Two UK combat smocks

[Soviet_Sgt]

Left Smock - 1968 pattern (label exist - Smock, Combat, Mans, made in UK, 1971), but right - (label is absent)?

Inner details:

[leigh kitchen]

The one on the right - was the plain green combat smock of that design issued 1962? I can't remember when the DPM camo version of that style was introduced but it was supersceded by the style shown on the left.

Although I was issued the newer type in 1972, I wore that older camo type on occassion.

I have a dark blue version of same or very similar design, woren by Eire police serving with the UN in Bosnia in 2000.

[Kev in Deva]

Hallo Gents,

the style of smock or combat jacket on the right is very similar to the first Combat Uniform,

I was issued with while in the Irish Army in 1976, except that the colour was plain green.

The upper pockets were deep enough, (so they could comfortably take the 7.62 F.N. Rifle Magazine ok.)

There were buttons under the collar to facilitate the use of a hood, but no hoods were on issue,

we used to buy plain green British ones from the Army & Navy stores.

It did not have a pocket on the sleeve, but there was inner pockets to the rear of the outer upper pockets

Nor did the version I had have, the white-grey inner lining, it was all green.

The picture shows me (red hair) wearing the Irish version in Beirut Airport, late October 1979 for comparison,

sorry about the quality of the picture its old

There was a very strong rumour during the late 1970's that the Irish had taken a consignment of British D.P.Material styled

as Irish Army Combat Uniforms, but they were never issued due to fears of there being an incident on the Border, where

the terrorist I.R.A. might target an Irish Army Patrol by mistake!!!!

Its possible the Leigh's Gardai / Police Jacket was ex-Irish Army stock,

dyed for Police use with the U.N. (the Police don't wear such items in Ireland).

Kevin in Deva.

Edited February 11, 2008 by Kev in Deva

[leigh kitchen]

Kev, the white parts of the lining on the older style are the unlined portions, just the back of the camo cloth.

I had wondered if the police smocks were re-dyed army olive green jobs, as usual the things lost somewhere in my garage triangle.

[The Saint]

The right smock is a 1960 Pattern, originally produced in olive green, then about 1965 in DPM.

These jackets are really hard-wearing, I wear an OG '60 Pat from time to time, and, other than a reproof every two or three years, it still stand the abuse.

Eric

[novembercharlie]

The type on the right is the dpm camouflage version of the 1960 pattern combat smock issued from around 1966 until the advent of the item on the left , the 1968 pattern combat smock. The original 1069 pattern smock was olive green and was a modified version of the 1953 pattern combat smock that was based on the US M43 system of clothing and was designed to replace the Battledress worn by British troops during the 1930's and 40's.