wdbikemad

AND the NSN is made-up.....

Commercial copy....though sometimes made by the same manufacturer as the genuine issue items..... HM Supplies have a shop in Camberley on the London Road, plus a smaller branch in Aldershot........they have a ready market with the Army right on the doorstep....

I have only seen one example in the flesh.....labelled as "1963 pattern" and a distinct olive green colour....being worn at a MV event by a SAS re-enactor with a great display of original kit......it was original too, not a copy......although was made from windproof cotton gaberdine rather than cotton sateen found on the DPM version..... I've also seen a couple of green versions being worn in original SAS photo's from the late-1960s and early 1970's........definately a rare version...

The big, heavy tan "pixie" tank suit was still in production right up to the 1960's........and lasted in service into the early 1970's.......the WD label is secretely located just inside the right sleeve cuff !!!! Also a garment favoured by WD motorcyclists........ The cammo version was little seen during WW2, not appearing until 44-45....and it would seem that production didn't last post-war, the majority of latter production continuing in tan..... I well remember adverts in Exchange & Mart into the early 1980's offering these items in new condition at a wonderful price !!!!:embarrassed:

Well, they look pretty real to me !!! I guess that concludes the issue....they did exist and the odd pair survives....... The '63 pattern windproof was made in cotton gaberdine in the old wartime cammo pattern plus olive green.....so trousers for these were likely also made.....The '63 pattern refers to the full-zip modification rather than the actual cammo colouring, in much the same way as the 1959 pattern Denison smock with full length zipper...... During 1970-71 when DPM cammo was formally introduced the '63 pattern windproof suit was made from the newer DPM cloth but the actual design remained unaltered.... Another interesting point is that the garments were made from the heavyweight DPM cotton sateen fabric as used in the 1960 and 1968 pattern general service combat suits rather than the lightweight windproof cotton gaberdine employed in later windproof smocks and trousers..... The '63 pattern suit in DPM lasted in production until about 1975 - 76 when replaced by the redesigned DPM gaberdine windproof smock and trousers....although could still be seen in use by some old-sweat SAS and RM until the early 1980's......... Made from Size 1 to Size 9...and "Special" for those odd-shaped individuals.....

Sadly....no.... The item is a temperate item of clothing (eg: European/cold-climate wear)....

Most RAF flying clothing up to the late-1980's didn't feature the manufacturers details, just contract and stores ref numbers.......this is in contrast to Army combat clothing that generally featured manufacturers details up to the mid-1990's....the latter was officially discontinued (on most clothing at least) thereafter due to changes to the MoD contract procurement system that included tenders from non-UK manufacturers.....perhaps a little politically sensitive at the time ....?

Nice smocks ! ...and both a good size 5 !!! The "SAS" version appeared first, around 1975 - 76, followed by the Windproof Arctic version by 1978........Soldier magazine around this time carried regular kit update articles detailing new SCRDE clothing developments, both smocks being announced around the mid-1970's.... Both versions remained unaltered until 1984 when the sizing changed to metric and the first field dressing pocket was added to the right arm of both.....also about the same time the rear rank attachment tab was deleted from the arctic smock........ The trousers for both smocks however, are completely different......the "SAS" type windproofs resembling the old green jungle trousers with crossover-belt waist fastening whereas the arctic version were styled on the 1968 standard pattern trousers but with larger pockets and vents in the lower legs to remove them over boots....... It's incorrect to refer to either suits (and tropical combats) as "1968 pattern"......none of these garments appeared until the mid-1970's at the earliest.....:-D

Hi Jon....fortunately, these appeared after I'd departed from HM Forces !!! Have you seen the "POL" (fuel handlers) version allegedly fuel proof...?

Whilst I'm in the mood....here's a brief summary of British military waterproof clothing.... Olive Drab nylon smock and trousers......zip and press-stud fastening...introduced in the early 1970's for Northern Ireland use..... DPM version of the above introduced mid-1970's......both types were lightweight and comfortable to wear but you could be heard coming from 5 miles away... DPM PVC smock and trousers introduced around 1984 to replace the nylon version....much the same but velcro front replacing the press studs......made you sweat like a pig after no movement at all..... Early 1990's saw a DPM goretex smock and trousers introduced......the best suit made in my humble opinion.......the smock had a large wired hood, baggy front pockets with button fastening, front rank tab, arm reinforcement and it was made from a heavy duty goretex.....the trousers featured similar, with zips up the lower legs so you could take 'em off over boots........ Soldier '95 introduced a new goretex smock without pockets and a fold away hood in the collar......not as good as the early '90s version but few realise that this item was in fact an inner liner for wear beneath the ripstop field jacket....the matching trousers however, were not a patch on the earlier version........ By 2005 a new goretex suit was on issue......similar to the early '90s version but less heavy duty and with velco external pockets, etc....... Oddities mixed in with the above include the green nylon RAF foul weather suit comprising smock and trousers introduced during the early 1970's.....some of these later found their way into the Army for limited issue.........early versions are made from a lightweight nylon that "shines" when new, later versions made from a much heavier nylon...... Another oddity is the green version of the Royal Navy foul weather deck jacket, with peaked hood....most of these were made in blue, but the green version both with a button (early) and velcro (later) front were used by Royal Marines...... There's also the green/white reversible smock and trousers used by Marines and para's that can be seen in some photos of the Falklands conflict...... And to finish off, we musn't overlook the green nylon RAF "Aerial Erectors" foul weather smock and trousers......... You may find all on your travels throughout the collecting world at some point.....

