by edstorey Sun Oct 18, 2020 12:08 pm
If you are attempting to only display SWW webbing, then it is always best to use the earliest date possible as a lot of material languished in stores during the war. As as consequence, Canada sold massive amounts of unissued military equipment in the late 1940s to our NATO Allies, notably The Netherlands and Belgium to name but two; so it is possible to find material that is dated 1945 but mostly likely never left the supply system before the war ended. One item that did get overseas quick quickly was the first type of 9mm Browning/Inglis 9mm Pistol web Holster and it was used beginning in January 1945 by the Canadians through to the final days of the war. This holster was 1944 dated without a phenolic fibre tip to the web pull.
There are probably half-a-dozen manufacturing variations of the Canadian Bren Hold-all with a number of fitting types and body materials. I cannot prove or disprove at this time that the phenolic tipped versions were used overseas during the war but if you are striving for unquestionable accuracy then use one of the earlier types without the fibre (see attached image). Or better yet use a British manufactured example as Canada used lots of British manufactured webbing.