BumpCity

I thought people might be interested to see this dummy parachute kit. The main pack is dated 73, and the separate actual rig harness is 77. The reserve dummy carries no date. I wondered if anyone could remember doing drills in them?! 

I would really like some black 70s ones. Yes these brown ones remain a mystery. Hopefully someone out there can solve it! 

Hi all. I recently acquired these brown leather 1979 N.I gloves with black cuffs. They are a mystery to me. Both are labelled the same. Any ideas? 

Oh and the one in the photo is (and remains) mine. I got it from USA. Strange there are no images, no information and you never see one, I've found the same thing. 

Hi sorry for the late reply I haven't logged in for years! Yes i saw one go on eBay too, maybe a couple of years ago? He'd clearly removed all the labels and successfully passed it off as some kind of mysterious rarity. I cringed when I saw the end price... someone is going to get a big comedown one day! 

Lovely colours and a nice quality. Slightly flimsy feeling zip. But otherwise a cracking looking garment.

No - there is an extra small series 01-04 which equates to sub size 1. Not exclusively Gurkha but could fit very small paras I guess....

 

WDBikemad had posted sizing descriptions on this in the past so just do a search on 68 pattern sizing.

Ah OK thanks for that information. Andy

Sorry here's the actual smock anyway

I just acquired this, with the 0 in front of the size is it Gurkha issue perhaps ?

I've attached some photographs of my early DPM parka, which I purchased as Army surplus in about 1980 in order to try and fend off the worst of the cold whilst a CVR (W) Fox crewman with the TA. The totally inadequate kit issue of the time prompted most serving TA crewmen (I believe regulars too) to make private purchases, and I recall that Bundeswehr parkas; Barbour jackets and cut down old greatcoats were all popular items.

Anyway, returning to the parka, it was a great piece of kit for AFV crewmen and was made of a windproof type material which, unusually, was printed with a very light coloured DPM reminiscent of the old tropical DPM kit. The attached photographs clearly show this print colouring.

Interesting to see again that the parka is the same maker and contract. So far I have never seen a different one and this furthers my suspicion that this was the only run of them (unless anyone has a variant?). Did it come with that early 80's liner? No sign of the original liner? This parka was definitely a superior build and design quality to the heavy cotton one that became issue. Apart from the noisy material.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111185[/ATTACH]

Thought I'd share this; it clarifies the pattern date of the post war jersey. It's taken from "Hints on the Correct Use of Cold Weather Clothing 1954".

 

Allen

That's a great piece. I bet that book is a fascinating read!

Resurrecting an old thread it seems!

Here are a couple of interesting additions. The one in the left is a size 3 (1967) and has the addition of chest pockets. The one on the right is a size 4 from the previous year and does not.

Primark ?

Nope...

I seem to recall thats from a fashion label, its not Maharishi but more high street

Warm... 😃

Hi all. Quick competition (Although there is no prize for the winner!)

Who can identify this windproof smock? No label shots as obviously that's cheating.

I recently saw on go on the bay for a lot of money

Edwards53 you're barred from entering as you already know the answer! 😃

And here are the two labels together.

As requested here are some photo's of the Size 2 Cookson and Clegg Ltd manufactured liner Size 2, dating to approximately 1972, that accompanied the first type DPM Parka. Also pictured is the separate face/throat piece that attached to the hood side by two press studs. Note that the receiving studs were only on one side of the hood so there was no left or right handed option! Obviously this design feature was dropped for the mass production model. Discussion of the parka itself already exists on here so I won't double up on that. But here is proof concrete that there was a dedicated liner produced, manufactured by the same company and with the same contract number.

The liner itself is very much as the metric sized ones. Velcro attachments in the same places including the cuffs, three velcro fasteners, mesh under arm vents, same cut, same materials. The face/throat piece has no label or markings. Note the brown trims, visible on earlier liners. The face/throat piece would have added a nice bit of wind cover on sentry duty but seems a strangely 'lluxurious' design idea, and it is no surprise that it did not go on to be adopted. I would be interested to know if anybody else owns one, or has seen them before, as I had not before I acquired this one. Thanks.

BumpCity, we have all had those moments, me included !

 

Really appreciate your input into the current subject..............need detailed close-ups of your early DPM parka throat-piece plus the liner to ascertain differences for my book ! Any help most appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!!:-D

Sure thing, happy to assist such a project in any way, will it be a book on post war uniform? I am on nights tonight so I will work on it tomorrow, and either upload them to here or try my hand at starting a new topic. It will be interesting to see what discussion it generates as it is a barely discussed topic. I tried to contact Cookson and Clegg for info on the contract but have thus far been unsuccessful

Your size 2 is the same contract as my size 5. I was amazed to find a mint/unused size 5 just hanging on a rack at a show amongst a load of junk, completely and utterly undervalued and with no appreciation of its scarcity. And even then I knocked him down a bit more!! :-) Strange addition to the story... the same dealer also offered me some Argentinian kit, which I refused point blank as I just don't collect it. Later in the day I was passing the same stall, and heard the guy (who has just sold said Argentian gear) actually insulting me to that buyer, telling him how he'd sold a smock earlier to a "young lad who turned this kit down without even looking so obviously had no idea what he was doing" and said to the guy "see that's the difference, you're a proper collector". I nearly tapped him on the shoulder and took him to task, but instead I walked off with a smile on my face as there was only one of us that day who didn't know what he was doing! :-D so sometimes even ridiculous bargains surface at shows being sold by militaria dealers!

