Militaria Collectibles Original Period Items

Uniforms Insignia

Uniforms Insignia

Khaki Drill

North Africa and the Mediterranean

British Commonwealth infantry manning a sandbagged defensive position near El Alamein, 17 July 1942.

In the early campaigns in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre, British troops wore khaki drill (KD) shorts or slacks with long sleeved Aertex shirts. The tan color, paler shade of KD was more suited to desert or semi-desert regions than the "dark khaki" or brown serge used in Battle dress. When the Allies moved up through Italy, however, two-piece khaki denim battledress overalls where increasingly preferred. By 1943, the KD shirt began to be replaced by a more durable cotton KD bush jacket.

Far East

Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, GOC of Malaya at the time of the Japanese invasion, wearing the officer's KD bush jacket

Lt Gen. Arthur Percival, led by a Japanese officer, walks under a flag of truce to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces in Singapore, on February 15, 1942. All wear standard KD with shorts.

In the Far East, the British found themselves at war with the Japanese while equipped with the impractical KD uniform. Shirts and trousers had to be dyed green as a temporary expedient until more suitable jungle clothing became available. A new tropical uniform in Jungle Green (JG) was quickly developed a JG Aertex battledress blouse, a JG Aertex bush jacket (as an alternative to the blouse) and battledress trousers in JG cotton drill. In the hot and humid conditions of Southeast Asia, JG darkened with sweat almost immediately.

Post World War Two

The 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles in JG marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan in May 1946 as part of the Allied forces of occupation.

Field Marshal (UK) Claude Auchinleck as C-in-C of the British Indian Army, with the then Viceroy Wavell and Montgomery. All in the full dress variant of KD.

The khaki Battledress was used until the late 1960s, and various uniform items in KD, JG and OG remained on issue to soldiers serving in the Mediterranean, Middle East or tropics after the war. By the end of the 1940s, however, stocks were becoming depleted, and a new 1950-pattern tropical uniform was made available in both KD and JG. It was poorly designed, with an ill fitting bush jacket in the much-maligned Aertex, and suspender buckles that dug in to the hips when marching in full kit. Eventually the much more practical Gurkha regiments JG shirt was copied, replacing the 1950-pattern bush jacket. All the same, troops still sought out the older, wartime, issues of the better KD, JG and OG kit.

See also

Battledress

military uniforms

Khaki

References

^ Burns, Michael G. (1992). British Combat Dress Since 1945. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-984-9. 

DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material by Hardy Blechman and Alex Newman, DPM Ltd. (2004) ISBN 0-9543404-0-X

Behrens, Roy R. (2002). FALSE COLORS: Art, Design and Modern Camouflage. Bobolink Books. ISBN 0-9713244-0-9. 

Khaki: Uniforms of the CEF by Clive M. Law (Service Publications, 1998).

Dressed to Kill: Canadian Army Uniforms in World War Two by Michael Dorosh (Service Publications, 2001). ISBN 1-894581-07-5

Khaki Drill and Jungle Green: British Army Uniforms in the Mediterranean & Asia 1939-1945, In Color Photographs by: Richard Ingrams and Martin Brayley, 144 pages Crowood Press (UK) ISBN 9781861263605

External links

www.canadiansoldiers.com: extensive discussion of Canadian Army uniforms, insignia, and traditions from 1900-2000

Site which offers KD reproductions

Canadian forces Military Police Museum site with lotsa pics

v  d  e

Fabric

Woven

Aertex  Airdura  Airguard  Barathea  Barkcloth  Batiste  Bedford cord  Bengaline silk  Beta cloth  Bombazine  Broadcloth  Buckram  Bunting  Burlap  C change  Calico  Cambric  Canvas  Chambray  Capilene  Char cloth  Charmeuse  Charvet  Cheesecloth  Chiffon  Chino  Cloth of gold  Duck  Coutil  Crape  Cretonne  Dazzle  Denim  Dimity  Dowlas  Drill  Drugget  Foulard  Flannel  Gabardine  Gauze  Ghalamkar  Gingham  Grenadine  Grenfell Cloth  Grosgrain  Habutai  Haircloth  Harris Tweed  Herringbone  Himroo  Hodden  Irish linen  Jamdani  Kerseymere  Khd  Khaki  Khaki drill  Kente cloth  Lam  Lawn  Linsey-woolsey  Loden  Lumalive  Mackinaw  Madapolam  Madras  Moleskin  Moquette  Muslin  Nainsook  Nankeen  Ninon  Oilskin  Organdy  Organza  Osnaburg  Ottoman  Oxford  Percale  Pongee  Poplin  Rakematiz  Rayadillo  Rep  Rinzu  Ripstop  Ripstop nylon  Russell cord  Saga Nishiki  Samite  Sateen  Satin  Saye  Scarlet  Seersucker  Serge  Scrim  Stuff  Taffeta  Toile  Tucuyo  Tweed  Twill  Ultrasuede  Ventile  Vinyl coated polyester  Viyella  Voile  Wigan  Whipcord  Windstopper  Zephyr  Zorbeez

Figured woven

Brocade  Camlet  Damask  Songket

Pile woven

Baize  Chenille  Corduroy  Crimplene  Fustian  Plush  Polar fleece  Terrycloth  Velours du Kasa  Velvet  Velveteen  Zibeline

Nonwoven

Felt

Knitted

Boiled wool  Coolmax  Machine knitting  Milliskin  Jersey  Velour

Netted

Bobbinet  Carbon fiber  Fishnet  Lace  Mesh  Needlerun Net  Ninon  Tulle

Technical

Ban-Lon  Darlexx  Gannex  Gore-Tex  Smartwool  Silnylon  Spandex  Stub-tex  SympaTex

Patterns

Argyle  Herringbone  Houndstooth  Paisley  Pin stripes  Plaid/Tartan   Tattersall

Textile fibers

Acrylic  Alpaca  Angora  Cashmere  Coir  Cotton  Hemp  Jute  Kevlar  Linen  Mohair  Nylon  Microfiber  Olefin  Pashmina  Polyester  Pia  Ramie  Rayon  Sea silk  Silk  Sisal  Spandex  Spider silk  Wool

Finishing and printing

Batik  Beetling  Bglanfini  Calendering  Finishing  Fulling  Mercerization  Moire  Roller printing  Sanforization  Textile printing  Woodblock printing

Related

Dyeing  Fiber  History of textiles  History of silk  Knitting  Pandy  Synthetic fabric  Technical fabric  Terminology  Manufacturing  Preservation  Weaving  Yarn

Categories: Military uniforms
About the Author

I am Cheap On Sales writer, reports some information about wine bottle candle holders , bicycle car carriers.

Where does the rank insignia get positioned on a class a uniform?

i just got promoted to e-2 so i have to get it sewed on and the woman that is going to do it for me wants a picture and explanation just to verify that it has not changed since she last did one. i don't know if it matters but i am a female.
I NEED A PICTURE I KNOW IT GOES BETWEEN THE SHOULDER AND ELBOW!!!!!

See AR 670-1, Chapter 28.7.
Rank insignia should be centered between the shoulder seam and the elbow.

The Neighborhoods - Uniforms and Insignia - Boston, MA 10/24/10