Uniforms! (Part 2)

Here is the post for the uniforms worn by me for my Infantry displays and volunteering!

DLI/Sheffield Hallam Bren Gunner

My uniform for Sheffield Hallam/DLI is unusual.

For Sheffield Hallams, I have to wear all my patches on a 'shield', basically a piece of fabric with my patches sewn to it. What I  have done is sewn my shield of patches over my DLI patches. This saves me from buying another uniform just for differnet events or having to take off all the patches!

I also have what is called a 'Walking Out Dress', basically a battledress for parade use. I bought my Walking Out dress with the intention of removing the patches and rebadging, but when it arrived I couldn't face doing it and have left it!

The uniform to the right is the 40 Pattern (Austerity)  tunic. It was called the Austerity dress as, due to rationing of fabric, all buttons on it (apart from the fly) are now exposed.

If you compare this with my Walking out dress (below), you will see that this is the pre-austerity kind, which has covered buttons on the tunic and trousers.

I am wearing a General Service (GS) beret. The British army introduced the beret's in 1942, previously they used the side caps (see RAF uniform for reference).

 Both of my uniforms are original, being 41 (Ox and Bucks) and 42 dated (DLI/Hallam).






Excuse the stern face!

2nd Lieutenant, RCOS - Royal Corps of Signals

First of all I apologise for looking so miserable in the photo, only soviet officers weren't allowed to smile!

My RCOS tunic was bought for a grand total of £20 from a seller on facebook as it didn't fit. This has been taken in a couple of inches and is still too large. The trousers were acquired for £10 from my local army surplus. The Sam Browne belt is the expensive part, it cost me a good £40, but I did want an old one so I'm happy with it. The brass buttons on this tunic are all RCOS too, I managed to find them first and that was why I went for it.

The shirt is, when i have the spare money form buying all the expensice RAF stuff I shall invest in a proper shirt! It is a standard tactical shirt available from any army surplus, and I do now have a tie for it! For footwear a pair of parade shoes is needed, which I have from my RAF uniform.

This uniform requires a SD (Service Dress) cap, reproductions of these can vary from £20-£100, but they are all essentially are the same. You will need a cap badge for your cap too, and there are plenty of originals floating around.

I have also been given a 1940 dated officers Greatcoat, This really completes the outfit, especially for winter wear! The only other thing I would recommend is a pair of brown officers gloves.

The Equipment!

The webbing for these uniforms were bought in bits, altogether I spent £38 and I have a spare pair on SMLE ammo pouches to change with if I see fit. As I said in the previous uniform article, you can buy complete sets for £50-£120 from specialist websites.

As withthe base guard uniform I will need to blanco this webbing too, I shall put a tutorial up detailing this aswell!
This webbing is made up of:

• 2x 37 pattern Bren pouches
• 37 pattern webbing belt
• Water canteen and canteen carrier
• Entrenching tool set
• A pair of cross straps
• Small 37 pattern pack (with contents)
• Bayonet frog 
• Late War Pattern Gas Mask and Bag
•  Auxillary Bren Pouches
• MKII Steel Helmet (Commonly referred to as a Brodie/Tommy Helmet)
•  Tin mug!

The top picture is the minimum kit a regular soldier would carry into battle. They would also have a gas mask, and their small pack.

What we see here is the back of my Bren, and on the right of the picture are two pouches with 3 magazines in each. These pouches are the aux ones, and would have been usually carried by the loader of the bren team. If the loader was to die, as happened occasionally, then the gunner had to transport his own ammunition.

The other thing a loader would carry is the bag for cleaning tools and spare barrels.
This is a complete uniform and is used to show visitors what a soldier would be expected to carry and fight with. I sometimes take the bren with me to beamish, and have the Bren Gunner patch in case I'm challenged.

The army preferred you to gain a trade skill, such as Bren Gunner, Lewis Gunner, Lorry Driver etc.  you earned badges for different courses to use different weapons and equipment. This meant that you are an asset and shows that you can be relied upon to use weapons efficiently.

In my 37 packs (both this one and my RAF one) I always carry my greatcoat. This serves two purposes:

• Firstly, this is Britain, there's always a 99.9% chance the heavens will open and you'll be caught under it!
• Secondly, the overcoat balances out the weight on your chest and gives the padding needed to put your helmet under the cross straps.

It is worth noting that the large pack was not carried in combat, jsut the small pack. A soldier would have removed the greatcoat form it to wear and left the back behind in the truck/carrier.