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No 53 dated hoods would have appeared in DPM......the pattern wasn't developed until the 60s......possibly 63 at the earliest.........

 

Any 60 pattern DPM hoods made would date between 69 and 71........would definitely have a NSN at this point....and if 60 pattern smocks and trousers are anything to go by, any hood produced would have a unique NSN.........

To add insult to injury, I found this about 2-3 years ago now at Beltring......it was on a rail at the "junk stall" end of the militaria pitches...........£10........ !!!!!....subsequently put away and forgotten about.....:red:

All items shown available from Silvermans at a very reasonable £15 per item........:-D

It's fair to say that the DPM para smock was pretty much obsolete as a field garment once CS95 came in........

 

Probably still okay though, for wear around barracks........and an MTP version would compliment the new range of army clothing.......will an official para smock appear...?

Seems the DPM 60 pattern clothing is also undergoing water-resistant tests here (1969).........rather interestingly, is the presence of the hood on the smocks !!!! It is not thought that any production 60 (52 pattern) hoods were made in DPM......perhaps they were........!!! Need to examine a 69-72 NSN QM list to see if a DPM hood is specified......any help out there ?

 

The test also seems to show a new boot undergoing trials..........I bet that these tests were conducted at either the APRE at Farnborough, or SCRDE at Colchester......??

I hope I've not overdone it......but after so long of posting words and no images I thought I'd (finally) share some views of some bits in the stash for the benefit of fellow enthusiasts. I hope you find them useful and of interest ! This is only a fraction of the collection......more to come when I next get the time....! :-D

By the time most of the 60 pattern kit came into use (from 61 onwards on a maintenance basis) the usual dress beneath was KF shirt and pully (the older type with draw-cord neck)...........battledress was phased out from around 1962 onwards for most, although TA and some other units retained a set for a fair few years after........

 

Note the maker "Manclark" on the trousers......another new one on me ! Dated 61, these are likely to be some of the first 60 pattern production.......

Just found a rather nice Size 2 early DPM para smock in great condition, dating from 77 to about 81.......made by (again) H E Textiles !!!! NZ zipper and Newey press-fasteners......

Interesting pair (at the top) of Size 8 1952 pattern OD sateen combat trousers......unlined and with the button-flap over the fly......interestingly, these trousers have a very light brown over-painted cammo pattern....!

Label at the bottom is from a similar pair of trousers, almost identical but of 1953 pattern and now not featuring the button flap over the fly......

Selection of some of my early 58 webbing ammo pouches, L & R sides......front and reverse views........the two on the right of each image are the first issue with the metal inserts in the pouch flaps.......MECO made, dated 1959.........:-D

Unearthed a rather nice Mint very early (mid-late 70s) DPM SAS-type windproof smock in a very good size 3.........early production by H E Textiles (low contract number)........lovely colour.....

A rather nice 77 pattern DPM sniper smock by good ol' H E Textiles that I unearthed at the farm today.......NOS !!! Enjoy !!!! - That's enough for tonight....more images tomorrow of some nice finds......:-)

A rather nice NOS 60 pattern DPM smock I unearthed today......the rarer of the two makers for this pattern (Cooksons)......

Found this beauty I'd forgotten about.....Size 2 Denison, MINT, by H E Textiles Ltd....:-D

Trials contract CS95 DPM Field Jacket and hood made by Remploy - manufacturers working pattern (sealed).......a real rarity.....

Rare CS95 DPM Trials Clothing (pre 94) in MINT condition - in this case the lightweight shirt/jacket and the trousers. Note the red SCRDE labels....SCRDE became DCTA in April 94 so made before this date.........note the jacket lacks the zipper fitted to production garments plus has sewn-on buttons rather than the later tape-affixed slotted variety......as for the trousers, much the same except that they do have the slotted buttons on the leg pockets......the last image shows a NOS example of the later-issue CS95 trousers for comparison......:-D Note also, the Guards TRF flash attached to the trials garment.....and the fact that each trial garment was individually serial-numbered......also, all trial garments made by Remploy......

