Books photos about executed POWS June 1944

Nice pictures Mark but I will have to disagree with our feerless leader on what the men carried in their utility pouches;

"He will in addition have been carrying a bandolier of 50 rounds of .303 British ammunition (for his Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.I rifle) around his neck, and another in one of his ammo pouches. The latter is in addition to a couple of Mk.36 hand grenades.

The other ammo pouch will have contained two loaded Bren magazines (28 rounds per mag) for the Section Bren LMG."

I wasn't there so I'm not speaking from that aspect of my experience. Bren gun mags will not fit into a Basic Pouch and allow for the closing of the pouch I believe this is what led to the developement of the Bren Pouch which is much larger. From the pictures that I have examined the men appear to be wearing "Basic Utility Pouches" and they are all closed with the exception of two instances one shows a Chaudier on the beach with the left hand pouch open but I can't determine if it is a mag sticking out or not. The other picture is of a Bren gunner with both pouches open and what I presume to be mags sticking out the top while his comrades pouches are closed. I realize that what Geoff said may be what the esablishment called for and I have done it but you can't run that way without the mags bouncing out of the pouch. Also I don't think a bandolier and two 36 grenades will fit in a basic pouch.
In one picture of the North Nova Scotia Regiment as well as wearing basic pouches on the front another set was incorporated onto the small pack. They fit so smoothly they look as though they are sewn together.