Lace up wooly pully

[fv1609]

I don't imagine pullovers were supplied with a boot lace threaded through the neck, so this must be a modification?

 

Is it an "official" modification? Were particular units prone to do this? Was it something done for cold climates to ensure as little heat as possible was lost? Or was it done if the soldier's neck was thinner than the rest of his body would suggest? Or was it done if the wool got rather stretched, although this one seems to have had little or no use? This is not a quiz, I just wondered what it was all about.

 

[ted angus]

Hi Clive, cannot comment on the Army but in the RAF ; long before we were issued with round neck woolie pullies as personal issue, they were held in the cold/wet weather gear cupboards on Flights and Squadrons. WE had them with the string in both RAF Blue grey and olive green. Other excellent gear was heavyweight boots with screw on commando soles and a blanket lined parka which also came in both colours green for ground crew blue grey for air crew. These items were in use when I joined in 64 and were still in use into the 1980s. At some point jumpers without the string came in and guys put a length of para cord into them. These items were for "at work" wear only. Another item still in use at the time was the leather jerkin many of them had a mod to fit a woolie collar. However The one you illustrate is a home made job ! did one myself once totally uncomfortable not like the old real McCoys !!

TED

ps here is one of the parks but I don't have a piccy to hand of the issue jumper with a string.

[AlienFTM]

Clive your surmises are right. It wasn't issued like that but as the pully shrank and the neck stretched, this kept the RSM from seeing that you had only ironed the collar of your shirt.

 

I think it became less prevalent when the Jersey, Heavy, Wool became rather more Jersey, Polyester/Wool, Heavy at the end of the 70s, gained epaulettes and stopped shrinking quite so much.

[Adam Elsdon]

I don't imagine pullovers were supplied with a boot lace threaded through the neck, so this must be a modification?

 

Is it an "official" modification? Were particular units prone to do this? Was it something done for cold climates to ensure as little heat as possible was lost? Or was it done if the soldier's neck was thinner than the rest of his body would suggest? Or was it done if the wool got rather stretched, although this one seems to have had little or no use? This is not a quiz, I just wondered what it was all about.

 

 

That is the later issue jumper looking at the label, and the string looks like an issue boot lace, i knew people that done this to their wully pullies to keep the neck looking tight, a bit like the service modified equivalent of putting a chain loop in the bottoms of bungeed trousers to keep the trouser pulled down straight.

If you had the next size up jumper your shoulders wouldnt pull on the neck opening.

I think there was desert jumpers issued with the string drawcord, as i remember the knitted pattern was different, it looked flat.

 

My particular unit didnt like modifications carried out to issue kit, particularly on inspection parades, the thinking been if you had to get kit off quick for whatever emergency, stuff like that would slow you down.

 

I have heard from somebody else which means it must of been true....of somebody attending para training wearing there own purchased boots, because they were better, Goretex, blah etc etc, but they had lace hooks instead of eyes, which could get caught on lines etc, so they were told to take them off and march back to accommodation collect the correct boots and march back present them to the instructor who then pointed out why they were superior, and only then was he instructed to put them on.

[Tony B]

We had similar in MODPLOD/MGS. They were all suddnely changed to smooth light v necks. Why, some plank dicided the heavy ribbed ones 'Looked to aggresive'.!:shake:

[Bazz]

In my current un use wooly pully i've put a length of strong elastic in, this helps to keep the neck inshape especially when wearing a shirt and tie.

[extrogg]

Its purely for asthetics so as to keep the neck tight under your shirt collar and it also kept the RSM from putting you behind the guard!! All squaddies made the mod and i had a piece of green army string in mine!!

B/S baffles brains!!