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British Army Heavy Duty Pullovers


wdbikemad

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During WW2, the first examples of what was to evolve into the classic "NATO" woolly pully appeared.......heavy ribbed knit in a distinct brown colour with a drawcord neck but no shoulder or elbow patches. These were intended as part of the "mountain troops" cold weather clothing but were often adopted by commandos, SAS, etc. The garment went on to be issued in Korea and odd examples were still on issue during the 1960s......a blue-grey type also existed for issue to aircrew....

 

Later issues added khaki-drill patches to the elbows plus similar edging to the cuffs, and even later examples (1960s made) added to shoulder patches, cut around the neck at angles similar to the yoke found on windproof smocks........

 

These garments were well-favoured by SAS during the 1960s and early 70s and can be seen in many period photos......the garment wasn't officially replaced until around 1969-70 when the first of the modern green woollen pullys commenced issue (again, several patterns evolving up to the 1980s)....

 

Seems that SOF military and WPG in the USA offer good copies of these rare pullovers......I've only ever seen a few original examples and that was during the 1980s amongst a quantity of assorted surplus.......all were well worn and full of holes !!

 

Anyone got any examples of these...?

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I assume that would be Jerseys, wool, heavy CM 01211-24

 

They are listed in Clothing Regulations 1953 under cold climate clothing together with:

 

Coat, kapok CM/CE 0031-34

Helmet, woollen CM 0074

Gloves, 3 compartment CM 0314

Socks, woollen, heavy CM0221-4

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I assume that would be Jerseys, wool, heavy CM 01211-24

 

They are listed in Clothing Regulations 1953 under cold climate clothing together with:

 

Coat, kapok CM/CE 0031-34

Helmet, woollen CM 0074

Gloves, 3 compartment CM 0314

Socks, woollen, heavy CM0221-4

 

 

Clive are you sure you weren't a quartermaster bloke in a previous life?:D

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Clive are you sure you weren't a quartermaster bloke in a previous life?:D

 

Oh dear so on that basis perhaps I am already in the after life:shake:

 

I hope I wasn't the QM in the Zulu film I saw this afternoon when our chaps were getting thrashed & running out of ammo who had to queue up in an orderly fashion to be issued with ammo only to those whom the QM felt had an entitlement. I mean the Regulations is the Regulations, it all has to be accounted for, oh dear I think I'm giving myself away :D

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Oh dear so on that basis perhaps I am already in the after life:shake:

 

I hope I wasn't the QM in the Zulu film I saw this afternoon when our chaps were getting thrashed & running out of ammo who had to queue up in an orderly fashion to be issued with ammo only to those whom the QM felt had an entitlement. I mean the Regulations is the Regulations, it all has to be accounted for, oh dear I think I'm giving myself away :D

 

Clive, I would be happy to do you a copy of my Aug 86 CG list for a copy of your CM.....:D

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I afraid I don't have a VAOS CM as such, what I have quoted comes from Clothing Regs 1955 which is more concerned with scales of issue than being a Vocabulary as such.

 

However I do have COSA CM 1986 & 1992, as it happens I don't have any CG. So perhaps we could do something then.

 

I am after Clothing Regulations 1953 Pamphlet No.5 covering women's clothing then I would have the complete set 1-9. Although I recently got COSA CK Service Uniforms, Handware, Headwear, Hosiery (Women) 1972 & 1987.

 

I notice that in 1972 Stockings, womans was available in brown 20 denier, eventide 20 denier & fawn 60 denier (fully fashioned) but by 1987 eventide had become obsolete so CK/8445-99-975-9442 would be quite a collectors item.

 

Curiously eventide was only available in size 8 1/2 leg 30 in

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I afraid I don't have a VAOS CM as such, what I have quoted comes from Clothing Regs 1955 which is more concerned with scales of issue than being a Vocabulary as such.

 

However I do have COSA CM 1986 & 1992, as it happens I don't have any CG. So perhaps we could do something then.

 

I am after Clothing Regulations 1953 Pamphlet No.5 covering women's clothing then I would have the complete set 1-9. Although I recently got COSA CK Service Uniforms, Handware, Headwear, Hosiery (Women) 1972 & 1987.

 

I notice that in 1972 Stockings, womans was available in brown 20 denier, eventide 20 denier & fawn 60 denier (fully fashioned) but by 1987 eventide had become obsolete so CK/8445-99-975-9442 would be quite a collectors item.

 

Curiously eventide was only available in size 8 1/2 leg 30 in

 

Clive, that would be good...86 and 92 copies good for me....

 

I do have a 43 (?) dated ATS scale of issue for ALL theatres and trades, including tropical, desert, nursing, drivers, etc, so again, a copy is available....

 

I am not a hoarder of info at all, and will always share what I have ! Mutual info exchange can only serve the greater good....:D

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Clive, that would be good...86 and 92 copies good for me....

I do have a 43 (?) dated ATS scale of issue for ALL theatres and trades, including tropical, desert, nursing, drivers, etc, so again, a copy is available....

I am not a hoarder of info at all, and will always share what I have ! Mutual info exchange can only serve the greater good....:D

 

Yes I know what you mean. The trouble can be that sometimes people (I don't mean you) don't always realise just how long it can take scanning or copying documents on a home scanner. Sometimes I travel significant distances or fork out quite a bit to get certain documents when they appear on the market. Sometimes my scans are sold on as photocopies, although that is not too common. Anyway I have a backlog of things people want me to scan that goes back to October & indeed there are Rover Ambulance documents I have been meaning to scan & post here for over a year. So it'll just take a bit of time ;)

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Clive, fully understood and much appreciated ! I am in the fortunate position of having a copier at my disposal.......

 

I will endeavour to run off a few copies for interested parties prior to xmas, and take things from there !

 

The woolly pully as we know it today first appeared in recognisable form around 1970......(the so-called 68 pattern)....olive drab, loose, soft-weave wool with denim/drill patches, double-thickness cuffs that did not require turning back, and numbered sizes.......

 

Next issue was similar but patches were a mixture of drill/denim or poly-cotton.........

 

By the mid-70s, the weave had been improved to give a tighter, more robust finish but with less softness....cuffs were now unfinished for turning back, patches now poly-cotton and velcro-fastened epaulettes fitted as standard....

 

By the early/mid 80s, sizes went to metric.......

 

Early pullys have the care label fitted at the neck, and (mostly) the NSN/size label fitted inside at one of the side seams.........later issues have the single label at the neck.......

 

Be wary of civvy copies, made from the 70s to the 80s......often lacking epaulettes and in an acrylic mix rather than wool.......:-D

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Don't forget the aircrew pullovers : soft wool, turned back and stitched (double) cuffs and no patches whatsoever ......

 

I remember those ! A couple of guys in my unit were issued these from stores as they'd run out of the standard pattern in certain sizes..........the WO wasn't at all happy, as nowhere to attach the shoulder rank & "mars bars"..........:-D

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