Looking good in the field

[Vagabond]

Right lads, I was on the lash at the weekend with on old rock mate and at stupid a clock in the morning we got onto the subject of looking good in the field.

Pongo's are always having a dig at us for having loads of "Gucci" kit and not doing feck all. What makes them so angry about our field dress that makes them rage to the point of insanity? Fcuk em I say and lets embrace our windproof jackets and 5 jimpys hanging off a stripped down lannie to wind them up even more!

What was the "look" when you were in?
Whats the in thing at the moment?

I was a nineties gunner and I remember

1. Windproof Jacket, tape on the buttons, sewn on woollen cuffs, suitably faded with a few rips

2. Danner or other non-issue boots.

3. Webbing, 58 pattern with all ammo & water bottle pouches. No kidney pouches (very basic training)

4. Webbing 95 pattern, no resi pouch, a bit of sand or white coloured paint dabbed on (depending of theatre of course), karibiner, prisoner handling kit on show, bayonet frog on top, big feck off knife for all to see.

5. Tropical DPM or any that was non- issue at the time.

6. Webbing and chest rig for extra mags.

7. M16 20 round mag for tracer.

8. No CBA

9. NI gloves (trigger finger cut off) maybe aircrew gloves.

10. Buffalo tops.


Anymore chaps, blue jobs feel free to join in I need a larf!

 

[TSLFC]

DT_Xtremez_30: As an early 70's gunner the way you could differentiate between a group of pongos and a bunch of Rocks was that none of the Rocks were dressed the same.

I was on a 40/70 squadron at Catterick and I must admit some of the uniform that got passed the scrutiny of Chiefy at morning parade was bordering on the insane. Forty shades of green on the OGs, stable belts, webbing belts, face veils used as crevat type things, blokes with extensions on their boots others with putees, every conceivable way of wearing a beret you could think of, belts over jerseys belts under jerseys, chains to make the OGs 'hang right'. The list is endless.

From what I've seen in the press and on the news recently of the lads in the sand pit and other unsavoury areas of the world this seems to be one little quirk that the Regiment have let slip - thank feck!!!!!

Whatever they're wearing their still better soldiers than the average grunt - which is why they probaly get hissed off about it. Standby for an Arrse raid!!DT_Xtremez_42: DT_Xtremez_28:

Per ardua.

 

[Trenchards Ghost]

I remember being in Norway (early 90's)when a we were working with 2 sqn rocks. I was accompanying a 1 star general and his lackies around the site. He asked said lacky who a group of you lot were on the other side of the hangar remarking on their non uniformity of dress the lacky answered that they were regt to which general says "Oh that explains it then." and walks off. It did seem to be a thing to see how many different standards of dress they could manage on any one parade.

Bet you still never looked this good in the field though.

 

[Bill Bones]

The Noughties Gunner

58 Patt belt instead of issue (when in the field)

Old style Windproof, now with sewn on knitted cuffs (Cheers DrunkenMonki) and grenade pull ring on zip.

'Flat Cap' Beret

Sandbags on the back of webbing.

Non issue daysac

Green fabric tape over everything.


Guilty as charged your honour.... DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[TSLFC]

The full monty was a Denison Smock - oldee worldee para smock for the uninitiated - they were like rockin'g 'orse droppings - very hard to get hold of, but the posers loved 'em. ******

We did have a CO ****** in the Falklands in 82 who liked to dress in Army issue cavalry drill trousers, brown brogues and an Army Officer's Blue Jersey with his squaddie rings on. Upon turning up at HQ BFFI for a breifing he was given a b@ll@cking by the Brigadier, asked if he was in Fred Carno's Army and sent back to Black Eagle with tail between legs to get properly dressed. Of course en route he told his driver to keep his mouth shut DT_Xtremez_06: - which of course he didn't DT_Xtremez_28:

Per Ardua

 

[GunnerP]

DPM Patrol Packs

Windproof TROUSERS

Officers silk lined Beret (From Staiths at Cranwell)

