TINY 49 Pattern Battledress Blouse.

[Scotch Harry]

Laid on top of a Size 10 for size comparison.

 

No sizes on the label and also has an NSN to it??

 

 

 

[Willyslancs]

we have one that small too , will ask about it for you...........

[wdbikemad]

I suspect that this tiny BD blouse was made specifically for the ACF/CCF..........

 

They were still using BD during the early 1970s before going over to the woolly pully and cadet-pattern DPM trousers.....

 

And there were, from memory, some VERY small cadets !!!!

 

BD as a whole was largely dropped by the regular Army from 1963 onward when the new combat dress (1960 pattern) and No.2 dress uniforms, among others, began to be issued, although production continued for a while to maintain stocks for those still issued with BD...........the presence of a NSN would suggest post-1966 manufacture, and I suspect this one to be very late, possibly one of the last made (for cadets) around 1970-72 ?

 

Air Cadets (ATC) were still using RAF pattern BD up to 1977-78 in some units, the RAF itself dropping BD around 1972-74 when the (hated) zip-fronted barathea No.2 dress jacket was introduced (most chose to wear the pully instead).......ATC generally used small-sized RAF mens BD but again some late manufacture continued in tiny sizes to meet the demand from rather small cadets.......

 

Interestingly,Wm (William) Brownlee were also involved in the production of early 80s DPM 1968 pattern combat smocks and trousers and are one of the less common manufacturers encountered on garment labels today.......the company are listed as being set-up in Jan 1981, and now dissolved............but as this blouse highly likely dates from possibly 10 years earlier it may be that the company were previously in existence then, dissolved or taken over and re-opened before closing again...???? The "A/78" (etc) contract number is generally found on late-1960s/early 1970s garments only........

Edited July 28, 2013 by wdbikemad

[unionjack]

I suspect that answer about sums it up.

I used to have an RAF BD blouse that was size 'Size 0' and some trousers that were 'Size 00'. They differed very slightly though in that the blouse was fully lined. We assumed they must be for Cadets.

The Army had 'Boy Entrants' and 'Junior leaders' of course. Some of whom wore the old '1922 pattern' serge Service Dress well into the 1960's.

[wdbikemad]

I suspect that answer about sums it up.

I used to have an RAF BD blouse that was size 'Size 0' and some trousers that were 'Size 00'. They differed very slightly though in that the blouse was fully lined. We assumed they must be for Cadets.

The Army had 'Boy Entrants' and 'Junior leaders' of course. Some of whom wore the old '1922 pattern' serge Service Dress well into the 1960's.

 

From memory, the RAF post-war BD blouses were always lined...........typical "blue jobs" over-engineering.....

[unionjack]

Well, the early (RAF) 'NP' type with large collar introduced circa 1947 certainly isn't lined. I don't have an example of the small collar type introduced circa '49-'51 to check, but I'm reasonably sure that the 50's examples I've seen aren't lined. It could be a 1960's thing.

[wdbikemad]

Well, the early (RAF) 'NP' type with large collar introduced circa 1947 certainly isn't lined. I don't have an example of the small collar type introduced circa '49-'51 to check, but I'm reasonably sure that the 50's examples I've seen aren't lined. It could be a 1960's thing.

 

Think you may be correct here......:-) The 50s also saw the aircrew-specific BD style garments if I recall, not the same as the general issue serge type......?

[unionjack]

Not aware of those, post-war it was common for Officers to private purchase BD made from barathea, but not specifically Aircrew as far as I know.

[wdbikemad]

Not aware of those, post-war it was common for Officers to private purchase BD made from barathea, but not specifically Aircrew as far as I know.

 

I have had a few in the past......blue-grey barathea BD specifically for aircrew, 1950s era, and it was an issue item rather than privately tailored. From memory, the blouse was zipped...? (not to be confused with the latter 70s zip-fronted jacket)........

[unionjack]

Ah right, I don't think I've come across one of those.

The ones I've had & seen are like 1950's OA blouses with an open collar but tailor made in barathea, no issue labels.

You sometimes see them in late war photo's on higher ranks and post-war on lower ranks. I've had Kings Crown wings and buttons on them too so probably early '50's.