1942 'Commando' Bergen rucksack variation?

Hi folks. I'm a newby on this forum ... so apologies if something like this has come up before.

I have a very intriguing knacksack. British issue, 1944 and 1945 dated ... something (closely) akin to the '42 pattern Bergen, but smaller, without the bottom pocket and inner waterproofing (plus extra detail). I've tried uploading an image, but this dinosaur website won't allow me, so please bear with me and I shall. The fabric is green canvas with pale khaki beading on a '42 pattern Bergen. It has the metal reinforcement to the back, though less ornate than the 42. All in all it's basically a 'light version of the 42 pack. A very unusual piece.

Any thoughts? The shoulder straps are "MW &S Ltd" 1944, and the lumbar support 1945 dated with WD arrow.

Cheers

 

Welcome to the forums Sam! I am no expert on this matter at all, but I'm 100% positive someone else here is. Good luck with the search!

 

Hi Sam and welcome.

Whilst not identical to yours, I almost bought one of those rucksacks at a militaria show earlier this year. However I'm not that familiar with them so gave it a miss in case it wasn't what the dealer said it was...there some unscrupulous militaria dealers out there!

Post your question and photos over on our sister website www.ww2talk.com where I'm sure you will get a better response. There are a lot of experts on the commonwealth part of the war over there who are a wealth of knowledge.

Good luck.

 

Hi, thanks for the reply. I'll give that website a look over also. Once thing I am certain of, is the authenticity of the piece - I'm used to those dealers also. The chap who had this wasn't a specialist in military, but he wondered whether it could be special forces - I bought it for a modest price - worth taking a chance on anyway. I did also wonder whether it could be a Commonwealth piece made under British contract. Thanks!