Edward53

Bought from the USA. There seem to be a few of these about over here, but only in tiny sizes. This is a respectable 7 and a quarter, unissued condition, by good old J Compton Sons & Webb. The last picture is closest to the real-life colour.

You must have a better class of boot fair than we do! I have never, ever found any half-decent piece of combat kit at any of our local boot fairs :-(

Size 8 60 pattern trousers are designed for up to a 36 inch waist and have to be adjusted down using the tabs if you need them to be smaller. As regards length, they are designed to be quite loose anyway and to be used with gaiters or puttees, which would lose about 3 inches of leg length. So it sounds as if you do need a Size 5 but the only way to be absolutely sure is to try them on.

I'm doing the same, seems a lot easier and more affordable than OG, early windproofs, Denisons etc.... :thumbsup:

Interesting post, Robin. That DPM jacket now doubtless hangs neglected in the back of a wardrobe, occasionally seeing the light of day to walk the black labs in deepest Surrey! There's nothing ritzy about this one, and it's so unlike anything issue (that I know of) as to be presumably unacceptable for wear in service. It might be just a civilian jacket, but then you'd expect at least a size label (it's about medium). It didn't cost me much so it's not a big deal, but I'd like to know. Hopefully wdbikemad will be along to offer an assessment at some point.

A bit of digging led to this thread: http://hmvf.co.uk/forumvb/showthread.php?20762-1968-Pattern-Combat-Smock-Variants/page2 Mine has similarities to the smock in Post 18. "Well worn waxed jacket" is exactly how this one feels. Differences I can see are: Press studs not buttons, no FFD pocket, button cuffs not velcro, no reinforcing patches on arms, drawcords inside not out. Having had a really good look, I'm now sure this has never had a label. It's lined with good quality cotton drill / gaberdine, evidently a faded pale green. There's one inside patch pocket at top left, same height as in a 60 patt smock. The button colour is between 53 and 60 patt. Quality and finish are high. Might this be a factory sample for a contract that never went ahead?

Does anyone know what this is? It seems to be proofed gaberdine and feels halfway between waxed and ordinary cotton. The DPM is UK pattern. No sign that label or markings were ever present. Ring-style press studs and a heavy-duty brass zip. No hood button. The inner back buttons secure both the crotch flap and the poacher's pocket. Grateful for any observations!

Thanks gents for the appreciative remarks. Like Steve, I prefer absolute bargains :laugh:, but if I stuck to those I’d have a very small collection. The 60 patts were about what seems to be current market price, the windproofs perhaps a bit under, though they are so rare it's hard to set a value and the very few to appear on ebay have made wildly fluctuating sums. It would be nice now to find a green 63 patt, possibly even trousers, but judging from previous posts here that could be an uphill struggle.

Last one. This is not by any means mint, but in good sound condition with no damage, less faded than appears here, and the zip works. A strip of paper marked "21 SAS" was pinned inside with a safety pin that had rusted in and which I had to remove very carefully (had to do so as the smock was filthy and needed washing). It's now back in one of the pockets.

Another unissued pre-metric "SAS" windproof. Size 5 but otherwise identical to the Size 7 I posted a while ago.

A suit of 1960 pattern in DPM. Size 8 again, good very lightly used condition.

Hi All I've had a run of luck lately. I strongly suspect it's now run its course, but here's what's come out of it. First, a mint unissued suit of OG 1960 pattern (the trousers are under the jacket). Both Size 8, final version.

I thought my searches were pretty tight, but I never spotted that and I can't find it in completed items, so you must have searching honed down to a positively forensic standard. Are you quite sure you haven't bought a one-sixth Denison by mistake......? :-D

The bandwagon starts rolling... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321379748806?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

I just won this for a very acceptable £35 all in. There's no FFD pocket, it's in nice lightly-used condition and there is a superior-quality, sateeny feel to the fabric. Maker is James Smith of Derby, size is 170/96, studs and zip are Newey. The inside of the DPM is white, but what's odd about the colour scheme is that what would normally be tan is in fact very light green - the photo showing the label gives a pretty good idea of this. I really like this smock and suspect it's quite an early one. Any thoughts?

Here we go again: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111317660954?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Thanks for comments! My camera skills don't convey the newness and sheen of the 59 dated smock.

Finally... Am absolutely delighted with this, especially not having to pay what they have sometimes made on ebay. I'd been looking for one of these since acquiring the one that followed it, but didn't think one would turn up so soon. The label is present but completely washed out and the end of the zip is delicate, but I can live with that. The smock is in used but sound condition and seems an average size, perhaps a 3.

Not the Grail item (yet!), but possibly the one I like best of all. This J Mandelberg 1959 dated Size 8 1953 pattern smock is an absolute blinder in pristine, unissued condition. The quality of the material really comes across when you handle a piece in this condition. The seller knew these were scarce items and the prices weren't "car boot", but not exorbitant either. It seems strange that this smock has the earlier light green buttons, but the one from four years previously has the 1960-type dark green buttons. They seem original to it, and at least one pair of mint early trousers with the same buttons has been posted on here. Presumably the dark green buttons only made a gradual appearance?

I have a soft spot for the 1953 pattern Smock Sateen, which seems to be quite a rare beast compared with the number of 1960 patterns on the Net at any one time. This 1955 dated Size 7 by Silberston is used, but in pretty good order.

I was lucky enough to get offered some bits this weekend, including a Grail item. In ascending order of interest (IMO), here they are. Firstly a pair of OG trousers, well-used and missing a buckle, but sound, a good Size 8 and dated 1967.

Funny how things turn up in twos. This Size 1 is the earlier version, with an interesting label and - as stated elsewhere - the bottle-green velcro. This really is a quality garment, flexible as the day it was made and lighter than the first one (which can go as I don't need two; pm me if interested).

Not bad for a fiver:

Just been looking at my smocks as this got me wondering. The lining weave of my 55 and 62 dated smocks is in fine diagonal lines, whilst on my 66 dated one it's crosshatched like the weave of a handkerchief. The difference is only obvious if you look closely.

E1940, you wouldn't have seen this as it was a car boot deal! I did see a couple of 59 patterns on the stalls, one 1960 and absolutely mint except for pip holes, and another last pattern and very tired indeed, both at totally unrealistic prices. I expect there were bargains buried somewhere but it was just too vast to check every stall in detail.