Finally ! Official Date of Introduction for UK Korean War Combat Dress !!!

[wdbikemad]

At last.....thanks to a good friend I have discovered the official introductory date for the green 1950s combat clothing.......

 

War Department List of Changes (LoCs) C4914 of 31st March 1952 announces the introduction of the combat smock and trousers, made from waterproof olive-drab gabardine........

 

It should be borne in mind however, that it would take time for stocks to be accumulated and issued.....and at the time the priority was distribution in Korea.......I suspect that the garments were already under manufacture at least a year earlier and on issue to elements of the Commonwealth Division judging from official sources.......the LoC announcement was probably made once stocks had begun to accumulate.........after all, I have a few 1951-dated hoods and parkas to confirm this !

 

By mid-52, it should also be noted that the smock and trousers, plus the hood and parka, had changed over to sateen fabric for all subsequent production..........:-D

 

From what I can gather in my research for the book, the initial issue of combat clothing in gabardine was very much to test out the suitability of the combat ensemble.......thus, anything dated 51-52 in gabardine may be considered rare, particularly as the bulk of production was earmarked for Korea...........

Edited November 28, 2012 by wdbikemad

[Eaglehurst]

Good find Steve. I gues the date makes sense although a little later than I would have expected. As you say they would have been building stocks prior to that. Would be interesting to know when the first orders were placed. I recall seeing a sealed pattern gabardine hood with a date of July 1951 so although not certain would likely be around that time.

Edited November 29, 2012 by Eaglehurst

[wdbikemad]

I think new kit was announced in LoC's only after it had been tested and approved for service........

 

Initial stocks of gabardine smocks, trousers, hoods, caps and middle parkas were certainly being issued by November 1951....this was even announced in Parliament that month in response to questions raised about Commonwealth troops suffering a second winter without suitable kit from the UK.......

 

One of the first changes to combat clothing following initial issue for the second Korean winter of 51-52 was the decision to change the garments fabric to sateen, the War Office announcing that the gabardine fabric had been found to be less durable than expected.......I estimate sateen kit to have entered production by mid-52, and this fabric lasted until the mid-70s when replaced by the mixed cotton-synthetic fabric (in either a 50/50 mix or 70/30)........:-)

 

Interestingly, the combat cap remained in double-thickness waterproof gabardine until replaced by the DPM crap hat from 72 onwards.......

 

Regarding sateen, pre-61/62 garments, when new, have a noticeable "sheen" to the fabric.......this was later reduced because the War Office had discovered that the inner-surface of the sateen cloth was more durable (and duller) than the outer, therefore garments made post 61/62 onwards are far less "shiny" due to the fabric being made-up into garments with the reverse side outwards....!

Edited November 29, 2012 by wdbikemad

[airportable]

Sure looking forward to this book.

[wdbikemad]

Sure looking forward to this book.

 

So am I....!!!!!

 

It's going well, but there's so much to put-down in words......and sorting the wheat from the chaff (read - sifting through mind-numbing War Office correspondence and reports) is a thankless task..........there's a ton of repetition, and contrary reports, dates, etc, it's a wonder that they managed to get anything designed and into production........

 

And the correspondence between the "official side" and the Airborne senior officers to retain the Denison is a tad hostile to say the least...! This particular battle started around 1958 and ran on until the early 70s..........!! All will be revealed in my publication in due course.......:-D