Paddy1

If you go to the Pathe News site and put Alvis Stalwart in the search box, there's a couple of films of the early prototype under test. http://www.britishpathe.com/

I always thought these hats were pretty smart. But then I'm biased because the bird I've been married to for 41 years was wearing one at RAF Abingdon when we met in 1969. Managed to buy one off Ebay a couple of years ago. My grandkids call it the Thunderbirds hat.

I wore my old cotton one for years after I got demobbed when I was driving for a living. It was identical except for the attached belt. Really comfortable. Then for some unaccountable reason it gradually became two sizes too small. The 'batchelor buttons' were a godsend when it had to be washed.

Tinweasle, just PM'd you.

This clip appeared in the Channel 4 "Classic Trucks" series, and I imagine was filmed for it. The series was shown in 1995 and is long overdue a repeat, along with "Classic Plant." Both were released on video in 1999 but I've not been able to find them for sale in DVD.

I have a vague recollection of these being a starred item. Only because our adjutant lost his on an exercise - well not so much lost as nicked by some passing squaddie - and there was a big fuss.. There was a search for it but it was never found and he was furious at having to pay. I remember them having a smell all their own too. Pretty warm though.

I never encountered the Frame, Manpack whilst I was in the army and came across this one in our local Army&Navy – now sadly gone – in 1974. I was looking for a frame rucksack for a walking camping tour I was going on but, unlike today, they were really expensive then. Then I spotted this. I knew I could easily strap a 58 patt pack and kidney pouches to it and, brand new at two quid, it was very cheap. It worked perfectly. It was as light as a feather, and the strap arrangement kept the load clear of your body and allowed a free passage of air across your back. The head strap proved to be very useful on steeper ascents, where it was necessary to lean forward. My neighbour, an old Korean War hand from the Kings recognised it right away. The frames first appeared there with the American forces, who issued them to their own troops and also to the Korean porters they employed. They proved invaluable for transporting rations, water and ammunition up the long steep tracks to the company positions on the hills. The frame even had a little shelf, now lost, which could be moved onto any of the rungs, allowing loads of varying sizes and weights to be positioned exactly, where they were then strapped into place. The British quickly realized their value and ordered a quantity for our troops, often utilizing them for radio packs as well. This one even had a little British army booklet with it, now sadly lost, which had diagrams of how to set the load and strap it in place. An excellent idea and still in use in many armies worldwide. I’ve never seen another and wonder if anyone else ever came across them?

I remember those infamous shorts Gary. And being forbidden to roll them up in any way. Ditto the KF shirt, which you couldn't make any attempt to get to fit properly.The whole point being to make you look as ridiculous as possible while you were a sprog. I have a picture of me in depot 1966 with my locker in the background and you can just see my two pairs of striped pyjamas, squared off 12x12. I never once saw anyone wearing them - all that re-ironing - and mine finished up under a bumper on a bull night eventually. The MOD must have had warehouses full of this stuff that from the 40s and 50s they were determined to get through before redesigning anything.

Sorry Bazz, the bits I had left were carted off to Kent by my grandkids where, to my amazement it's all treated like the Dead Sea Scrolls now. The only thing I have left is my best shining brush from my polishing kit. The holdall is a green rubberised one with a long strap and a short one to go round your waist out in the field. On an FFR inspection, the holdall had to carry shaving soap and and brush, ordinary soap, one of those five shilling Gillette razors with spare blades, toothbrush and paste, KFS and hussif.

Powdered tea? Christ I'd definitely be taking the redundancy. The compo tea was always nice and strong. The sight of a rich red brew being stirred up in a big dixie on a cold exercise always perked me up. A mug of that dished out with a corned dog sandwich, a couple of Woodbines and things always looked better.

A lot of the bog paper was used in the sinks years ago because there were never any plugs. Izal was best for this because it was tougher than tissue. My brother was a national serviceman in 1956 and the plugs were missing everywhere then. My little green holdall turned up in my father's attic a couple of years ago. In it were my shaving kit, hussif, diggers, a steel mirror - and my personal plug. I couldn't speak for laughing when I saw it. On the subject of the rations the army got right I'll say two words: oatmeal blocks. At endex, I was always on the lookout for stray tins. Don't know if they still have them now.

Alright then. How about Worst Meal You Were Ever Given. Leaving those sodding pilchards aside ( they were always there but I can never remember anyone taking any) here's my contribution: a boiled potato on a piece of dry toast.

The KF shirts were definitely the worst for me. Mine, issued in 1965, were made in Belfast in 1942 according to the label. They must have had bales of them left over from the war. Being pretty skinny, they just hung on me like a sack. The cheap black PT plimsolls weren't up to much either. You could feel every little stone when you were running. When you think of the science that goes into designing running shoes now and compare. The most puzzling thing was the pimples on the boots, both ammo and DMS. If the army required the leather flat then why didn't they just order it that way? Save all the messing about with candles and spoons. One thing I was sorry to have to give back was my greatcoat, in 1972. In return we got a skimpy little green quilted thing, like you see now being worn by horsey people. I think it was officially a liner for your combat jacket.

