Eaglehurst Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I am in the process of putting together the exact battledress a British soldier would have been wearing in the early 1970's. So far I have the 68 pattern jacket; trousers and hood, crap hat, smock liner, cold weather trousers, puttees, socks, pullover, shirt, 58 pattern belt etc.. The two items I am missing are lightweights and DMS boots. I am keen to get items authentic for the period so can anyone who has an example of the correct lightweights/boots please post a picture of the label/markings on them and I will know what to look for... I think the correct lightweights are post 'trousers overall green' but pre lightweights with only NATO sizing on them. Any help/advice much appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airportable Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Good morning. Again dont know how to link you to one of my started threads.'Re lightweight trouser' It was a pair I was told to buy by a friend as they were rare. (Pic. of them) On my thread see ferretfixer reply. Not sure on the more common type, think I still need a pair. DMS boots, once found markings stamped on the leather, roughly at ankle height. Hope of a little help, great that your collecting the kit. Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robin craig Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 The item you call a "crap hat", in what scenario or context are you thinking that was worn? R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob8066 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Take a look at the Forces 80 website will answer most of your questions. 'Crap hats' not worn i'm afraid. These are generally only worn in training before passing out. It would be unit beret & cap badge all the way. Hence the Para term 'hats'. You will need lightweights with the leg pocket, later ones have no leg pocket, your welcome to iron the creases in these each time you wear them! These again are becoming rare as no longer issued. DMS boots with puttees. A rare item now as the WW2 reenactors snap them up, but you can find them occassionally. You've done well if you've found original 68 pattern smock & particularly the trousers to fit you. No good at links i'm afraid- if I can help more please pm me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglehurst Posted January 24, 2011 Author Share Posted January 24, 2011 Take a look at the Forces 80 website will answer most of your questions. 'Crap hats' not worn i'm afraid. These are generally only worn in training before passing out. It would be unit beret & cap badge all the way. Hence the Para term 'hats'. You will need lightweights with the leg pocket, later ones have no leg pocket, your welcome to iron the creases in these each time you wear them! These again are becoming rare as no longer issued. DMS boots with puttees. A rare item now as the WW2 reenactors snap them up, but you can find them occassionally. You've done well if you've found original 68 pattern smock & particularly the trousers to fit you. No good at links i'm afraid- if I can help more please pm me Thanks for that - I have my old LI beret and badge standing in for headgear although the crap hat is there for completeness. I looked at the Forces80 site and that is why I think I need lightweights that have both a SIZE sizing and NATO sizing. Would be useful to see a pic of a label from someone who was issued with some from that era to make sure I get the right version. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob8066 Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 I personally like the 'crap hat' more practical than a beret- peak to keep the sun out of the eyes. Berets are ok but your always wearing a unit badge you may not have served with and can get 'awkward' sometimes with the 'ex' wannabes & the like. As for the trouser labels you really are going deep, bit like the 'stitch nazi's'. Ok for a collection to put in a drawer, but you may have to settle for what you can find, as long as it has a leg pocket. Lightweights are becoming rare as they are no longer issued but still a requirement for P company & Marines. Also depends on waist size as well. The fatter you get the harder to find anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue red blue Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 crap hats were still worn on exercise at battalion level, espically in germany as we didnt want the russkies to see what cap badges we were wearing, so that they would know what regiments were where(like they didnt know anyway:-D) and saber sales still has mountains of 68 pattern stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer nut Posted January 24, 2011 Share Posted January 24, 2011 Hi If you are doing early 1970's you proberly want the "Trousers, Men's, Overalls", these are identical to lightweights except that they have a button up front and the pocket flaps have rounded corners. The next evolution are the "Trousers, Men's, Lightweight" label will say Size 1 etc. These are the most common ones with the map pocket on the left leg and squared off pocket flaps. If the label says Nato sizing in them they are the 80's variant, the difference as far as I can tell is that the pocket stitching on the hip is 1" furthur towards the hips but that may be just a production thing. The last type which were introduced proberly between 1995 and 2000 have no map pocket, so do not buy these. Crap hats, I have numerous books with reference pictures in, showing troops wearing them in the field. perhaps by the late 1970's early 1980's troops prefered not to wear them. Webbing proberly wants to be 1958 WE Mk 1 for the early 1970's. Main visual difference will be lack of the two little straps on the yolk where the large pack straps pass through plus the water bottle is green and the pouch has a twist fitting instead of a strap to keep it closed. See the webbing book that is on the market. Jumper should also more that likely be the 68 pattern jumper that does not have any epaulets. hope that helps Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer nut Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 If its realy early 1970's you can wear gaiters, blanco'd black Ta Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlienFTM Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Any help/advice much appreciated! Bear in mind that everything was always in short demand. You would never ever see 100% uniformity of kit (and that's before squaddy stamps his own individuality on his kit). So for example you'd see guys wearing OG trousers instead of lightweights. Like another poster says, see previous threads on lightweights. If the kit was on issue, somebody would be wearing it. If there was old kit and new kit, the sweats would jealously cling onto the old kit regardless of how much better the new kit might or might not be. New DPM was boil washed until it didn't look like you were fresh out of the factory (okay off-topic when we are talking about lightweights). In NI we had industrial washing machines and driers with the coin-op deactivated. Come off stag, throw kit in boil wash (NEVER woolly pully: it'd have fitted an Action Man afterward) for two hours, throw in the drier for two hours, ready to put back on, still hot ready for the next stag. Simple. If the kit wasn't available and it wasn't a parade, we wore anything we could that looked right. See Army Rumour Service thread about NI Urban Patrol Boots to see how much variation there was even within issued kit. You'll see examples of "it definitely had a seam across the toe" and "it definitely didn't have a seam across the toe" in consecutive posts. And both were true. http://www.arrse.co.uk/old-bold/155199-ni-urban-patrol-boots.html They were hard times, yer knar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airportable Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 This is the pair of OG trouser that AlienFTM and myself have mentioned in that 'lightweight trouser' thread. (No label in them sadly) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer nut Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hey andy thats because they are not lightweights they are tropicals. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airportable Posted January 25, 2011 Share Posted January 25, 2011 Hey andy thats because they are not lightweights they are tropicals.Jon Hi Jon. Thanks, you have cleared up the question I asked in that thread, 'what are they'? One post did touch on tropicals though.Andy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaw Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 (edited) Re lightweights, some units only wore them in barracks, parades etc and preferred the OGs with cross over belt fastening and button fly (as mentioned in previous missive above) as they didn't melt in a riot situation in NI (my old mob, Para Regt for instance we were still wearing them in late 70s early 80s) and the OGs with Dennison smock looked more 'ally' (pukka and better or warry looking) as did the purchasing of a victors (of Aldershot) beret instead of that hideous issue one. What size are you as might have some lightweights up in loft you can have (although on my clothing issue sheet I still have them on issue along with black sandshoes, green wooly gloves, green Y fronts and vests etc lol) Gary Edited January 30, 2011 by gazzaw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglehurst Posted January 30, 2011 Author Share Posted January 30, 2011 What size are you as might have some lightweights up in loft you can have (although on my clothing issue sheet I still have them on issue along with black sandshoes, green wooly gloves, green Y fronts and vests etc lol) Gary Thanks Gary much appreciated.....my size is 36waist 32 inseam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazzaw Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 will get back once I have a look Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 vast stocks of the correct type of DMS and NI Boots, also lightweights with side pocket available from 'Sabresales' of Portsmouth, Hampshire, U.K.... for best results, google if not local, phone and ask to speak to 'Nick' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglehurst Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 Thanks Oily - already spoken to Nick and he was very helpful....would love to take a look in their shop at some point as it sounds like an real 'Aladdins cave'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oily Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 oh it is, believe me! I got lost in there once! for at least 3/4 hr!... what he hasn't got, clothing-wise is probably not worth having.... one 'room' is devoted almost entirely to 'webbing, '37 pattern'...... almost every part available, ever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer nut Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Airportable Your trops may well be 1950 pattern Bush trousers. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airportable Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Airportable Your trops may well be 1950 pattern Bush trousers. Jon Thanks Jon, know I've got at least one other pair. Can I find them for label detail.:embarrassed:Yet again the trader had several of this type on a rail, Never got His details but came from Shrewsbury, only did local markets. Even had the earlyer wooly pullys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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