That must be one of the last MK2A jackets made by Beaufort....the company amalgamated soon after..... Most RAF aircrew clothing from the 1960's until the early 1990's was made by either Beaufort Air-Sea Equipment LTD or ML Lifeguard LTD, although the manufacturers name did not generally appear on such garments until the late 1980's..... Most RAF aircrew clothing is now manufactured by Cosalt Ballyclare LTD, including the MK3 "Bumfreezer" flying jacket and dungaree cold weather trousers, flying suits and the MK2A DPM aircrew suit.....but fortunately, the quality has remained excellent.... RAF regs normally require aircrew clothing to be returned to stores for refurbishing, reissue or disposal once the wearer has ceased using it......much of that on the market today is from MOD disposal sales or the occasional personal acquisition.......

The British Army "Soldier 95" (CS 95 = Combat Soldier 95) clothing system was introduced around 1995 - 96 and is still in use today, although under replacement over the next 2 years by the "Afghan" MTP cammo pattern clothing..... The CS 95 clothing underwent development and troop trials between 1992 - 95 and a fair few garments were manufactured specifically for these troop trials...... The CS 95 outfit was made up of a "ripstop" smock with attachable hood, ripstop trousers, a lightweight shirt and trousers, a goretex smock liner & trousers, Norwegian shirt and DPM fleece jacket.......however, the troop trial garments were in some cases different to the production items that followed..... For example.....some trial smocks were made with the hood attached that fitted into the collar when not in use, and the lightweight shirt and trousers were fitted with sewn-on buttons rather than the tape-attached "no loss" buttons fitted to production garments.... The trial CS95 garments are all labelled "CS 95 User Trial" and are also fitted with a red-colour SCRDE (Stores Clothing Research & Development Establishment - Colchester) label............ I have two trial lightweight shirts, a pair of lightweight trousers and a smock complete with attachable hood...all with the red labels and marked "User Trial"....... I am wondering if any fellow collectors have examples of any of the CS 95 trial clothing ? If so, what do you have and what do they look like ??? I am particularly interested in the smock with attached hood (hidden in the collar)......!!! PS - sorry for the lack of photos, but facilities for taking and loading any are a real issue for me at present....

Sniper smock is a size 1......so pre-1980-ish..... A guy there had several green 1960 pattern smocks and trousers.....used condition but good....no large sizes though..... Another stall had a small pile of new and lightly used DPM 1968 pattern early-1970's combat smocks and trousers.....sizes 3, 5 and 7........smocks at £20 - 25 and trousers at £15..........didn't buy them as I have too many already in the hoarde...! Several DPM windproofs, para smocks (saw an old '77 version in a size 1) plus an early '70s DPM aircrew smock in near new condition in a large size that was missing the label but cheap......again, didn't buy as I have several already.......

Went to the Solent Overlord Executive show today...at the new location in Waterlooville, Hants......nice new site and although a small show, some good finds.... I managed to find a near-new 1960 pattern olive drab British combat smock in a size 5 for only £12....... Followed by a new 1978-ish DPM sniper smock for £25.......... Then a brand new '68 pattern DPM smock also in a size 5 for £20.......... And a pair of Korean War 1st pattern olive drab combat trousers for £15....... But the real find of the day was a brand new set of DPM shirt and trousers in a large size .....but the very, very rare trial pattern of the Soldier 95 kit still in use today, complete with all labels......£20 the set.... Worth going to this weekend if you get the chance....and I did leave some finds behind !! :-D

Mark, I haven't seen one for years...........although I do know someone who had a pair of the trousers a few months ago now......don't know if they're still available.....

I've got about 20 of these caps.....but the largest is a 7 & 1/8th........strangely, the two size 7's I have actually fit far better than the larger size...!!!??!! If you want small, try the pin-head size 6...........

The venerable crap hat was made from 1972 until the 1980's, although some limited modified production continued into the 1990's to equip recruits for field training. The cap was made in a full size range from size 6 through to 7 &3/4....... There is no tropical version of this.....DPM camouflage came in a massive variety of colours depending on manufacturer, dyes, etc, and the cap illustrated simply reflects one of these many colour variants that can also be found on smocks, trousers and hoods, etc....

