Here is how the US Airborne managed it - in one piece!

Tim

That would fit the bill, then. When I jumped with an SLR went inside two weapon sleeves - I don’t think it gave the weapon any protection but might have stopped it snagging on the rigging lines in the case of a very bad exit indeed!


Colin

This is for carrying something after the drop either in place or over his normal back pack, I'm sure the brass fitting hooks on the shoulder straps hook onto the bren pouches, it also seems to have quick release so it can be dropped with a pull of a couple of cords, there's also a second label but I can't make out what it says.

This photograph of an SAS Trooper in Malaya 1957 seems to show the equipment worn for a parachute jump including the 'end caps' and three distinctive broad straps. The brass fitting hooks are probably hooked on the parachute harness to enable movement onto the aircraft. On descent the load would be lowered on the rope prior to landing. Impossible to say what is in it but unlikely to be a 3.5" rocket launcher. He also appears to have a long weapon in an adjacent cover.

Tim

I have seen this photo captioned as containing the coiled long rope for descending from the high trees after a tree jump…

The Mike Chappel illustration from Osprey's "The Malayan Campaign 1948-60" by John Scurr.
Trooper, 22nd Special Air Service Regiment, 1954.
The felt valise containing a 240' roll of 1" webbing to attach to a branch in the tree tops and run through 'D" rings on his "bikini" harness when lowering to the ground.
Which doesn't, I suppose, mean that the felt valise was the only container used for that purpose.

i ended up with it, i haven't had time to unwrap it properly, i liked that it was sample and figured it fitted in with the few SAS bits i have