Falklands Kit & Uniform - Parka & Combat Liners

A brief look at the parka and cold weather combat clothing liners worn by British forces during the Falklands War.

[@andrewhaddock7996]

The trousers were one of the best bits of kit ever issued.

[@neilk943]

Those trousers were the best bit of kit the British Army ever issued the infantryman in the 80s. Zipped up over your trousers, you could lay in an ambush position or OP toasty for hours! Easy to get on and off with those side zips on each leg. Also because they were nylon, they were warm even when they were soaking wet.

[@mh53j]

Never knew CW parka had a "cod piece" crotch strap or that liner had sleeves in it, thought all were sleeveless vests. Being in U.S. never had a chance to inspect an actual garment. Have been fascinated and studied/collected any thing to do with Falklands War and British combat uniforms since then. These videos are very informative and comments useful as well. Excellent job!

[@RiflemanMoore]

Glad you found this useful, many thanks for the kind words. More to come soon!

[@GavTatu]

the sleeveless liner was a different piece of kit.

[@wullieg7269]

It also has the Poachers pocket,for carrying dead rabbits.

[@ragnarrthorsen2792]

I have just been getting myself another cold weather parka. CT4B/209. I had one years ago but gave it away and always regretted it. Great bit of kit.

[@campbellbrand8038]

The ECW kit was excellent when used with the green/white waterproofs in lieu of a sleeping bag. The ECW quilted kit was known as the Chinese Fighting suit as per used by Chinese troops in the Korean War.

[@HellYeahBigKev]

I had a set for winter camping back in the day...top item.

[@thefreshprinceofdapto1668]

We used to have a couple of those Falklands parkas in the guardroom when I was based in Germany for the two unfortunate souls on stag to wear in the winter. When the next guy came out to relieve you you'd take the parka off and give it to him to put on. I dont think anyone ever washed them so as you can imagine they were pretty funky

[@RiflemanMoore]

Better than freezing out on stag I guess. I've heard similar unpleasant stories about the later under-jacket body armour issed in Northern Ireland too.

[@thefreshprinceofdapto1668]

@@RiflemanMoore when the alert state went up in Germany we'd have to put on one of the older sets of body armour....and as with the parkas these things were never washed. The backs of the collars looked like someone had used them to wipe an MK dipstick on :(

[@peterfoxton2006]

The dreaded guardroom itch, it made feel itchy reading this....ah the memories not !

[@andrewjohnston4127]

@@peterfoxton2006 the dreaded guard bollocks 😂

[@tseftz]

I got given a few of these inch pattern vests when I was in the ACF around 2008/9 - this was when our unit finally got around to issuing full DPM rather than green demin plus a smock - when some of the miscellaneous items were getting binned from our stores. It was super warm - I ended up giving all but one away to some of the younger cadets as they'd turn up for snowy weekend camps in Yorkshire winters with only t shirts, a shirt and a DP smock for over the top. Still got mine, which is now a gruesome pea green colour, but still wear it on the odd camping trip and bothy stay

[@markplane5994]

I had the sleeveless liner and trousers for years, but just paid 2 quid for a sleeved version in a charity shop. Got it just in time, as this winter could turn nasty.

[@faeembrugh]

Much to my surprise, I found one of the fully lined DPM parkas in an Ankara surplus store (the winters there were bloody freezing). They also had two US M51 parka which I sold to members of the Mod crowd for ridiculous prices on Ebay.

[@iankuc6827]

I've got both the trousers and waistcoat and have been using them for years, they are amazing pieces of kit when it's freezing. Won't use anything else.

[@RiflemanMoore]

They are pretty good with a windproof layer over them, certainly.

[@DavidFraser007]

I had a parka back in the 80s, great for working outdoors in the German winters, it just hung up on the office door, I don't think it was ever washed, it was used be whoever needed it. In the UK we were issued Jacket Foul Weather, a dark green warm waterproof jacket, they were difficult to get hold of as officers and warrant officers wanted them for swanning around in. I was even once issued a kind of a black coloured donkey jacket- duffel coat hybrid.

[@flatmoon6359]

Never saw the trousers on issue,would have loved to get some.Got hold of a parka and it was great kit.Worked on REBRO ,(REBROADCAST STATIONS R Sigs) on top of German mountains and this was great in the Winters.

[@sapperinitiative4773]

Virtually lived in mine, saved me from the four seasons that FI is so famous for. Icey winds on mount Kent, and the cold shoulders in Goose Green!! Still got one stashed just in case!

