The Denison Smock - Origins, Evolution, and Impact

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military junk 1

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 44

@aebirkbeck2693 2 ай бұрын

I still have my Denison smock as issued to me in the sixties a bit worn but still hanging in there.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

nice :)

@jimomaha7809 23 күн бұрын

I own 2 1942 dated denisons and 2 1944 dated denisons. The 1942 made were wel made. the sowing very neat When you look at the pockets epaulets the 2 rows of stitching stays nice parlell. Also the edge of the pockets around it has identical distance to the stitching. One of my 1944 with button cuffs, the sowing is quite a different story. The person who had sewn it was not to skilled or drunk. It looks like it was done with haste made by the John Gordon firm. Many of the original smocks made by this firm seems to be sown by not to skilled persons with extreme haste or both, My theory that with the enlargment of the British and foreign airborne units also being issued to commando's there was a need for a lot of smocks fast as possible. Also the fabric used was very suseptable to wear and tear. My other 1944 cuff button smock the sewing quality is quite good. I am convinced that mant wartime smock with full lenght zips were converted postwar so these could be worn with the 1959 pattern smocks who were manufactured with factury issued full lenght zips. India, South Africa, Australia, Belgium produced their version of the Denison. The india camo has the green looking like stripes made by rain. Australian made their own (green) Denison version. Also the Belgians made their own version. The first smocks they made were almost copies in model but green with a vageau brown patches with a longer half lenght zipper or buttons. Later they used a more distinct camouflage paternn. And a bit later buldging pockets. A camouflage paternn used by the American in Vietnam called Oxblood is almost a copy of the ww2 British late denision paternn but the British brown is brick red in the US version.

@militaryjunk 19 күн бұрын

nice. Thanks. Sweden also had Denison smocks but I'm not sure if they made their own.

@wills681 Ай бұрын

I enjoyed this v. much, thank you. There are so many contested opinions when one takes a 'deep dive' into even relatively modern military kit but this was a nicely balanced overview. My own area of interest is the post-war para smock. My 1970's service coincided with the withdrawal of the Denison and the issue of the DPM. There are some interesting tales about that process. 🙂 Possibly, I might have been one of the 'final few' regular recruits issued a Denison at Depot although I believe that TA units used up the surplus for a few years after 1977. I own several post-war Denisons, including the one I was originally issued with. I swapped out a totally knackered army surplus one for the 'new' DPM when the change occurred and kept my own Denison although wearing them at work was forbidden. Back in those days Denisons were as cheap as chips and worn by just about everyone on building sites!

@militaryjunk Ай бұрын

thanks

@payres48 2 ай бұрын

I bought a smock as a teenager in the '60 from a deposal store in Woking, Surrey. I mostly wore it for fishing. It has the wool collar, four patch pockets with buttons and the beaver tail with pop studs. The camo has a brush stroke look. I'm not sure it's WW2 origin. It might be later than that. What's more, I still have it.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

label not intact?

@jamesross1799 2 ай бұрын

I've a replica ww2 one I wear for fishing. You certainly made an investment there mate.

@payres48 2 ай бұрын

@@militaryjunkNo, it tore out years ago.

@redmanred Ай бұрын

@@payres48 hello sir can i buy your smock?

@simonh6371 Ай бұрын

I'd have a look online to compare with Rhodesian brushstroke - although I don't think it's that because they didn't have beaver tails afaik. Or perhaps it's a Belgian Denison, those had small beaver tails. Otherwise I think Portuguese troops in the wars in Angola / Mozambique used brushstroke camo. Whichever it is it's probably worth a fair bit and I am talking hundreds, depending on it's condition.

@davidryan4454 2 ай бұрын

Get the book "Denison", it calls out many of the errors you have made. Eg Windak was an officers smock. Zero evidence it was an early version. Only Brigadiers & above were seen wearing them. Early camo versions were hand painted but later "1st patterns" were roller printed. And had wool cuffs. And tail did not press stud onto the back. 2nd pattern (buttoned cuff" were only printed. Any with full zips were tailored usually using sleeveless oversmock zippers.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

thanks

@vonsprague7913 2 ай бұрын

You repeatedly state that they are not well made, you obviously never had an '85 pattern Para smock issued to you lol. Nice video.

