Not seen many of these....

[Eaglehurst]

'Parka Woman's Working Dress'....NZ zip, older style buttons and a nylon lined hood and shoulder section.

 

 

[wdbikemad]

These items were first introduced for issue to WRAC's serving in Northern Ireland who were required to undertake outdoor searches of females, etc........to provide an element of cold and wet-weather protection as an alternative to the issue long raincoat........this was in the days when WRAC's were very much in a non-combat role and prior to DPM clothing being issued to females.........

 

I remember seeing several NOS examples of this jacket in a surplus store in Oxford during the 1980s........

 

Of rather more interest is the "D Parker" manufacturers name on the label, indicating the name of the manufacturer located at "Clayton St.Mill", the latter name alone appearing on a number of early 68 pattern DPM smocks and trousers.........another one to add to the list !!

Edited December 27, 2011 by wdbikemad

[Murphy]

Oh, I remember it well! Whoever designed this Parka and the matching trousers should have been made to wear them for the rest of their lives!

 

When I first joined in 1976, this was what was issued to me (and I was based in NI) for in the field. The only thing I can say for it is that, with the liner (mid brown wool/worsted full sleeved I think) it was extremely warm. BUT, you couldn’t move in it!!

 

If you look at the line of the seaming on the shoulder, it goes all the way down the sleeve to the cuff, and the cut of the Parka itself, meant that you couldn’t lift your arms above shoulder height.

 

The trousers were no better. Same material, but Jodhpur shaped ie. narrowing all the way down to the ankle. The ‘princess’ seam (that’s the double seam from the shoulder down the front of the jacket) was down the front of each leg, so you couldn’t bend your knees properly, and the shape of them meant that you couldn’t lift your leg higher than your hip! Try getting into the back of a land rover let alone the back of a 4 tonner with that restriction!! No wonder all the men thought we were useless.

 

I was also issued with a pair of brown ankle boots to complete the ensemble. These were smooth brown leather, but were more like winkle pickers, and I remember I had to plaster my feet before I wore them they were so uncomfortable. They were pointed and a good 1” longer than your toes which caused you to trip constantly, had insignificant ½” heel that hurt your calf muscles, and oh! I have just remembered, a completely smooth sole. So, to add insult to injury, any slightly damp grass in the field was like skating on ice!

 

So there you have it – you couldn’t move your legs, you couldn’t move your arms and you fell flat on your face every time you tried to move – a well designed piece of kit!! It took me about 2years to get DP Combat Kit & DMS Boots, and then I had the last laugh. The QM would only issue me kit that was far too big, so I took it to the tailor and by the time he’d finished I could move in it properly, it fitted like a glove and I looked my curvy self – and not a lot the QM nor the Adj could do about it!

 

This outfit had to have been intentional with the view that we WRAC should act in a ‘ladylike’ way – but it was totally unsuitable for anything practical. This was at a time when I was given a formal interview and told that, as an Officer, I should not get into a Landrover by myself, but that I should wait for the Driver to get out, open the door and ‘hand’ me into the vehicle (this while we were on exercise and I was a Field Officer).

 

Sorry to have been long winded, but thought you might be interested in the practicalities – thanks for taking me back 35years.

[wdbikemad]

It always amuses me how the British military managed to develop some completely useless articles of clothing.....though things have improved nowadays to a certain degree....

 

I remember during the early 1980s in the RAF, WAAFs in the provost branch ended up stuck in the field in places such as Greenham, etc........DPM kit was issued, but generally only that available in stores (eg - size 1 upwards)......Supply Flight rarely bothered to order-in (or even check if available) the smaller "0" sizes......hence I can remember some particularly petite individuals swathed in size 1 combats with sleeves rolled up simply to fit and an overall appearance of "baggyness"..:laugh:

 

Even more amusing was the footwear situation.......standard ankle DMS boots only went down in size so far....so a number of females ended up being issued with the old screw-on sole "commando" boots dating back years that were seemingly available in minute sizes at the back of stores........

[Eaglehurst]

Oh, I remember it well! Whoever designed this Parka and the matching trousers should have been made to wear them for the rest of their lives!

 

When I first joined in 1976, this was what was issued to me (and I was based in NI) for in the field. The only thing I can say for it is that, with the liner (mid brown wool/worsted full sleeved I think) it was extremely warm. BUT, you couldn’t move in it!!

 

If you look at the line of the seaming on the shoulder, it goes all the way down the sleeve to the cuff, and the cut of the Parka itself, meant that you couldn’t lift your arms above shoulder height.

 

The trousers were no better. Same material, but Jodhpur shaped ie. narrowing all the way down to the ankle. The ‘princess’ seam (that’s the double seam from the shoulder down the front of the jacket) was down the front of each leg, so you couldn’t bend your knees properly, and the shape of them meant that you couldn’t lift your leg higher than your hip! Try getting into the back of a land rover let alone the back of a 4 tonner with that restriction!! No wonder all the men thought we were useless.

 

I was also issued with a pair of brown ankle boots to complete the ensemble. These were smooth brown leather, but were more like winkle pickers, and I remember I had to plaster my feet before I wore them they were so uncomfortable. They were pointed and a good 1” longer than your toes which caused you to trip constantly, had insignificant ½” heel that hurt your calf muscles, and oh! I have just remembered, a completely smooth sole. So, to add insult to injury, any slightly damp grass in the field was like skating on ice!

 

So there you have it – you couldn’t move your legs, you couldn’t move your arms and you fell flat on your face every time you tried to move – a well designed piece of kit!! It took me about 2years to get DP Combat Kit & DMS Boots, and then I had the last laugh. The QM would only issue me kit that was far too big, so I took it to the tailor and by the time he’d finished I could move in it properly, it fitted like a glove and I looked my curvy self – and not a lot the QM nor the Adj could do about it!

 

This outfit had to have been intentional with the view that we WRAC should act in a ‘ladylike’ way – but it was totally unsuitable for anything practical. This was at a time when I was given a formal interview and told that, as an Officer, I should not get into a Landrover by myself, but that I should wait for the Driver to get out, open the door and ‘hand’ me into the vehicle (this while we were on exercise and I was a Field Officer).

 

Sorry to have been long winded, but thought you might be interested in the practicalities – thanks for taking me back 35years.

 

This is great - I love the last paragraph - getting out of a landy on exercise in a 'Ladylike way'!!!

 

Only in the British Army eh?!