In May 1961 South Africa changed from being a Union to a Republic. At the same time the new South African Defense Force [SADF] previously known as the Union Defense Force [ UDF] decided to the go over from the .303 rifle to the NATO 7.65 mm FN rifle, known in SADF as the R-1. Part of the upgrade was to introduce a new set of webbing and stop using the old British pattern 37 webbing. The SADF decided to copy the British pattern 58 webbing and call it pattern 61. The copy was however not 100% as per the pattern 58as some variations were included. In 1964, a review was done to the pattern 61 and thereafter it was called pattern 64. Patterns 61 and 64 were used side by side until all stocks of pattern 61 were depleted. Below is a brief description of the differences between P-58, P-61, and P-64.
Pattern 1961.
This set differed from the British pattern 58 in the following ways.
1. An inferior, a non-preshrunk and non-color fast canvas was used that faded quickly in the sun.
2. The metal fittings were brass base and then black oxidized and not aluminum green oxidized as the pattern 58
3. On the front of the yoke, two “D” rings were fitted instead of one. The additional “D” was used to attach extra ammunition pouches, if required. This feature is peculiar to P-61/64 as P-58 never had it.
4. The two front ammunition pouches were very different to pattern 58 and which were very unsuccessful. The factory, and or the SADF, decide to make one pouch tapered at the bottom and the other with a side entry as well as the normal top entry.
5. The web belt was made from a soft and slightly narrower width material which allowed the ammunition pouches to fall off when fully loaded.
6. The water bottle was not a copy of pattern 58 but was a copy of the West German circa 1960 water bottle.
This was also very unsuccessful as its design allowed water bottle to swing around uncontrollably when the wearer was running.
7. The quick release tab on pouch flaps were inferior to those used on pattern 58 which made opening and closing difficult.
Pattern 64.
1. The canvas quality was improved and was now preshrunk and color fast and dyed to a fixed standard color which was a Leaf Green.
2. All metal fittings were now made of mild steel and then covered with a green plastic powder coating.
3. A new canvas water bottle carry bag was introduced which was loosely based on the British pattern 44 design.
4. All other features of P-61 remained on P-64.
Problems with pattern 61/64.
1. The biggest problem was that the main backpack could not be worn independently but had to be worn in conjunction with the yoke. It was also very difficult to put on and take off. Besides that, seeing that the back pack was attached to the yoke, which intern attached to the ammo pouches, if the weight of the ammo pouches were not the same as the back pack, the back pack would pull the front ammo pouches up to under
the wearers chin, almost.
2. The ammo pouches remained a disaster as mentioned above.
3. The water bottle remained a disaster even with the new carry bag as the mug was made of plastic and could not be exposed to heat.
4. To wear the web belt separately, one had to dismantle the whole kidney pouch and yoke set and remove everything from the belt and then re assemble again after use.
5. The green plastic powder coating of the fittings was not successful because the plastic sometimes cracked and peeled off causing sharp edges. The power coating also did not work well on moving parts such as the carabiner hooks and webbing tip ends.
Pattern 70.
Pattern 70 remedied all the faults of pattern 61/64 and introduced new features which made the whole set more flexible.
M.J du Toit.
[21st October 2022]
