Canadian Army FN C2 Mag Chest Pack Carrier

 

Canadian WE'64 

 C2 Four Mag Chest Pack

1960s

...

Description

In the early 1960s a totally new design of load carrying equipment was developed in conjunction with the new combat uniform. The new equipment was designated Web Equipment, 1964 Pattern (WE'64). WE'64 employed plastic buckles and fittings with hook and loop (Velcro) fasteners and was designed to be simple to adjust and easy to decontaminate.

The belt and braces were made of a heavy rot resistant OD Green cotton web material. Individual pouches were coated with a green plastic waterproofing, this tended to flake or peel off after some use. WE'64 was not widely issued to the Regular Force until 1966 - 67 and was not issued to the Reserves until the late 1970s.

WE'64 was superior to the 1951 pattern in ease of assembly and adjustment, but in most other respects was a failure and disliked by soldiers. Equipment tended to slide out of position on the belt, and over time the hook and loop fasteners lost their ability to remain secured especially when wet.

Four 30 round magazines for the FN C2 light machinegun were carried in a 4 pocket "Chest Pack", which was commonly known by soldiers as the "C2 Mag Bra". The first pattern of the carrier had blackened metal buckles and fittings. Subsequent examples had the usual WE64 type plastic fittings


The C2 "Chest Pack" as normally worn. The soldier would obviously have some problem extracting the magazines when firing in the prone position.

PART NUM.

    ----

TITLE

   Chest Pouch

DATE

    1960s

FORMAT

    ---

COLLECTION

    Canadian WE' 64

ACQUISITION

    ---

REFERENCE

    ---

Physical Description

History note Category

Printed Label

Associated 

• Canadian Army Webbing
• Webbing Equipment 1964

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 Back to Mike Webb Collection

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FN C2 Magazine Chest Pack Carrier

Canadian Web Equipment 1964 Pattern
Four 30 round magazines for the FN C2 light machinegun were carried in a 4 pocket "Chest Pack", which was commonly known by soldiers as the "C2 Mag Bra". The first pattern of the carrier had blackened metal buckles and fittings. Subsequent examples had the usual WE64 type plastic fittings