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Housewife .....are they still issued?


Mike C

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I bet there is a warehouse full of war stock and civil defence items 'just in case' that are ready to be issued at short notice. One depot a couple of years ago found 08 pattern webbing tucked away in an old outbuilding. It makes you wonder what is lying about across the MOD estates that have been forgotten etc.

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I bet there is a warehouse full of war stock and civil defence items 'just in case' that are ready to be issued at short notice. One depot a couple of years ago found 08 pattern webbing tucked away in an old outbuilding. It makes you wonder what is lying about across the MOD estates that have been forgotten etc.

 

This was the case up to the early 1990's......but when the MoD supply system became "Agency-fied" space and stock became a cost-driven issue hence tons of stuff stored for years "just in case" was either sold off or binned.....

 

I remember tons of MK 4 & 5 tin hats, DR breeches, 37 webbing, leather jerkins, etc, all suddenly appearing on the market as NOS.........

 

The odd corner of some long-established clothing & vehicle stores may still hold a few odds and sods, but sadly, the bulk of old gear has now gone.........:-(

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The RN were still issuing Housewifes, normally pronunoced 'Husswuf' in the 1970's. Any ship carries limited stores so you were expected to do repairs. In fact a RN afternoon off was reffered to as 'Make and Mend'.

 

Served in the RN late 70s through the 80s was never issued or can ever remember seeing any kind of housewife

 

Dan

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Served in the RN late 70s through the 80s was never issued or can ever remember seeing any kind of housewife

 

Dan

 

I well remember my RAF plod scale of issue at RAF Newton in the very early 1980's....this supplemented the normal RAF clothing & kit issued at Swinderby for recruits.....

 

2 x 68 pattern DPM combat suits....a DPM combat cap (never allowed to be worn).....3 x green KF shirts....1 x puttees....a sleeveless nylon smock liner.....3 x green wool polyester socks "athletes foot, for the creation of".....2 x green polyester knitted gloves.....a nylon poncho......2 x green longjohns.....a green wooly pully....and a faceveil, although me and most of my fellow sprogs were actually issued with a headover-mesh sniper's veil that could not be used as a scarf..!! Plus the extra "blue" kit for RAF plod...including armlets, white cap, blue nylon waterproofs and shoulder titles......

 

Arrival on your station saw additional kit issued....MK5 tin hat, MK1 NBC suit, S6 respirator & bag, DPM parka & liner, & green RAF "NI" waterproofs (bloody good kit amongst the other useless)....plus a set of new 58 webbing minus the large pack........oh, plus a pair of RAF-issue cold weather "working" gloves that were OD cotton with brown leather palms....really good items and I still have 'em !

 

As time went on, I was issued with DPM arctic windproofs plus the "dangerous Brian" hat.....and DPM nylon waterproofs......the RAF Regiment were always VERY irritated that the plods had the "SAS" windproofs issued and I personally took great delight in parading mine whenever I had the opportunity.....:)

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