Description
Physical description
Heavy-duty camouflage over-smock, single-breasted, made of windproof cloth material, fitted with a neck to lower skirt zip opening, has four pockets and knitted (replacement) cuffs. The collar is square cut and lined with khaki flanel shirt material. The pockets are square and deep, closed by pointed flaps that are secured by metal press-studs. Epaulettes are fitted to the shoulders and a long 'tailpiece' flap is attached to the rear skirt of the smock, intended to be drawn up between the legs of the wearer and fastened to the inside of the front skirt by six press-studs, placed in pairs of three. Two tabs of cloth are fitted to either side of the skirt, secured and adjustable by having metal push studs that engage into others fitted to the hem. Under the rear of the collar (seen when upturned) is sewn a rectangle of white fabric (a night patrol visibility/recognition marker).
The smock is camouflage printed with bold 'brush strokes', dark green and brown on a light khaki field. Sewn to the upper right sleeve are cloth emroidered parachutist's qualification wings.
This garment has seen much hard-wearing and has many ebrasions and minor rips to the fabric, some of which have been repaired by hand. The knitted cuffs are clearly replacements, being of black wool. There is evidence of officer's cloth rank pips once being present, now removed, the colour of the fabirc to the epaulettes suggesting Lieutenant Colonel. To the right breast pocket was once a glued patch of circular form, the residue of the glue still evident.
Label
The final pattern of the Airborne Forces' cherished Denison smock, this example has seen hard service wear in the early 1970s.