I'm enjoying this blog. I rebuilt a series 2 about ten years ago but it didn't look as tidy as this one is shaping up. I drove a lot of airportables in the army and I thought they were fantastic to handle. I spent a bit of time in Bulford garrison, which features a pretty sharp bend and barely a week went past without seeing one being put back on it's feet there by the REME, after some squaddy had rolled it going too fast.

Spotted this Saracen on another site. Needs a bit of fettling but not too bad. http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=58544

Yes, I've seen pictures somewhere along the way of blokes wearing them during the Korean War. I think the British issue parka, with the wired hood, was designed for sevice there too. They were still around during my time but as rare as rocking horse sh1t. Just on the subject of cold weather issue, does anyone remember "cobbly wobbly" boots? Boots.C.W.W or Cold.Wet.Weather. were designed for Korea too I believe but the Chinese very inconveniently called it a draw before they could be issued. They were horrible things, made especially two sizes bigger to accomodate thick socks, so if you took a nine you got a pair of elevens! They were also much lower than ammo or DMS boots and very unpopular because walking through a puddle would see the water come over the top. There were bales of the things in the Army&Navy stores in the 60s for ten shillings a pair. They couldn't give them away. The last pair I saw was in the late 60s on a bloke in Tidworth who took size fourteens and they were all that would fit him!

Yes, that's the one. As I mentioned, I saw only very few blokes with them so I don't know if there were any regiments who got a proper issue. The only picture I can find with anyone wearing one is on the photo gallery of the Glosters' site. I thought they were quite smart and practical for exercises compared to a beret, and the fold down flaps would have kept the wind out of your ears in BAOR. But when did the Army ever put practicality before tradition?

I remember a fairly rare issue in the mid 60s of a peaked hat to match the old green combat suit and made of the same material. It was very like the German wartime issue with a stiff peak. I don't know whether or not they were issued on trial as I never saw many blokes wearing them and eventually they disappeared. Doubtless most RSMs hated them - the usual method by which many trialled clothing items went west. When our mob were issued with the DPM kit, which I never clapped eyes on till about 1970, the peaked cap that came with it was regarded as a definite no-no. The sleeves of the jacket were usually too long as well but naturally, turning back the cuffs was forbidden.

There's a bin lorry buried under what used to be Smithdown Lane Corporation yard in Edgehill, Liverpool. The yard had unkowingly been built over the labyrinth of tunnels excavated there in the early 19C. One day in the 60s apparently, the crew had just parked the truck up and walked away from it when there was a whooshing noise and it disappeared through the tarmac and fell about fifty feet into one of the old galleries. It looked to be pretty badly damaged and not worth the expense of recovery so the hole was just filled in over it. As the tunnels are still being excavated, I expect it'll appear on Ebay in due course. http://www.williamsontunnels.co.uk/

Hat off to you Spood. My favourite military vehicle. Look forward to pics of the finished item.

Though not strictly a scrapyard, this public park in Russia has quite a bit of wrecked armour lying about. http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2011/02/02/war-museum-the-closest-to-reality/#more-34866'>http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2011/02/02/war-museum-the-closest-to-reality/#more-34866'>http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2011/02/02/war-museum-the-closest-to-reality/#more-34866 Russia routinely destroys surplus tanks when they become too outdated. This can involve thousands of tanks each year, slowly dissembled by conscripts, depite the fact that they may have just a dozen miles on the clock. http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2009/07/01/the-expired-tanks/#more-3050 The rest of the site is well worth a look through. http://englishrussia.com/

No, it's still quite substantial, even though it's not as stiff as a belt from a webbing set. Most of the civvy-owned pistols I saw in the army were small calibre, much lighter than 9mm issue ones, and weren't worn for long periods. I think the belt would have been perfect for that, with a couple of magazines in the pouch.

Hi Sparky and Lee Enfield: John from www.karkeeweb.com very kindly responded to my enquiry regarding the belt but could not find anything that matched it. He thought the light webbing belt itself of is of a type used for cadet equipment many years ago, which probably originally used the snake-type buckle that disappeared after WW1. Somewhere along the way, it's been married to a Mills pattern brass buckle and the small pouch. He doubts that it was ever official issue and thinks it may have been just made up from odd parts. So there we have it. I remember several officers and soldiers during my service, who were members of civilian shooting clubs and owned their own pistols, which were kept in the unit armoury. Some of them also used non-issue holsters for shooting and I think the belt may have been made up for just that purpose.

Thanks Sparky. No, the belt is standard army khaki colour, doesn't appear to be designed to be blancoed or anything. I think it would be too flexible to keep any on. It's unusual to put something on for identification - and I've tried a few other sites - and nobody can place it. Luckily enough I stumbled onto www.karkeeweb.com last night and have been in touch with the webmaster with some better pictures. If he is able to turn anything up I'll post a follow up.