unionjack Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Just acquired an item and have no idea of it's purpose. 'Boiler suit' style, made of the same green denim as 40s/50s Denim BD's except maybe a little thicker. Label reads "Overall, Denim, One Piece" and is dated 1961. Odd thing though as it's far too sturdy and well made for overalls. It reminds me more of a tank suit in it's manufacture. Strong press stud fastening to both cuffs and ankles, internal drawstring to waist, inside pocket, leg pocket, press stud fastened flaps of hip pockets. It's also clearly designed to go over everything else as it's a lot bigger than the size on the label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Is it a bit like this? My label is now illegible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglehurst Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Clive - that looks very much like a 'Suit, Tank Temperate' to me.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fv1609 Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 Clive - that looks very much like a 'Suit, Tank Temperate' to me.... It's annoying because the label by now is just blank. I have had it for 15 years & has often been admired & on occasions I've been approached to see if I would sell it. It seems it is uncommon, well certainly in a large size. It was given to me by a former REME LAD officer who served with Clyclops Sqn 2 RTR & was last used in service in connection with Hornet/Malkara trials. So it has some nice provenance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unionjack Posted August 21, 2011 Author Share Posted August 21, 2011 Not the same no. Mine only has one leg pocket, no pencil holders and no belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eaglehurst Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 Not the same no. Mine only has one leg pocket, no pencil holders and no belt. If you can - post a few photos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted August 22, 2011 Share Posted August 22, 2011 If you can - post a few photos... It's worth noting that the standard army-issue green coverall from the 1960's was a boiler-suit design with the odd pocket here and there, and rubber buttons.........it had no belt........and made from olive green 100% cotton denim......I have a new one in a large size somewhere in my stash.........the RAF had a similar version but made in blue-grey.......this suit was made obsolete in the army around the early 1970's when the polyester version with the small press-fasteners appeared....since replaced by the RAF pattern (in green) with velcro.......although there does exist another version in FR cotton for "air-mechanics" with zipper closures, etc..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unionjack Posted August 23, 2011 Author Share Posted August 23, 2011 Yes I'll have to get around to the photo's. This is the same green denim as in the 1940's & 1950's which is flecked with white like blue jeans are. Nothing like the later even coloured olive stuff that was also called denim. By the way, there were also blue/grey RAF Boiler suits with velcro at one point as I have a pair from my father in law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy1 Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 I wore my old cotton one for years after I got demobbed when I was driving for a living. It was identical except for the attached belt. Really comfortable. Then for some unaccountable reason it gradually became two sizes too small. The 'batchelor buttons' were a godsend when it had to be washed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unionjack Posted August 25, 2011 Author Share Posted August 25, 2011 This one has olive green 4-hole buttons as used on late battle dress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 It's worth noting that the standard army-issue green coverall from the 1960's was a boiler-suit design with the odd pocket here and there, and rubber buttons.........it had no belt........and made from olive green 100% cotton denim......I have a new one in a large size somewhere in my stash.........the RAF had a similar version but made in blue-grey.......this suit was made obsolete in the army around the early 1970's when the polyester version with the small press-fasteners appeared....since replaced by the RAF pattern (in green) with velcro.......although there does exist another version in FR cotton for "air-mechanics" with zipper closures, etc..... I also recall that within my collection I have a one-piece coverall in green denim that is labelled something like "Overall, Mans & Boys, 1960 Pattern"........the one I have is a sealed manufacturers pattern complete with all tags....from memory, it is made from green cotton-drill (not denim), has rubber buttons, button cuffs and ankle tabs, button-front, no shoulder-straps, side-slits to get to clothing worn beneath, and only one buttoned pocket on the outside of the left-leg.....internally, the garment has a waist-belt complete with a rubber-buckle........I'm not sure if this fastens internally or externally....... Rather interestingly, this working pattern carries both Army & RAF references on the paper stores labels plus has a swatch of blue-grey cotton-drill attached to suggest an alternative RAF-colour fabric for manufacturers reference......I wonder if this was a specific RAF garment available in green or blue or a garment universal in design but available in green for the Army and blue-grey for the RAF...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unionjack Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 As it has Army references I'd assume it wasn't a specific RAF item. May have been green for Army, and green or blue for the RAF dependant on use. As you mention, a lot of things made after the 1950's, that are called denims, or are labelled as such, are just cotton drill, or even cotton/polyester mix fabric in plain olive green. These look the same inside as out. Wartime denims, and National Service era denims, are just that. White flecked & white backed, exactly like jeans but in green. Interestingly, I do have some of the early denims in the brown shade, and the fabric is not like jeans. It is more like a thin canvas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 As it has Army references I'd assume it wasn't a specific RAF item.May have been green for Army, and green or blue for the RAF dependant on use. As you mention, a lot of things made after the 1950's, that are called denims, or are labelled as such, are just cotton drill, or even cotton/polyester mix fabric in plain olive green. These look the same inside as out. Wartime denims, and National Service era denims, are just that. White flecked & white backed, exactly like jeans but in green. Interestingly, I do have some of the early denims in the brown shade, and the fabric is not like jeans. It is more like a thin canvas. The British denim clothing is a study in itself.......pre-WW2 denim garments were invariably made in various shades of brown, ranging from a milk-chocolate shade through to a warm tan colour......it seems that the brown shades lasted in production until at least 1940-41, followed by the greens thereafter with an equally wide range of shades from a very greyish green through to olive-brown.........interestingly, over the years I have encountered the odd denim battledress blouse made in a variant material with a distinct herringbone-pattern to the weave (olive-brown in colour) and another made in green-drill......both were British-manufactured garments..... A study of surviving garments has revealed a number of garments commonly found in green cotton-drill manufactured in a more modern green poly-cotton.......these have included the 1960 pattern "Jacket, Overall, Green" and matching trousers....no doubt very late production before these garments were declared obsolete.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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