Prototype P1968 Smock?

[Enfield1940]

An interesting item on eBay:

 

BRITISH ARMY 1967 PROTOTYPE SMOCK FOR THE 1968 PATTERN

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170683170989#ht_506wt_932

[wdbikemad]

An interesting item on eBay:

 

BRITISH ARMY 1967 PROTOTYPE SMOCK FOR THE 1968 PATTERN

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170683170989#ht_506wt_932

 

Now gone.......looked genuine to me, although no labeling details mentioned other than NATO size 4..........

 

Appears near-identical to the production DPM version introduced in 1971, but seems to have rubber "tropical" style buttons fitted throughout, plus buttons inside to attach some sort of liner....? Drawcords appear to be the thicker 1960 pattern cords.....

 

It is entirely feasible that the trials 1968 pattern combat suit was made in green sateen rather than DPM, probably between 1966 and 1970, green being the standard colour of the time. The trails were to evaluate the new style of suit rather than the colouring.........when DPM was introduced circa 1969-70 first production was to the then-production 1960 pattern suit whilst the 1968 pattern was being finalised.....

[Eaglehurst]

I have to say this is an intriguing item! I wrote to the fella and asked if it had any labels. He replied that it did not and had come to him in large consignment of 68 smocks he had purchased. He commented that this was the only one in olive so did some research, hence the item description.

 

It certainly looks real but I would have expected at least some labelling. I also agree with you Steve that it is entirely possible that trials 68 patt would have been in olive sateen rather than dpm...and this squares up with the use of odd materials ie tropical buttons....just cannot get the concern out of my head though that it is a copy made in the Far East somewhere!!

 

I would also have made the point that I have never seen or heard of trials 68 patt but then up until about a month ago I had not seen Olive 63 Patterns and 63 Patt DPM trousers either:)

[wdbikemad]

Trials for the 68 pattern combat suit no doubt occurred during 1965-70......with production commencing during 1971....photographic evidence reveals the suit (in DPM) first appearing in service this year replacing the DPM 60 pattern suit introduced a year earlier......

 

The MoD had been developing the 52 pattern combat suit since introduction and by 1962 introduced the 60 pattern that saw the smock lining reduced and the trousers featuring reintroduction of the lining, earlier deleted in the 53 pattern trousers....

During 1964-65 the smock was further modified by having the sleeves completely redesigned for improved fitting (the oval elbow patch version), but the MoD were already focussed on a new design of combat suit (the 68 pattern) that included numerous detail improvements over the earlier versions.........I should imagine that the trial models of the 68 pattern suit were largely in green, to test the style of the garment and when ready for production were simply made in DPM when this material was approved for universal service use around 1969-70.....