British Soldier's Holdall & Contents - 1970s

A look at a British Army issue holdall and typical contents from the 1970s.
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[@davymac3882]

When I was a kid I lived on an army camp 70's period. The training areas were vast and were our playground. There was also a local council dump which the army used and we raided quite often. If a regiment was leaving the town they would have a clear out of their stores and wagon loads of kit would be transported in Bedford trucks to be dumped. Over time I built up a complete set of 58 webbing along with virtually every bit of kit a soldier needed! The clothing that was dumped, combat jackets and the like was often slashed to make it unusable but living on the camp these items were easily bartered for and available. I remember the holdalls very well although we knew them as wash rolls, they were often discarded dozens at a time, it was only a few years ago that my spanner roll disintegrated and I got to thinking that one of those holdalls would make an ideal replacement. Sadly I could find none on line (army surplus) so I persuaded the wife to make me one with the sewing machine using some material cut from some leftover green foreign military waist coats. (I used to deal in army surplus) It is standing the test of time and is in my toolbox in the van. I often came across the tins of foot powder and in later years wondered if it was talc they contained with all the unknown health risks! It would be a collectors dream to be able to go back in time to that dump! The military seemed to lose lots of kit at that time too, many items could be picked up after being dropped on the trails, woods and in the empty old farmhouses used on exercise. This changed not too many years later. When I went back to visit a friend had got a job working on the training area, he said that after an exercise they now went over the area with a fine tooth comb and not even a cigarette end would be left behind.

[@ianhouston4424]

I was issued with a GS hold-all in the late 70’s - mine included the small KFS pouch. But I never used the hold-all as it did not pack well in the 57 webbing’s kidney pouches. Most of the guys I was with used tobacco tins: one as a soap dish (soap wrapped in a strip of flannel) and the other contained a cut-down toothbrush, mini tube of paste and a razor with some blades and a needle and thread, all wrapped in a half-towel cut down from the original issued green towel. Later, when I went to Hong Kong, I got the local Gurkha tailor to run up a sort of saddle bag - long strip of cloth with the ends folded over to form a pocket - just large enough to hold a tin in each pocket with a spare set of laces shoved in the side.

[@medic7698]

Never got issued one but a bloke who was leaving my first unit had a spare and he gave me his.

[@66kbm]

Very interesting. The subject of Military items going out of service and the reasons why is fascinating. My personal experience was that my middle brother joined the RAPC in 1977, left in 80. Obviously took home with him the items you did then, as i would do in 91. However, between 80 and 84 when i joined things had changed dramatically. I am sure he had one of these rolls and Airtex underpants and vest, even a mk2 NBC suit complete . Other things may have been there that i do not recollect. Within 4 years most of that was gone from what i was issued. The only so called Toiletries issued to me were 2 green Army Towels. I have often wondered what the reason was for phasing small, inexpensive items out were?

[@Wardog-rf1tx]

I loved my holdall. 💂‍♂️🪖⛑️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦

[@billmagowan1492]

Had one of these issued in 1979, still got it!!

[@flatmoon6359]

Bought one from a surplus store,with one of the aluminium soap dishes.Only thing different was a pumice soap that NAFFI sold.Only thing that would clean cam cream off.Gave it away when I left.

[@pierevojzola9737]

Hi, I think that you left out the tube of anti fungal cream (Athletes foot rot) that was issued in the same colour as the powder. Used it for years and it never worked as none of us kept the correct hygiene in the showers. Got rid of Athletes foot fungus years later after a course of injections! We all had problems in the damp and wet areas especially in the Far East having to wear those Bata Jungle Boots! Cheers mate. Harera

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thanks for the information, it's not somethign I'd heard mention of before, were they primarily issued for service in the Far East or more generally? I'm imaginging finding an example will be rather tricky but I shall keep my eyes open.

[@KTM-xz9qj]

The only time I saw this type of holdall was the first time I was given a set of suture nstruments. The kit held Spenser wells forceps, tweezers, suture holders etc. Someone had written against the various pockets the names of the instruments and the big pocket at the end contained packs of sutures. My wash and shave kit was in the green slightly rubberized bags that folded really small. The towel was a pub bar towel that was lifted from a pub in Aldershot. Half a toothbrush. Toothpaste tube taped over and soap in a dish. I remember using foot powder in the dish to stop the soap going slimy.

[@mikel6517]

Weirdly I wasn’t issued one of these as a army regular 80’s but I was issued one with the RMR in the early 90’s. Trying to help I think we also put a spare pair of boot laces in. It was a good piece of kit to store your wash it.

[@mickm234]

Mine is still in the loft with the green towel, issued 1978… 😀

[@jakebrowncollection1772]

Great video Simon really love the small kit one's it's something a lot of reenactors and even collectors forget

[@campbellbrand8038]

Still got mine in pristine condition as issued in 1979, never used it. Used to keep all my wash/shave kit wrapped up in a bar towel as it saved space.

