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Identify this British Army Uniform


Larry Hayward

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I have attached a photo showing men wearing a Khaki Green uniform of a kind I remember seeing in use with units of the British Army in the late 1960s while they were on exercise in Thetford Training Area. Can anyone say what it was called or even give it a Nato stock number or other reference?

 

Apart from the uniforms seen in this photo, in use by the TAVR, it was also worn by the infantry, equipped with 58 webbing, 1944 style steel helmet and SLR. I also seem to remember seeing a photo of it being worn in Northern Ireland circa 1969 but can't be sure on that. However I do not believe it was just for the TAVR. As the old Wartime / 1950's style Battledress died out in the early 1960's, its likely the British Army had a khaki uniform to replace it, before DPM came into general use circa 1969.

 

Note also that the puttees do not look like the 37 webbing canvas ones or the 1970/80's wrap around ones either.

 

51stHighlandVolunteersTAVR-Wombat.jpg

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Dad was in 10 para during this time and recalls there being a plain green kit issued towards the end of his service. This would be around the mid sixties. Best he can recall is it was like a cross between the old battle dress kit and the DPMS stuff I was issued with in the mid seventies.

 

Don't know if this is any help to you though.......

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I have attached a photo showing men wearing a Khaki Green uniform of a kind I remember seeing in use with units of the British Army in the late 1960s while they were on exercise in Thetford Training Area. Can anyone say what it was called or even give it a Nato stock number or other reference?

 

Larry,

 

This is the 1960 Pattern green combat dress. I have a pair of Trousers, Combat here, but no NSN on them at that time. The jacket is similar style to the later DPM ones.

 

Richard

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Hi all,

plain green kit was generally issued fron the phasing out of battledress untill DPM came into fashion

1pr of trousers i have are titled :- suits protective (roc) or( koc), trousers these are dated about 1953 and the bottom (no pun intended) line reads to the best of my knowlege :- con6\c20\22166\2\c2??

may be of help ??.

Ashley

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Hi all,

plain green kit was generally issued fron the phasing out of battledress untill DPM came into fashion

1pr of trousers i have are titled :- suits protective (roc) or( koc), trousers these are dated about 1953 and the bottom (no pun intended) line reads to the best of my knowlege :- con6\c20\22166\2\c2??

may be of help ??.

Ashley

 

I remember in an Army Surplus Store in the early 1970s stumbling across two patterns of green denim jackets. One was a direct copy of the ubiquitous battledress jacket; the other was the same pattern as the first DPM combat jackets but in plain olive, as still being worn on the streets of NI by the first troops to arrive in 1969 IIRC.

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When you think of all those owners of post war gloss green MVs - Humbers, Ferrets' K9s & Bedford RL's etc, it surprises me that none of them wear the correct kit for the period (after Battledress). So perhaps its all gone to some African country many years back, as a job lot from the MOD!

 

Good luck with your search Hardyferret! Don't forget to keep me updated with what you find.

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Ashley,

 

From other sites it would seem that the uniform in my photo from 1971 is a plain green version of the DPM - more or less the same design as the first camo uniforms. Having seen the uniform for real Admittedly all those years ago I can say for certain its not the same as the wartime denim - as seen in colour photos in the book 'The WW2 Tommy' by Brayley & Ingram.

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