Highly polished brass cap badge (we probably all met some oik who accidentally wore the Kings crown oneDT_Xtremez_09: )

Boot Zips

Camel Backs (before we used to go anywhere hot)

Feck off big knives ( my favouite one was owned by a 66 guy who had ground a machete into the shape of a huge Bowie knife, and spent hours honing it on a wetstone with a vacant stare in his eyesDT_Xtremez_35: )

PVR Chits/Sick notes (QCS only)

P

 

[Red-Rock]

In the 90's definately went with the windproof smock with tape on the buttons and knitted cuffs or a para smock that I got off a mate on II Sqn, buffalo shirt (black one) and Danner boots. When the Danners died I went for Alt-Bergs.

58 pattern webbing with loads of waterbottle pouches and my USMC fighting knife and a few plasticuffs attached onto the d-rings on the yoke.

In Ireland I had a combat vest similar to the current issue ones that I had got off a mate who was on a trial unit.

Funnily enough I still have my 20rd M16 mag aswell. Tape round the bottom of it with a webbing loop for pulling it out of the pouch.

Also still got my fingerless NI gloves (padded knuckles) and a couple of pairs of aircrew gloves.

I know the pongos sl@g us for it but I would rather be comfy in the field by buying a few bits of gucci kit than suffer in the old issue stuff. No harm in looking good either.DT_Xtremez_15:

 

[Tim P]

The only place I ever saw anything like uniformity was on the squre at Uxbridge and even then toecapless 'RAF pattern' boots were quite commonplace for working dress. I've tried everything in my time from Zips in the boots, vests, chest rigs, wore out more windproofs than I care to remember, mixed them with tropicals, Norwegian sweater, helly hansen, buffalo tops (never did invest in a buffalo bag) posey kit just defines the regt. On station the mix of KD and OG shirts, all kinds of belts and boots used to astonish me.

 

[black_maskers]

48 Sqn in the early90's was

WORKING DRESS

leather banded beret with brass cap badge

short sleeve KD shirt (belize old sweats)

brassard with sqn DZ

58 pattern belt /stable belt with bulled eyelets

two tone OG's

chains in bottom of OG's

boots (jungle if possible) with bulled eyelets

LDO LIGHT DRINKING ORDER

black t-shirt

barbour waxed jacket

blue jeans

dessert boots

 

[Red-Rock]

48 Sqn in the early90's was

WORKING DRESS

leather banded beret with brass cap badge

short sleeve KD shirt (belize old sweats)

brassard with sqn DZ

58 pattern belt /stable belt with bulled eyelets

two tone OG's

chains in bottom of OG's

boots (jungle if possible) with bulled eyelets

LDO LIGHT DRINKING ORDER

black t-shirt

barbour waxed jacket

blue jeans

dessert boots

What sort of dessert, MFP or choc sponge.DT_Xtremez_15:

Welcome on board black_maskers. The more the merrier.

Just a quick reminder about persec and opsec issues.

Please visit http://www.e-goat.co.uk/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=10 before you continue posting.

 

[Blackpig]

Survival Aids!

Survival Aids!

This thread has brought back many amusing memories - guys always looking out for brass beret badges, the detachments to Belize (80s) which always offered some entrepreneur the chance to get the lads to club together for discounted purchases from Survival Aids (whatever really happened to them in the 90s?). Gore-tex hooped bivvies, para-smocks which weren't really (and never got worn around any II Sqn guys!), doing your utmost to blacken up jungle boots once back in Blighty so you could still wear them. Chains in the bottom of OGs - Sqn WOs "clanking" around the place.

80s footwear amongst the Scottish Rapier force was something to behold, people swearing by flying boots, jungle boots, why High Leg Combat would never be better than ankle-high DMS with putties (!) - yep, and some old sweats wearing putties so faded they were nearly white! Flight parades were always something to behold. Newbies who hadn't been to Belize would do anything to get hold of KD shirts so they could stop wearing "hairy marys".

Must stop - nostalgia is making the eyes well up!

DT_Xtremez_09:
Staring out to 1000yds...