British Combat Uniform 1950-1968

SimonLMoore · March 21, 2015

A little while ago I promised to create a thread detailing British combats from the Korean War to 1968 pattern so here it is, details in the following messages, I've largely let the photos speak for themselves. Sorry the label photos are sometimes a bit fuzzy, I will endeavour to replace these at some point and sorry for those where the labels are almost completely washed out.

SimonLMoore · March 21, 2015

Smock and Trousers, Combat, Sateen

Several patterns here, the first issue being the Smock, Combat, Sateen and Trousers, Combat, Sateen, sometimes referred to as '1950 Pattern' the smock remained largely unchanged, the trousers went through two other patterns, 1952 and 1953 pattern. The 1952 pattern deleted the button flap over the zip fly and slanted the side pockets, the 1953 pattern basically combines the simplified fly of the 1952 pattern with the original pocket layout from the Trousers, Combat Sateen.

Smock, Combat, Sateen

Trousers,Combat, Sateen

Trousers, Combat, 1952 Pattern

Trousers, Combat, 1953 Pattern

SimonLMoore · March 21, 2015

Smock and Trousers, Combat, 1960 Pattern

The 1960 pattern standardised the existing combat uniform for general issue to replace the then still extant 1949 pattern battledress. Buttons were no longer vegetable ivory but of hard green plastic, these were first seen on late-issues of the combat sateen uniform.

The smock differs from the previous pattern in having rounded elbow patches, rather than large, square patches. The trousers differ little from the 1953 pattern.

The material is a coarser weave than the very fine sateen material seen in the earliest pattern of combats, this material started to be used in later manufacture of the Smock, Combat, Sateen and the Trousers, Combat, 1953 Pattern, as with most uniform changes in material came in gradually, across official pattern designations.

Smock, Combat, 1960 Pattern

Trousers, Combat, 1960 Pattern

SimonLMoore · March 21, 2015

Smock and Trousers, Combat, 1960 Pattern (DPM)

The 1960 pattern made in DPM, this uniform was first manufactured in 1966 and is thus sometimes referred to as '1966 pattern' by collectors. No label photo for the smock as it has sadly been removed.

Smock, Combat, 1960 Pattern (DPM)

Trousers, Combat, 1960 Pattern (DPM)

SimonLMoore · March 21, 2015

Smock and Trousers, Combat, 1968 Pattern

The first really major deviation from the combats introduced druing the Korean war, the 1968 pattern sees quite a bit of simplification, the elbow patches are gone from the smock, as is the stitched collar, the back seam is gone and there are other small detail differences. The trousers have lost the knee pads which ran as a double-thick layer around the centre part of the leg in previous patterns but a second map pocket was added to the right leg. No label for the trousers as again it's been removed

Smock, Combat, 1968 Pattern