Some images of the unusual and rare "Beaufort" manufactured CS95 pattern DPM aircrew combat gear....in this case the lightweight shirt/jacket and trousers in a very stiff "waxy" ripstop (fire-retardant?).......there is also a field jacket plus heavier-weight trousers to complete the ensemble.........the jacket and trouser pockets also feature velcro fastening under the flaps to prevent loss of objects.........rare items, obtained from "Surplus and Outdoors".......I've also included a photo of some of the original packaging and label.....:-D

Some images I've done today of the rare trials 58 webbing made in nylon....kidney pouches, L & R ammo pouches, yoke (with close-up of markings) and belt........all dated 1977.....still seeking waterbottle pouch and poncho roll..... Enjoy !!!!

The green/white reversible nylon waterproof combat smock and trousers were introduced well before the Falklands war.....around 1976-77 as part of the new arctic combat clothing including the DPM windpoofs and quilted liners......

 

Photographic evidence does show the green/white reversibles in use during the conflict, alongside the arctic windproofs and liners..........it seems that the bulk of such issues went to the Paras and Marines........5 Brigade, including the Guards and Gurkhas, appear not to have been so lucky, ending up with DPM parkas, some quilted trousers, and an assortment of nylon waterproofs ranging from the green RAF foul weather suit, DPM NI-type crisp-packets and nylon ponchos........

 

I would imagine that stores depots such as Bicester, etc, held stocks of arctic clothing that was "priority" demanded (eg - available within days).....as were stocks of arctic clothing in Naval stores for Marines, etc, who had regular northern NATO deployments where such kit was required..........but all of this was clearly limited as there were not sufficient stocks to equip all troops........

I well-remember those black-on-green RAF Police slip-on titles........they were trialed during the early 80s due to RAF plod spending most of their time in DPM the same as the RAF Regt.........

 

Unfortunately, the latter were non-too-impressed at what they saw as an "invasion" of their preserve in the form of green titles...........

 

Odd that nearly 30 years later these slip-on slides are now the norm for everyone.......

Next time any of these appear on Ebay,either this type or the earlier labelled type can someone please point them out to me as I still stand by what i said in a previous post that I have never seen any on Ebay before in 10 years or so and I regularly scour Ebay so dont know how I have missed them:red::red:

 

I think the difficulty often arises from items being poorly described, so you can miss them when doing a search.......I have a limited number of "fixed" searches that I regularly do, but other than spending hours trawling through everything (that I don't have time to do) it is often a case of pot-luck in finding the item you seek........

Steve - can you post some pics? Would be good to see label details...

 

I will organise this in the next day or so Jason......:-D

Please excuse my ignorance as im not really into 90s gear as such but i thought that all CS95 gear was Rip-Stop?

 

The field jacket (smock) and detachable hood was rip-stop from trial and on into production......everything else was poly-cotton or Goretex.....but it seems that both trousers and the lightweight shirt/jacket were, for a limited time, also made in a ripstop fabric.......genuine issue items are damn hard to find, but a have recently found a well-used pair of trousers and saw (but missed out) on the matching lightweight shirt/jacket in Ebay.....

 

My forthcoming book will stop at CS95.......

I recently managed to find a well-used issue pair of CS95 trousers in rip-stop fabric.....proving their existence.....I think these date from the late-90s when issued on a limited scale to see if suitable for service.......

 

I have also noted a lightweight CS95 shirt/jacket for sale in rip-stop DPM fabric.........anyone know anything more about these...? The only rip-stop CS95 pattern shirt I've previously seen being the "Beaufort" aircrew issue.......

Did anyone else go? Any "finds" ??.......I promise I didn't pick up anything other than what I recently posted !!! I am really now concentrating ONLY on what I need for the book...........(unless a fiver......:red:)