Kitbag colours
Thread Starter
Kitbag colours
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.
Kit bag colours
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!
Just a thought!
Thread Starter
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!
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?
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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.
Kitbags.
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!
Avoid imitations
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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!
I actually used a frame type rucksack instead - it was bright blue!
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 
). 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.
). 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.Thought police antagonist
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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.
Thread Starter
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 ). We were also issued with a smaller white kitbag with two blue lines similar to that shown in post #1.
). We were also issued with a smaller white kitbag with two blue lines similar to that shown in post #1.
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.
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.
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.
