WW2 ARP First Aid Holdall Reissued in 1952 To The Prison Service

Here's an interesting snippet of information from Austin Ruddy:

"Another ebay fake? It certainly looks like it: crudely-marked 'ARP' on the outside flap but stamped '1952' inside the bag. However, there is more to this than meets the eye...

I saw one of these at London's Portobello Road market in 1990 and couldn't work it out. It puzzled me for years until I was told the answer.

Very occasionally, the post-war Civil Defence Corps still used the term 'ARP', so is this a piece of 1950s CDC kit?

No, but the clue is in the 1952 stamp. This is indeed a genuine WW2 ARP first aid bag - there should be a 1940 stamp somewhere inside it - but it was reissued in 1952 to His Majesty's Prison staff, hence the accompanying 'HMP' stamp.

They must have had a surplus glut of these ARP first aid bags and didn't want to send them for ragging."

WW2 ARP First Aid Holdall Reissued in 1952 To The Prison Service

1952 HMP date stamp in wartime ARP first aid holdall