Adam’s Saigon Execution photo, which received the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Spot Photography [7], is also using a longer Uzi version.

M16 Version:

Original source unknown. From [8].

Used in Thailand by Detachment A41 of the 46th Special Forces Company and their Thai advisees. Also used by the Royal Lao army[1].