Club Obi Wan

I think that we may be at the end of the line with this source of supply!

I think that Kevin has been amazingly helpful and I'm really glad that some COW members will have got good quality MK VII's at reasonable prices.

Here's hoping that we don't return to the daft inflated prices too quickly or too enthusiastically and that we can share any more info about sources of supply that may come to light.

All the best.

SJ.

I think I have bags set aside for everyone that asked me to get them (those who insisted on an original but couldn't get one from Endicott's) but I'm afraid my source has now dried up. I had been calling in and buying them singly according to demand, but this depletion was apparently noticed by another guy who was also buying them occasionally (according to the staff to sell on eBay "for £40") and while I was on my Easter vacation he bought the remainder of the unissued bags (about ten I would guess). Now, that makes me two things;
1. Mad.
2. Sorry I didn't do it myself first.
I guess I'm either niaive or not a very good capitalist, or both. If another source turns up I'll get back on the case.

Anyway, sorry guys, but I hope those of you that get them you enjoy and treasure your bags.

Alan, you're a good man for doing this in the first place and being so honest about how you went about doing this for folks. My hat is off to you. Second, if you do come across another batch of bags, maybe it would be a smart idea to snatch them up, and then sell them honestly as you have been doing to date. Worse case scenario, if you're stuck with a bunch of bags, you can always sell them for gobbs more money on eBay!

bink

Alan Eardley is a top notch guy, I am indebted to him.

Not too many people would be so considerate to absolute strangers.

The story of the wonderful Kevin Endicott goes on here with a good news
viewtopic.php?t=17308

Guys

Everyone for whom I obtained original unissued Mark VII bags should now have recieved them. I hope you are all happy with them and that you will enjoy them. Having met my commitments I'll now 'hand back' to the professionals. If and when their supplies run out I just may 'kick in' again.

Alan

Thank you so much, Alan! As stated in another thread, I recieved my two today and couldn't be happier.

bink

I also got one from Alan - a true asset to these forums. A great, classy guy - who else would go out of his way to help strangers?

Got mine today ooh the smell was awesome, shame you can barely make out the lettering under the flap...but nice all the same.

[quote =] Quite a few people on this forum, actually.[/quote]

Very true, Tone.

It's like 'shareware' or 'open source' software - if everybody shares, everybody benefits.

Alan

That depends how big the text books are...can you give measurements?

I don't have mine at hand but I don't think they are 10.5" in any direction (or just barely) so those books may not fit. Plus there's a devider in them that devides the bag so it's only half as wide (looking from from the front) as it looks unless you take that out.

Judging from your measurements it could work, barely. You will have to remove a canvas "room divider" (I'm not sure what it's called) Anyhow it splits the main compartment in two, ones removed the space should be sufficient.

-K

The specified internal size is 10" x 10" by 3" (not taking into account the internal dividers) but they often don't conform to the specified size.

I have ten original bags on hand at the moment (two W&G and eight from various other manufacturers) and a quick whip around with the tape shows that the smallest (by H & Sons) is only 9 1/2" wide. Even if you removed the internal dividers you couldn't fit a 10" wide book sideways into 3 of them. Manufacturing tolerances, you see. The height isn't so much of a problem as the flap will allow items up to 11" deep in most cases. So you could fit three 8" x 10" books vertically into most Mark VII bags.

Luck of the draw - you may be lucky with the size of an original bag, or you may not.

Are there any unissued MKVII's left??

Cheers,
Jeff

Gobler wrote:Are there any unissued MKVII's left??

Cheers,
Jeff

You mean in the world? Yes, lots of them.

Alan

There should be quite a few bags made that were never issued due to the release of the lightweight respirator, since that mask and its bag was quite different to the Mk VII bag and its predecessors. Piles and piles... *Drool*

Sources aren't drained I believe, but the trick seem to be to get them released to the "public". Government control? Who decides?




Regards,
Swindiana

A guy I meet occasionally who is one of the leading collectors (in the World) of Brtish and Commonwealth WW2 clothing and gear has opined that more MKVII bags were made and not issued than were made and issued. I have no reason to doubt his judgement.

Consider this - the respirator case used before the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk (and therefore the only one to see action in the European Theatre) was the MKVI.

The MKVII was specified and produced from 1941- 1944 when British and Commonwealth land forces were imvolved in the North African, Asian and Far Eastern theatres (apart from Norway and the Dieppe raid). I think the need for precautions agains the use of gas was much less in these campaigns.

As Swindiana points out the Lightweight Respirator and its bag were issued for Operation Overlord. So, apart from equipping home defense forces and RAF and RN use, where were the millions of MKVIIs used in action?

I would gas that more MKVIIs were used as lunch bags after WW2 than were used as respirator cases during it. The number so used must have been tens of thousands if not millions - in the 50s and 60s it seemed like every workman carried one! I still have mine from 1968...

I would guess there are still hundreds if not thousands of unissued bags in 'the system'. The company that has the contract for handling all UK government surplus clothing and equipment is located near to where I live. One day I may ask someone there how such items are disposed of.

Alan

Alan Eardley wrote:The company that has the contract for handling all UK government surplus clothing and equipment is located near to where I live. One day I may ask someone there how such items are disposed of.

That would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO appreciated Alan. I'm very curious to know what they are going to tell you

I was just going to post an email from him saying

Hi Erri,
Just a quickie,we have put an Out of Stock marker ref the MKVII's on the COW page as of today.I have 6 Bags in the system which were ordered this weekend.These orders will be met and I have notified them accordingly.
I'll get back to you tomorrow with any further updates.Kev

I called in to see Kevin Endicott this morning and he passes on his good wishes to all users of the COW forum and thanks all of those who have bought bags from him for their business.

It really is a delight to visit Endicott's, and I was only sorry that I couldn't stay longer. It's an old-fashioned family operation - Kevin's dad started it in the post-war surplus boom and Kevin has grown up with the business. Their network of connections and sources is impressive and their experience almost unrivalled in the Devon area. Kevin has a truly encyclopeadic knowledge of his stock and nothing is too much trouble for him. Truly a pleasure to deal with...I must ask to go through his stock of British tropical uniforms next time I'm in Exeter!

Alan

Hi Alan, see my other thread about Kevin, there is a message for you