Please post photos of your parka when it arrives !!!!!!!:-D I ask because I have one too, but it is missing the liner and that throat/face piece (I always wondered what those press studs on the hood were for - lol).........any images of this, plus the liner to show any differences would be most appreciated..............note that the later version of the DPM parka came in several sizes but there were only 3 sizes of liner so this was perhaps reflected in the earlier sizing/pattern too.......

 

These early DPM parka's are very different from the later (Falkland's) issues...........the outer is made from a semi-synthetic fabric quite similar to that used currently on MTP outer clothing, etc........plus the top-pocket flaps are rectangular rather than pointed and the top-left one contains a pen-pocket like the earlier 50s and 60s green parkas..........other differences include the parka semi-lining in green nylon, and the hood having double-"Fixlok" cord adjusters rather than one as on later issues..........note too the studs on the hood to fit that neck/face piece..........

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110208[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110207[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110206[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110209[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110210[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110211[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110212[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110213[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110214[/ATTACH]

Ps it is interesting to see that all of ours share the same contract number. Is that the same with yours Scoth Harry? Perhaps it was only made under the one contract given the short time it was in production?

Please post photos of your parka when it arrives !!!!!!!:-D I ask because I have one too, but it is missing the liner and that throat/face piece (I always wondered what those press studs on the hood were for - lol).........any images of this, plus the liner to show any differences would be most appreciated..............note that the later version of the DPM parka came in several sizes but there were only 3 sizes of liner so this was perhaps reflected in the earlier sizing/pattern too.......

 

These early DPM parka's are very different from the later (Falkland's) issues...........the outer is made from a semi-synthetic fabric quite similar to that used currently on MTP outer clothing, etc........plus the top-pocket flaps are rectangular rather than pointed and the top-left one contains a pen-pocket like the earlier 50s and 60s green parkas..........other differences include the parka semi-lining in green nylon, and the hood having double-"Fixlok" cord adjusters rather than one as on later issues..........note too the studs on the hood to fit that neck/face piece..........

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110208[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110207[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110206[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110209[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110210[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110211[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110212[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110213[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110214[/ATTACH]

Sure thing WD, will do, it is hanging in the wardrobe I will put some photo's up when there is daylight. I think the liner is harder to find than the parka, and the throat piece is the first I have seen. I imagine that the few that existed were binned over the years. Size 2 seems to fit the 9 well, so can be considered a 180 or 190 in metric length. It is broadly as you would expect, brown piping, armpit vents, velcro fasteners as opposed to buttons.

And until now,here was me thinking I was the only person with one of these:nut::nut::nut::nut::nut::nut::nut::nut::nut::nut:.

You certainly don't see many. I have not seen any for sale. They are definitely a piece worth hanging onto. The build quality is cerainly superior to what ended up as the mass production model, and it is interesting to see what was "dropped" from this initial design. I really like it, but it is noticebly noisy compared to the cotton parka. It seems that all attempts to waterproof it were dropped, along with the throat piece and double cords, and pen pocket. The waterproof thing kind of makes sense, as there is little point having a half hearted attempt at adding waterproofing to some parts of a garment, but not all of it.

Here's my bargain of the year from 1978. The cloth shade is actually quite deep, but the condition is incredible. I wonder when they went from the 2 part to the 1 part label? I don't think it was at metric, as I am sure I have seen 1 part pre metric labels.

Sorry for the sideways photo, can't work out how to rotate it???

Here's my bargain of the year from 1978. The cloth shade is actually quite deep, but the condition is incredible. I wonder when they went from the 2 part to the 1 part label? I don't think it was at metric, as I am sure I have seen 1 part pre metric labels.

In fact here are the labels if I can fathom out how to attach a photo

[ATTACH=CONFIG]110175[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110176[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110177[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110178[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110179[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110180[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110181[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]110182[/ATTACH] I had a similar experience on Ebay only a few months ago now.......an early DPM para smock in really good condition and on a buy-it-now for an amazing price........metric size equivalent to the old Size 3, and although metric sized, H E Textiles made, mixed early dotted and non-dotted sateen fabric, cloth NZ zip and Newey- marked press studs........cuffs are original too............got it straight away and a real bargain......I reckon this is 1978-79 manufacture, no FFD pocket, etc.............final two images show my early Size 2 F Fryer para smock and although more faded than Harry's is from the same contract I believe in a really striking shade of DPM............everything original on this one too, including zip and cuffs, etc.........:-D

I would agree 1979 manufacture. Hard to find in decent shape!