[@andrewjohnston4127]

If I knew wash rolls were available in the QMs I'd have begged for one, I think most of us in my troop used the green bandoliers to keep our wash kit in

[@jackmccabe6235]

When I joined the Army Apprentices School, Arborfield in 1959 we were issued with the green hold-all but had to purchase the contents ourselves! As the pay for a new apprentice was 10 shillings ( 50p ) a week you can understand why we didn’t have much money left for cakes and cigarettes the first few weeks. Everyone had to purchase a razor, shaving brush and a solid stick of shaving soap. We had to shave everyday whether we needed to or not! Even today I can go a couple of days before anything shows!

[@lynchetts]

I was issued one in 1981 when I joined up and handed it back in 2002 when I left.

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

I recently managed to snag two of those. They look unissued. Stamped REMPLOY 1955 and CSA. They still have that lovely surplus kit smell to them.

[@garymorton6877]

I was issued with one of these in 83 as a TA soldier, It came with a small seperate pouch in the same material for KFS but I kept my toothbrush and paste in it at the KFS went nicely into the left upper sleeve combat jacket 'pen pocket', if you cut the centre seperating stitches of course.

[@mh53j]

What is KFS? Sorry, I'm from across the pond....

[@garymorton6877]

Knife, Fork and Spoon - Tommy shorthand! Saying that it did normally end up being just a spoon...

[@steveoutdoors6522]

Yep had one in the 70 and 80 all had soap dish in my one

[@campbellbrand8038]

Dettol soap was good for cleaning little nicks and cuts

[@bytheway111]

I was issued one of these in 1978; a handy piece of kit!

[@andrewdolan9603]

We got them in the 70s an 80s

[@ozdavemcgee2079]

Posh stuff lol. In Australia same razor style similar style toothpaste issued etc. We had razor, shave brush, shave soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, nail clippers private purchase in 80s. Towel and flannel were issued. They did have tibea powder on issue. Pretty sdure it was left over forest defoliant from Vietnam nasty nasty stuff best avoided lol.

[@HO-bndk]

Nah, never got one of these. I had a disposable razor sawn off, tooth brush sawn off so it's like a mini shoe brush. Tiny square of soap (IIRC from the sundries bag in the 24 hour rat packs), roll of black tape. All stuffed into a kidney pouch. Wait, what...scissors!?

[@RiflemanMoore]

It's odd that the issue of the holdall seems to be so sporadic, I've yet to find a reason for it.

[@mikewinston8709]

I’m a 2434 from 1974. I was issued one but people didn’t like them very much. Everything used to fall out…..😂

[@davidbrennan660]

Bring forth small kit to entertain us! Nice kit. I have one in unrubberised Green Canvas with the same pocket number and sizing.

[@rosshilton]

From distant memory I was issued with one when I joined the TA in the early 80s, and it found its way to Australia with me a few years later. Can’t think where it is now, probably still in a box in the garage.

[@mh53j]

You may have covered this in another video; what about a sewing kit? Were these on general issue or a private purchase item? Would it be kept with this holdall or separately? US used to have nice ones available in clothing sales in the PX; wide selection of needles, buttons for most uniforms, safety pins, folding scissors, seam ripper, various thread and pieces of camo bdu cloth for repairs. Ones I see now only have a few needles, few strands of thread pair of stiff folding scissors that are useless! These are indeed very interesting videos; comment section with everyone's personal recollections are insightful as well.

[@pierevojzola9737]

Hi Doug, in the fifties and sixties the British Army issued us a kit called a Housewife. This included all hand sowing tools, cottons and woollen threads plus a wooden mushroom contraption to use when darning socks. There was an afternoon set aside each week of basic training called Make & Mend that was used to repair parts of your uniform. This was a necessary as the young soldiers in those days had to be taught how to wash themselves and look after their kit and living accommodation. I have seen one Regimental scrubbing done to a soldier on a Parade Ground in a middle of a square of four companies. Reason? Soldier had not washed for a week, considered a threat to the wellbeing of his comrades! Nothing much has changed since the Roman Legions left the British Isle. Cheers mate. Harera

[@jameshudson1080]

I’m one of those small items fans - so thanks especially for this one. You don’t mention the piece of tape on the back - which on all examples I’ve seen is too short to do anything with. I always thought this was what you were originally supposed to use to tie it up with but had then been cut before being sold on. Any ideas.

[@johnshanahan8477]

I think I have find my new project

[@zaynevanday142]

Would they have some issued type of insect repellent ? Or would that go in the webbing or pocket for regular use ?

[@nikhinson3703]

The issued insect repellent went in the bin! Evil stuff that smelled like rotten oranges and melted anything plastic.

[@stephenmcdonald7908]

I remember using issue insect repellent in Germany. I got bitten to buggery.

[@matthewsmith9624]

British toothpaste?? That's ironic!

[@Wardog-rf1tx]

1970 ish I got hooked on Wrights Coal Tar Soap, after about a decade of going without after emigrating to Canada 🇨🇦 in 1982 I came across it a local store and then online and got reunited with my favourite manly scent. 😂 💂‍♂️🪖⛑️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇨🇦