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Lesser-known '68 Pattern DPM Smock & Trouser Manufacturers


wdbikemad

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Main producers of smocks and trousers in '68 and later patterns were:-

 

James Smith & Co Ltd

Cookson & Clegg Ltd

Compton Webb Ltd

Supercraft Garments Ltd

H Lotery & Co Ltd

H E Textiles Ltd

 

But others can be found. These include:-

 

Dashmore Clothing Ltd

Clayton St Mill

Wm Brownlee Ltd

Beaver of Bolton

E Walters Ltd

F Fryer & Co Ltd

Jeltek Weatherguard

Bernard Uniforms Ltd

 

Etc. There a a fair few others too !

Edited by wdbikemad
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  • 4 months later...

Just going through to-days finds from the Northern Expo. Friend spotted a 68ptn. smock, very worn, some replaced buttons. Unusual because of the colours of DPM. At £3 worth it for intrest. Turns out made by Jeltek Weatherguard Ltd. If my camera does justice to the colours will post pics. if intrested.

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Jeltek is a nice find.......as the full name suggests, primarily a manufacturer of waterproof clothing and prominent within the MoD of the 1980s........they made the blue waterproofs issued to RAF Police & Air Cadets amongst other items.....

 

Sadly, long now out of business as with many of the former combat clothing manufacturers.....

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Agree that if you include 68 AND LATER you see all of these makers however for 68 pattern the list is shorter and closer to the 7 that Dave mentions.

 

One to add is 'C W Son'. I particualrly like their gear as they also include a date on the label which is unusual for 68 gear (or anything with an NSN actually). I have a pair of 68 patt trousers made by them dated 1971.

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I've also got a pair of early 68 strides marked "CW Ltd".........guaranteed early 68 pattern clothing manufacturers are F Fryer, H Lotery, CW and Clayton St.Mill....but also Beaver, some James Smith, Cookson and H E Textiles.........all the others came in a little bit later in the 70s......

 

The list I suspect is not exhaustive......:-\

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  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Post-77 manufacture......colours, fabric (cotton-modal) and nylon-backed zipper confirm this......plus Jeltek did not appear to manufacture DPM gear until the very late 70s/early 80s..........my own guesstimate would be about 1980-82 for this smock......

 

Interesting match of colours....not common, but this did occur within volume garment manufacture.....

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  • 2 months later...

Acquired this recently. Superb example of a 68 pattern smock by uncommon manufacturer Wm Brownlee. The interesting point about this smock is that it illustrated the danger of assuming date and pattern from the actual material pattern. This carries the later 8415 designation of the 68 pattern line so it is likely very late 70's or more likely early 80's manufacture however the material is the classic older lighter colours with the dots around the black etc. In fact the material is an excellent match for a 1971 dated CW Son smock I have.

 

I think it has already been said (Wdbike and Scotchharry) but the lesser known manufacturers with a small output of smocks probably spent a long time using up thier stocks of material! Lesson - material pattern does not automatically equal uniform pattern/date!

 

PS: Panzernut also did quite a nice comparison of where late 68 pattern was a dead ringer for 84/85 pattern issue illustrating the opposite problem!

 

IMG_2174.jpg

IMG_2173.jpg

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Lovely example Jason, of one of the smaller manufacturers garments.........these were uncommon......only one guy in my old unit had a "Brownlee" made smock and since then I've only ever come across the odd pair of trousers by this company.....

 

"E Walters (Ludlow)" were another small-volume producer of later DPM 68-type garments, but again I've only seen trousers....."Dashmoor Clothing" are similar......

 

"Beaver of Bolton" are another....but generally of early 70s smocks........

 

Slightly more common from the same period are "Clayton St.Mill", "Norsel Textiles" and "F Fryer"........but few beat the volume of "James Smith" and "Cookson & Clegg" garments encountered today......:-)

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Nice Harry !! Late (post 77) production by one of the smaller manufacturers and in one of the nicest "light" variations of DPM print with the "dots" and the very light khaki base colour, harking in some ways back to the original DPM prints of the early 70s..........I suspect all these items actually date in manufacture from around 1980-81...?

 

Similar print could be found on some James Smith-manufactured smocks of the same era........delightful, and brings back memories of my time in the mob during the early 80s......:D It seems that even then I was "spotting" kit........:laugh:

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  • 6 months later...
And another lesser known manufacturer...super condition and decent size:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69661[/ATTACH]

 

Nice smock. I obtained a size 5 Beavers of Bolton which I posted on here a little while ago.Then blow me a couple of weeks later I came across another by this manafacturer also size 5 in good condition,and just had to buy it ( for a tenner:laugh:).My wife thinks I,m mad,and shes probably right.lol.

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Nice smock. I obtained a size 5 Beavers of Bolton which I posted on here a little while ago.Then blow me a couple of weeks later I came across another by this manafacturer also size 5 in good condition,and just had to buy it ( for a tenner:laugh:).My wife thinks I,m mad,and shes probably right.lol.

 

Best not to show the wife...mine is now numb to the whole milsurp malarky! She has, in fact, gotten quite good at opening the mail and describing the recently arrived items when I am away travelling...

 

I remember your post of the size 5 smock you mention...two size 5s in good nick for £15 is a steal.

 

From what I can tell - Beaver of Bolton only had one contract run of 68 smocks. I have never seen trousers by this manufacturer.

Edited by Eaglehurst
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I have a couple of "Beaver" smocks, all early manufacture.........seemingly, the company name is still trading today (along with "Windsmoor" of 60 pattern suit manufacture) although both are no doubt today simply a "name" rather than the original manufacturing concern.........

 

I think there were probably fewer manufacturers of 68 pattern gear than there were of the earlier 1950's Korean-era garments.......I am hoping to put a list together of all known manufacturers of the various patterns in the book.........

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Best not to show the wife...mine is now numb to the whole milsurp malarky! She has, in fact, gotten quite good at opening the mail and describing the recently arrived items when I am away travelling...

 

I remember your post of the size 5 smock you mention...two size 5s in good nick for £15 is a steal.

 

From what I can tell - Beaver of Bolton only had one contract run of 68 smocks. I have never seen trousers by this manufacturer.

 

Nope, nor me, though I,m pretty sure I have a hood stashed away with some others that was Beavers, I,ll have to check some rainy afternoon.( which is probably quite soon).

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I have a couple of "Beaver" smocks, all early manufacture.........seemingly, the company name is still trading today (along with "Windsmoor" of 60 pattern suit manufacture) although both are no doubt today simply a "name" rather than the original manufacturing concern.........

 

I think there were probably fewer manufacturers of 68 pattern gear than there were of the earlier 1950's Korean-era garments.......I am hoping to put a list together of all known manufacturers of the various patterns in the book.........

 

I remember not too long ago seeing an outdoor civilian field or shooting jacket on e- bay that was described as made by Beavers of Bolton,bought as new but too large,hence sale. So as you say it seems ( unlike lots of other mod contractors) they are still going in some form,albeit probably not the original concern.

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  • 3 months later...
  • 4 months later...
No idea why as am already drowning in 68 Patt smocks but just bought another,this time a Jeltek,different to all my others in that it has a nylon? backed zip.

 

LOL! Ditto....picked up a NOS example recently with, as you say, the nylon backed zip....

 

IMG_4836.jpg

IMG_4833.jpg

IMG_4834.jpg

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