What period is this photo from; 1960s or 1980's?

[LarryH57]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to when this photo was taken? In the 1970-80s I wore angle high wrap around puttees but these guys look like they are wearing black '37 pattern / WW2 style puttees.

 

Also the Sgt appears to have large stripes on his arm. When did the Army change to having rank on a smaller green patch?

[boots dms]

I would hazard a guess at early to latter part of the 1970,s.I certainly remember seeing webbing gaiters,blackened with boot polish even up to 1976, although putties were also in widespread use then as well.

[Zero-Five-Two]

I would suggest mid 70's. Some Junior Leader and Apprentice units continued using puttees and 37 pattern webbing right through to the end of the decade. Certainly Engineer Apprentices at Chepstow (I was one'76-'78) only got new pattern stuff if they got it from Silvermans or similar

[wdbikemad]

I'd agree with the above.....mid-late 1970's..........though possibly earlier...? Note the wearing of what is possibly the early 1960 pattern DPM smock (collar gives it away), this garment being issued and worn by some troops up to the mid/late 70s at least whilst stocks remained........and the presence of the earlier pattern 58 ammo pouches with the low, vertical positioning..........again, although superceded during the mid/late 1960's by the modified pattern, they continued in use for at least a decade later whilst stocks remained.............

 

Note also, the presence of the padded NI gloves, again, introduced early/mid-1970's...........

[remevmb]

I had puttees in 1976 during basic training, but we had 37 pattern webbing.

[ploughman]

I had puttees in 1976 during basic training, but we had 37 pattern webbing.

 

Snap.

 

Still wore puttees into the 80s

I get the feel of that photo as being later than 70s.

 

When was the SLR replaced?

[LarryH57]

Thanks for your comments - I never knew there was an early and late pattern 58 webbing!

 

The SLR was still around in mid 1980s certainly with my TA unit. We knew that there was this new weapon for the regulars called SA80 but I can't recall seeing any until about 1985.

 

Regarding the Sgt stripes, when did the army go small on rank badges and replace them with black stripes on a small green patch?

[PetOp Pete]

Our TA unit had the SLR (mix of wood and composite stocks) in 1990, along with the Bren as the company's LMG. The lovely Sterling was still the SMG too. And we wore puttees with our POL boots. The only "modern" kit we could boast about having was the S10 respirator.

[Zero-Five-Two]

Slightly off track from the picture, but regarding the SLR staying in use with regular units. I left the Royal Engineers in 1994 having never used the SA80. I had seen them, but never had one issued. Always had SLR or SMG

[LarryH57]

Regarding the Sgt stripes, when did the army go small on rank badges and replace them with black stripes on a small green patch?

[Bob Grundy]

I think it was 1979, but remember this would not all be completed overnight,

[Chopa]

'74-'77 we looked like that! Nasty boot-blacked canvas puttees and a mix of wood and composite furniture on the SLR. The photo shows all wood SLR's so might be slightly earlier.