Hi

can this equipment only be found in crates or is it possible to have charakters equip with them (instead of another item from their pack) at the beginning of the game?

If it is a crate token you can not bring it along, although there is one union piece of equipment (I think it was only in French) that allowed you to bring 1 crate item. I will have to double check on that.

As a house rule option Each player may bring 1 Crate item (can't be CPs)

1 crate items = 2 items towards the 3 bonus token limits.

Yup that was the "Arsenal" Bonus Token. If one of you character had this Equipement Token you were allowed to remove the Sten and Trench gun and give them to any of your character in replacement of one of their own tokens.