[@techtinkerin]

Was looking for a cheap gilet/body warmer on eBay, they all looked pretty naff but I found the sleeveless liner for £5, from 1981 it's older than me but looks new and feels warm!!☺️❤️

[@PATTERDALE78]

They were still using the Parker in 2007 2008 we used to have 4 of them as part of the guard kit for the gate men.

[@joekurtz8303]

Picked up one of these parkas recently. Quilt lined hood a nice feature, looking for the inner liner, the fabric is nice and very durable just now found velcro tabs for attachment by watching your video. Size 180× 112 fits well, as I usually get an x-large. Original owner had it tailored in back to take it in, and looks to have sleeves taken up too.the color is slightly different from DPM smock , but got it for historic reasons, been looking for these for 30 yrs and finally found used from keepshooting. com. Rare large sized sell out quick. Have a German inner liner with knit collar, so use this instead of hard to find Brit liner here in the colonies(USA). Thanks for video and insight on this warm bit of kit

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thanks for commenting! Glad you were able to find one, a good bit of kit I have to say though a bit bulky for much moving about in. I've not heard of one being tailored in before which is interesting.

[@GavTatu]

i have a parka which i get out every winter, it really is a great warm bit of kit !

[@RiflemanMoore]

Made to last as well!

[@GavTatu]

@@RiflemanMoore too right !

[@johncamps1337]

To Rifleman moore. What sizes did these jacket liners Come in? Size 1 small Size 2 Medium Size 3 large What sizes after that? I am looking to buy a liner for a smock size 190/120cm. Do you know who sells them at my size? Thanks 👍🏻🙂🧥

[@steveforster9764]

Last time I was issued a parker was in BATUS back in 02 during a Canadian wi ter

[@harshadchaubal5420]

Any link to purcahse the liners

[@hansedavion2844]

I was issued in 83 the parka plus liner and over trousers with liners as well, this on top of the rest of the CW gear, I binned the parka for the artic smock and Norge shirts x 3, how did I get this as medical storeman I had access to the clothing catalogues and so 4 weeks before posting (not deploying), I ordered my gear as stationed close to Bulford Camp home of AMF/L, it was delivered to my unit with my name on it, to this day I still have the artic smock and it wasn’t the wired hood issue as there where two types, one for line troops one for REMF’s, the parkas where okay if you where standing around but if active you needed the smock.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thanks for the info, interesting to read.

[@flatmoon6359]

Blood blanket stackers get all the best kit.

[@jonathanmimnagh8956]

Are these what we're called Mao suits??

[@majorkusanagi3528]

I have a liner without sleeves (vest), on the tag it is written as a wool. Does anyone know what kind of insulation inside?

[@RiflemanMoore]

These examples have the same white plastic filler inside them you find in modern puffer jackets. I'll try and find a ropey one at a show at some point to show the lining material. You're to wash it as wool.

[@majorkusanagi3528]

It is clear, thanks!

[@CivilAffairsSgt]

Do you know where can I find a DPM SAS Smock in 2XL o 3XL short,with liner? Any help is much appreciated. -----D.O.L.-----

[@RiflemanMoore]

I'm afraid British sizing doesn't work that way, if you give me your metric size, height and chest I might be able to help.

[@CivilAffairsSgt]

Rifleman Moore-I am 5'9" which I think is 175cm, and weigh 218 with a 40 inch waist. I am sorry I didn't see this sooner...I apologize, and thank you very much for your help!

[@stinkyfinn6977]

Alan Craig 180/112 should fit you the 112 being chest size in cm, probably eBay if your looking for the artic smock becarefull not to confuse this with the windproof smock or have the buyer tell you it's a sas smock,

[@RiflemanMoore]

Thanks to Stinky Finn for answering, I hadn't seen your reply until he replied in turn Alan, wasn't notified for some reason.

[@steveforster9764]

Was issued one on posting to BATUS

[@RiflemanMoore]

One of which?

[@DavidSmith-hg9jw]

A bit dated but good for the time keela used by hikers all over the globe including mounting rescue light as a feather last for years very tough 💥

[@dialyt1309]

So the second one with the buttons was for the regular combat jacket?

[@RiflemanMoore]

Could you add a time stamp to clarify which you're referring to?

