Eaglehurst

Some pictures of an early DPM para smock with the old sizing. NZ zip but no newey studs and different manufacturer. Doesn't feel anywhere near as well manufactured as the H E Textiles smock!

Was going to claim it was my photography skills Jon but you have me sussed! A few hours with a sewing machine and a few minutes on photoshop was all it took....

The wife would disagree Dave!! Seriously though this one caught my eye as I was looking for a slightly later version ie with FFD etc..but still with makers name on label.

I have another in old sizing 3 (same size as this one) and the chap I bought it off told me he was issued with it in late 1979 for an NI tour. That was an F Fryer manufacture but with all the same details at this smock. In short I agree that this could have been a c1980/81 model...

This must be right from the changeover of old sizing to metric as it carries all of the original DPM Para smock details - Newey studs; NZ zip in lighter green; no FFD pocket on right arm and the lighter coloured older DPM. In really nice condition with only a tiny bit of fraying on the cuffs....and from one of my favoured manufacturers: HE Textiles.

Sywell museum Northants? Few nice pieces there and I am sure they would appreciate these bits... http://www.sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum.php 'The Museum is always pleased to receive details of crash sites or accept the donation of artefacts or items on loan - please contact us if you have something of interest. We're particularly interested in expanding our aviation book archive and any spare mannequins/dummies, aviation or wartime artefacts, models etc. '

Agree but by that point I have lost the will to live:D

There have been a few uniform threads recently alluding to finds at car boot sales/surplus shops etc. so I thought it would be interesting to kick off a thread: - What was your best/rarest find at a car boot sale/surplus shop or similar and what did you pay for the item?

Thanks Mark. They do come up for sale (mainly Ebay) from time to time but what they sell for is anybody's guess! One went a few weeks ago, a mint condition size 6, for £130+ iirc. The best thing to do, although I hate them:D, is car boot sales. A contact told me recently about picking up an older pattern, good sized SAS dpm windproof in great condition for £1! Of course I immediately told him what a s*** he was!

Picked this up a little while ago. Nice used condition complete apart from lower cord and a small tear in the back that needed repairing. The decent size was what got me interested! I really do like the colours of the 60 Patt DPM...

If you can - post a few photos...

I have to say this is an intriguing item! I wrote to the fella and asked if it had any labels. He replied that it did not and had come to him in large consignment of 68 smocks he had purchased. He commented that this was the only one in olive so did some research, hence the item description. It certainly looks real but I would have expected at least some labelling. I also agree with you Steve that it is entirely possible that trials 68 patt would have been in olive sateen rather than dpm...and this squares up with the use of odd materials ie tropical buttons....just cannot get the concern out of my head though that it is a copy made in the Far East somewhere!! I would also have made the point that I have never seen or heard of trials 68 patt but then up until about a month ago I had not seen Olive 63 Patterns and 63 Patt DPM trousers either:)

Clive - that looks very much like a 'Suit, Tank Temperate' to me....

Denisons, especially wartime examples, are going for crazy money these days....there are a couple on Ebay currently iirc for c. £500 - £700. Even a reasonable 59 Pattern will fetch £100+. An they are not even that scarce... Still on my list though are: - 63 Pattern olive smock and trousers - 63 pattern dpm trousers - 60 Pattern DPm smock size 9 Beyond that it is more opportunist purchases...ie 68 Pattern gear from obscure makers:)

I really need to get down there at some point! My fear is that I would be there for a week and served divorce papers when I returned!!:-D

Later 68 can be very diffcult to distinguish from 85...I thought 85 pattern (or whatever it should be referred to ) initially....

Early 68 Pattern and later 68 Pattern!

And another eye-watering sale on Ebay:shocked:! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190563382628 Again - good condition and good size....but still!!

Thanks Steve. I am more intrigued than anything else as it is in absolutely superb condition. (BTW - I am guessing you may have been rather busy over the past few days as the pride of Britain runs rampant through our streets....!)

Picked this up recently. Any help in identifying would be appreciated....

Still not as bad as trying to get an arctic bag rolled up and into its stuff sack - always in a hurry and always with cold hands!

Thanks Tony - I'll give it a try.

Purchased a 58 Pattern bag recently - long length and in great condition. Only issue is the waterproof base has clearly been exposed to too much heat and coating has gone streaky and very sticky. Before I start using all manner of household cleaning chemicals to try to get rid I wondered if anyone had had any experience of this problem and any success in solving it...?

Ahhh... 'Readers Digest'.... excellent!

Same old reason I think Dave....£££ :undecided: