Shirt
Standard collarless wool shirt buttons down to almost the waist and white cotton braces
although a replacement elastic copy is now available and a lot easier to wear.
Standard collarless wool shirt buttons down to almost the waist and white cotton braces
although a replacement elastic copy is now available and a lot easier to wear.
Jumper
Standard thin wool jumper which if not worn was kept in small pack along with spare underpants and socks.
Standard thin wool jumper which if not worn was kept in small pack along with spare underpants and socks.
Jerkin
The Leather Jerkin dates back to the first world war and was essentially a cold-weather "working" item. Most WW2-era jerkins are made from brown leather, with 4 large plastic buttons on the front, and lined throughout in khaki serge. Many jerkins appear of "patchwork" construction, likely due to wartime economies requiring the use of the smallest scraps of leather. The common brown leather colour may vary from a very light orange-tan right through to a dark brown. Jerkins came in 3 main sizes, marked "1 to 3" (smallest to largest). British WD jerkins can still be found today brand-new, but they are getting scarcer and the price seems to be rising. Loads of them were released from storage in the early 1990's. A "used" example is probably a better bet, especially if you intend to wear it.
The Leather Jerkin dates back to the first world war and was essentially a cold-weather "working" item. Most WW2-era jerkins are made from brown leather, with 4 large plastic buttons on the front, and lined throughout in khaki serge. Many jerkins appear of "patchwork" construction, likely due to wartime economies requiring the use of the smallest scraps of leather. The common brown leather colour may vary from a very light orange-tan right through to a dark brown. Jerkins came in 3 main sizes, marked "1 to 3" (smallest to largest). British WD jerkins can still be found today brand-new, but they are getting scarcer and the price seems to be rising. Loads of them were released from storage in the early 1990's. A "used" example is probably a better bet, especially if you intend to wear it.
Greatcoat
Although an ideal coat for cold weather can become very heavy when it gets saturated and because of its length soon got covered in mud in poor conditions, so became mainly a walking out coat.
Although an ideal coat for cold weather can become very heavy when it gets saturated and because of its length soon got covered in mud in poor conditions, so became mainly a walking out coat.