[@dialyt1309]

@@RiflemanMoore 4:45, the one with sleeves and double row of buttons.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Yes, that's the extreme cold weather liner, it could indeed be worn under the regular combat smock.

[@danielspillett5393]

wore my china suit in norway every year also had tent boots made of the same quilted stuff 5 battery royal artillery NATO ace mobile force 1989 .army nickname for quilted suit was china suit

[@RiflemanMoore]

I didn't realise there were boots, very interesting, thanks for the info!

[@jonathanpipe8249]

Always referred to ours as mao suits.

[@davewellings6281]

We knew them as the "Chinese fighting suit"

[@chazt8604]

The trouser liners were not issued until several years after the Falklands war, which is why they are much thicker than the jacket - later design, the jacket liners we never wore (bought our own norgy shirts for under our jumpers and our own t shirts or PT vests for underneath them. We were issued green cotton long johns with the jacket liners in 1983 (when I joined) and got the trousers around 1985/86.

[@RiflemanMoore]

+Chaz t The trouser liners were certainly on issue prior to the Falklands as they exist labelled in the pre-metric sizing system which changed around the end of the '70s/early '80s. There are plenty of photographs of them being worn in the Falklands.I can send you some if you drop me your email. Here's a famous example of the Scots Guards on Tumbledown; chap second from right is wearing the trouser liners externally; www.forces.net/sites/default/files/mounttumbledown.jpg

[@chazt8604]

Hmm what we got was very different manufacturing quality, materials, thickness, effectiveness and designs from the smock liners (which were so thin). We were issued them as new equipment, no one had seen them before - but we were Sappers so not always first to get new kit and it was a period of huge cut backs (partly reversed due to the Falklands). So I assume the smock liners were still in service years before the trouser liners (I have an old set of heavy cotton padded trousers in OG but no idea of date of them, but very thick and heavy). Still got mine along with most of my 1157 and a couple of sets of 58 pattern webbing, used my rubberised poncho for a car cover for years till it perished. As note, we cut down our parka liners to wear under our smocks as they were so much better than the issued smock liner.

[@RiflemanMoore]

+Chaz t As you can see in the video there are two smock liners, the vest, or waistcoat type and the sleeved version which is similar to the parka liner, which were you issued? Both the trouser liners and the sleeved smock liner were considered extreme cold weather items of clothing and were indeed thicker and more padded than the sleeveless version of the smock liner.

[@chazt8604]

Not something I ever saw, we made our own particularly us tracks vehicle drivers (although the CVR (T) drivers had heaters). We could wear the parkas while driving but not otherwise so cut the parker liners down (or raised the hem) to make short enough to wear under our smocks. They may have been (like so much) on limited issue, either from central stores for a particular period or issued to a particular unit (like AMF (L) TP RE who got all the arctic kit), or even trial kit. As opposed to general issue (some blokes always managed to aquire items when issued that way, keep them when they left or the kit was handed back, which is why odd items are seen in some pics at times). I see so much advertised as SAS kit, GW kit, etc etc, when it was on general issue, or issued after the period claimed. I love seeing people serious about the cold war period (donated quite a bit of my kit to a cold war museum in Cornwall). So get a little nerdy or inquisitive lol.

[@borninthewoods4482]

"Simon Moore" it is then!

[@nordic0815]

O god the Chinese fighting suit aka the inners as we used to call them during basic training 😂

[@RiflemanMoore]

Indeed, I've also heard the term Mau suit or Mau trousers used. They are quite similar to Chinese padded cold weather clothing.

[@24540082]

Known to us as a chinese fighting suit... the combat liner was general issue. Everything else was like rocking horse crap... hard to get hold of. I joind in 1980 and didnt see the cold weather kit until at least 84 and then only in the hands of old sweats who had been deployied to Norway as part of ACE Moble Force. More troops had the old style green parkers

[@RiflemanMoore]

A very apt nickname, it looks somewhat like the quilted clothing worn by Chinese troops in Korea and after. It seems a common theme that the cold weather and indeed other kit wasn't seen much elsewhere in the Army. I've read a lot of accounts of troops preparing for deployment down South amazed at just what came out of stores for the Falklands campaign.

[@davidbrennan660]

Chinese fighting Suit.

[@RiflemanMoore]

Indeed so.

[@j24530959]

We used to call the bottoms and top as the japanese fighting suit lol

[@user-co4rs7ob1t]

,,Бобровый хвост,, намекает...что это куртка парашютиста ( десантника).