Thanks for the prompt replies; yes I believe you're right, it's actually burlap, made from jute, not canvas made from cotton. It would seem that there were a large number of these things made, though I must admit I've never encountered one before and they don't seem to show up in period photographs.
Does anyone happen to know if there were specific uses for these bags, apart from small sand bags, or were they just a sort of general purpose utility product?
In any event I'm glad to hear an explanation for the initials, though why it was necessary to mark the date of manufacture is puzzling. And considering that it's 73 years old, it's incredibly durable. This one is just like new, and has that intense smell redolent of army surplus stores, some sort of preservative presumably, which obviously worked. Once again, many thanks.
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