Kitbag colours

[Geriaviator]

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/709x430/kitbag_763cb984d7494020c72c53d2a7c2e64aee724c21.jpg

MOST readers of this forum will be familiar with the Serviceman's Suitcase, also called the kitbag. It contained everything the Serviceman needed for a posting of indefinite length and varying enjoyment, or otherwise. I believe the Army versions are khaki, but can anyone throw any light on why the RAF kitbags were coloured white with two blue bands? The colours are those of HM Troopships which were white with a blue band around the hull. The bag pictured was issued in 1943 to replace one lost to enemy action and was taken to Bombay on HMT Strathnaver 1944, then across India in bomb bay of a Lancaster, return to RAF Binbrook 1947, RAF Khormaksar in Aden 1950, back to RAF Leuchars 1953 and home where it spent 60 years in the loft before being presented to a local museum.

[bobward]

Forgive me if I state the obvious.To make it easier to separate RAF from Army kit when unloading at the destination.
Just a thought!

[Geriaviator]

Thanks Bob, that occurred to me too, but all suggestions welcome! It may have been the reason in those days when we all went by troopship. I can just guess the charges if I turned up at the Ryanair desk with this!

[India Four Two]

Something I have often wondered about. When packing a kit bag, was there a required sequence of items or did you just stuff everything in?

[Captain Dart]

You just packed up your troubles and smiled, smiled, smiled.

[nonsense]

Forgive me if I state the obvious.To make it easier to separate RAF from Army kit when unloading at the destination.
Just a thought!
My military experience is limited to three years of school army cadets almost fifty years ago, but when they first issued us uniforms, etc, about 95% of the kitbags on offer were the same green colour as the uniforms, while the remaining 5% were a reddish brown.
Even at the tender age of 13, I recognised that I was going to be searching for my kitbag in a sea of others every time we were transported anywhere together in the next 3 years, and grabbed a red-brown one from the pile.

I was right, and it was a good move.

[aloominumtoob]

IIRC, when the Argosy was carrying a lotta members of the Royal British Army, the pax. rôle of the aeroplane had, on the ramp, a KBS. (Kit Bag Stowage). Now into this, a kit bag fitted snuggly, and it was easy to load.. As with much military planning etc., once the Argosy + KBS came into service, the RBA started replacing kit bags with ..... suitcases!

[ShyTorque]

I briefly had an RAF issue kit bag (all but useless for what we needed) and it was green, like everything else. But we were frontline, Cold War SH, very warlike. At one time we even had to camouflage our faces in the cockpit (just in case the enemy spotted our lily white faces instead of the ruddy great helicopter we were flying).

I actually used a frame type rucksack instead - it was bright blue!

[Rebus]

I joined up as an apprentice at Halton in 1969 and was issued with a dark blue holdall.

[Null Orifice]

I also joined as a Halton Apprentice but in 1955. I was issued with a standard full-size kitbag in white canvas with a single? blue band. On graduating in 1958 was posted overseas and was first sent to RAF Innsworth for kitting (KD issued and tailored! (i.e. shorts reduced to mid-knee length :sad:). We were also issued with a smaller white kitbag with two blue lines similar to that shown in post #1. This smaller bag was intended to hold our KD uniform items, additional towel, etc; our standard (long) kitbag was still required for our RAF blues as my posting was a winter AND summer rig station, hence the requirement for additional luggage capacity.

Thread drift :-
I was part of a small draft (volunteers) comprised mainly of ex-Brats. We travelled from Innsworth (Gloucester) to Heathrow via a night-stop at RAF Hendon Air Trooping Centre. At Heathrow we became escorts := for a group of service wives and children and assisted them on the flight to Gibraltar on a Viscount 800 of Transair with a fuelling stop at Bordeaux.

[Krystal n chips]

I joined up as an apprentice at Halton in 1969 and was issued with a dark blue holdall.

Weren't we all.

However, along with the compo tin opener, these turned out to be a major failing by M.o.D Procurement. They were actually very good and robust. Both of mine survive, intact and in use at times, to this day.

They also had a very solid base which could make a solid "clunk ! " sound when it contacted other pax shins on, say, the Tube, who may have been reluctant to move when entering / exiting the carriage .....allegedly.

[Geriaviator]

I also joined as a Halton Apprentice but in 1955. I was issued with a standard full-size kitbag in white canvas with a single? blue band. On graduating in 1958 was posted overseas and was first sent to RAF Innsworth for kitting (KD issued and tailored! (i.e. shorts reduced to mid-knee length :sad:). We were also issued with a smaller white kitbag with two blue lines similar to that shown in post #1.

That's interesting, it looks as though the wartime white bags changed to green/khaki in the 1960s. Current bags seem to be more like rucksacks, easier than the countless pictures showing men coming down the gangway with bags on their shoulder. @India Two Four, having searched the net the general info is to pack heaviest items first to make bag/holdall more stable.

[BEagle]

A big thumbs up for the comp can widger - what a brilliantly simple little tool!

Those blue holdalls were really excellent - I was issued with my first one in 1968 at RAFC Cranwell and still have it - somehow it wasn't on my clothing card when I left......

Before the IRA threat became really significant, many an airman added 'R A F' in dayglo lettering to the base, which made hitchiking more likely to be successful.

[ancientaviator62]

Initially issued with a blue kitbag in 1958 I was later issued with the blue RAF holdall. When I retired I kept both as the system did not want them back. Still have the holdall but the kitbag went to a charity shop a few years ago. I expect by then they had drooped from view on the supply computer system.