@samb2052 2 ай бұрын

The 85 pattern gear was abysmal. The 50s smocks and the 70s version were great kit. Not sure what the MTP versions were like.

@vonsprague7913 2 ай бұрын

@@samb2052 I joined in 1985 and was issued a '68 pattern (have been told it was probably a '72 pattern!?) and an '85 later on (87 I think). The '85 was bloody awful, although not as bad as the trousers with the big elephants ears pockets flapping around.

@israsantaritanieto3380 2 ай бұрын

@@samb2052From what ive seen the actual MTP Para Smock and other pieces of gear is made in China or India, fabric is nice and soft, from what ive had in MTP its not bad but i think it could be improved in fabrics since it doesnt use something like ripstop and i cant tell you how it works in winter or rainy weathers since in my country theres no snow and rains are heavy but most often its hot afterwards.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

yeap :D

@robertwillis4061 2 ай бұрын

Winston Churchill was so ahead of things.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

yeap

@mikewinston8709 Ай бұрын

I recall how the paras went totally spastic with the introduction of the new DPM smock in the 80’s. I used to see lads adding knitted cuffs to the DPM version. Their self identity seemed to be entirely intrinsically linked to an item of issued clothing.

@militaryjunk 19 күн бұрын

It's interesting then to note that the paras decided not to continue with the Denison smock when DPM was introduced.

@mikewinston8709 19 күн бұрын

@@militaryjunk They had no say in the matter; MOD decision to standardise army dress and get rid of the ‘funny’s’ ……I recall friends in 3 Para in Osnabruck in the 80’s (they were mech infantry) believing that airborne was over. Note that they were mech infantry: they thought they were to be subsumed into a plain line infantry role. In 1975, my cousin in 1 Para was also mech infantry in Berlin.

@paralogregt Ай бұрын

A big regret is that i never kept mine, had the 70’s version and the first dpm pattern.

@militaryjunk Ай бұрын

yeap, that's sad.

@johnkay3824 2 ай бұрын

Wikipedia tells me that the camouflage pattern was developed by a Major Denison.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

That's an error. No one with the name Denison was involved with the development of the smock. The name is probably a corruption of denim.

@jamesross1799 2 ай бұрын

That's what I thought too via Wikipedia.

@jamesross1799 2 ай бұрын

@@militaryjunkwell I live and learn.

@simonh6371 Ай бұрын

@@jamesross1799 Wikipedia is unreliable to say the least, it's always worth verifying via other sources too. It can put you on the right tracks and help you go down rabbitholes via links in the text which is great fun, but I use that to find out more from other sources. Knowing other languages too helps as wiki in other countries often has very different entries, they aren't just translated from English.

@BritishMilitaria Ай бұрын

@@militaryjunk many things were named after MPs of history could it have been named after a John or a William Denison

@NelsonZAPTM 2 ай бұрын

Jolly good show old chap.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

Thanks.

@edkonstantellis9094 2 ай бұрын

Fall Schirm Jäger

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

den svenska denisonen?

@simonh6371 Ай бұрын

@@militaryjunk No he wrote ''paratrooper'' in German, but it's one word so only capital on the first letter. In WW2 they were part of the Luftwaffe though and were initially issued something called a Fliegerbluse (flying jacket/shirt) , the same as other Luftwaffe personnel.

@markyoungman148 Ай бұрын

@@militaryjunk No. He's trying to teach you how to stop mangling his language, and to pronounce it correctly. This is also possible via google, these days.

@inky4763 2 ай бұрын

Good effort. I don't want to disparage you but I'd lose the completely era inappropriate music and try to record the sound with something other than a gramophone.

@militaryjunk 2 ай бұрын

thanks for the feedback.