Cromwell was their brand name.....they also made motorcycle helmets, aircrew bone-domes, tank helmets and police helmets..... A fairly old company, they did indeed have involvement in WW2 helmet production......

"Helmet ART" stands for "Anti-Riot Topper"..........standard NI issue... Helmets Ltd used to be located in Wheathampstead, Herts.....they also use the brand name "Cromwell"......they have since moved (I think) to Scotland and now called Helmet Integrated Sytems LTD.......

Must have been a RAF thing......we were banned from wearing them.....heavyweight combat trousers only....:embarrassed:

Oh Yes! I had completely fogotten about the good old 'Drawers, Cellular' or as we used to call them. Drawers ,Dracula'! I never ever had 'The pleasure' of actually putting any of the three pairs we were issued on my Body! I used to use mine on Bullnights for cleaning the windows! They bought the glass up admirably!..... In the Army our Plimpsoles were Black canvas. I was always amazed & felt sorry for any of the Prisoners in the cell at the unit when I was Guard Commander. They had to Bull (Sorry! HIGHLY POLISH!) these Pumps so they shone like best Boots! Have you ever TRIED to polish canvas to a HIGH state of shinyness? Scraped all the Paint of of the Polish tins & Polish the tin to a blinding shine also! You have never seen Galvaised Dustbins Gleaming like they were chrome plated either! & Brass Topped WOMBAT 120mm Wooden (Heavy!) drill rounds, all brass fittings polished to an extreme state of Shiney!....Good fun watching 'The White Helmet Display Team' (Prisoners) running round the camp perimiter track carrying said rounds, first thing before N.A.F.F.I Break as well! (The Poor Sod's!) As for the green long johns, Well, you havent lived till you have observed appox 20 plus squaddies getting in to these & pulling them up over thier arms & shoulders. So all you can see is Big Green Kermit the Frogs! 20 Guys all leaping along the wooden floored corridors in a race after afew Beers was Blimmin Hillarious! :cheesy: Oh Happy Days, where have they all gone?....Roll on Belters'', when the beer will flow, & so will the shared Memories........ Mike. "Drawers, Extreme Cold Weather. Olive Drab, Ridiculous"..........I did actually wear mine a few times, but the block communal washing machine managed to shrink them to a size liable to cause serious injury to your vitals...... Another poorly designed garment with a crutch that sat around your knees........ I ditched mine eventually, knicking some nylon stockings from the girlfriend.........I did once try the quilted extreme cold weather trouser liners, but it made you feel (and look) like a mobile duvet......they also weren't cigarette-proof, and I managed to set fire to myself on one memorable exercise.........

"Suit, NBC, Mark 1, Blotting Paper".......well that's what it appeared to be made from....? And why the detachable hood...??? Not the best way to reassure you about chemical and biological protection....... I managed to put my boot straight through the knee of the trousers the first time I put them on in a hurry........told to use an "NBC suit repair kit" (that I didn't have nor had ever heard of) I ended up wrapping good ol' black gaffer tape around the leg........after 3 days of wear, much of the remainder of the suit was also "gaffered".......mind you, it was at least now partially waterproof....!

Talking of recruits, I've just remembered the ridiculous dress code for recruits to the RAF at Swinderby during the early 1980's.......I recall that this was the standard wear for everyone in weeks 1 to 4, whilst you were waiting for issue of your blue-grey polyester No.2 dress trousers to be returned from tailoring...... You were required to wear a light blue shirt open-necked with a coloured towelling cravat depending on which particular flight you belonged to (AND you had to pay for this yourself !), topped with a blue-grey woolly pully.....over which you wore a blue-grey boiler suit ('cause you had NO trousers !!!), with DMS ankle boots with the overalls tucked INTO your black socks !!!!! This rubbish outfit was topped off with a '37 pattern web belt polished black and accompanied by a '37 small pack into which you carried your "recruit essentials" around with you.........on your head was a beret (always far too large) with a huge coloured plastic disc the size of a sideplate behind the badge............if it was wet, you wore (and never again after training !!!) an oversize blue-grey flashers mac...... Whoever thought up the above combination must have had a sense of humour....... Weeks 4 to 6 weren't too bad, as trousers were issued and you also wore your SD cap.... Oh, the memories....

The woolly pully was another item that challenged the poor recruit...... I put mine in the communal washing machine in the block.....only to find some complete tosser had upped the temperature to "boil" during my absence.....my size 4 pully came out a size zero that would have been a tight fit on a gurkha...... Off I trudged to stores the next day.......I was confronted by a SAC storeman leering towards me, hands on the counter browsing a copy of Knave, and behind him a wall of new pullovers stacked from floor to ceiling........ SAC - "Yes, what do YOU want - I'm busy"..... Recruit Me - "I need a new pullover"..... SAC - "Sorry, we ain't got any.....now f**k off !"..... Recruit Me (seeing the huge stack of pullys behind him) - "Err.....ok..." Pay docked the same day.....:embarrassed: