1950's Jungle Green Uniform - Malaya

[Flying10uk]

This British Jungle Green uniform was well used in Malaya in the period 1957 - 59 by a National Serviceman who was a R.E.M.E. officer attached to the 13th/18th Hussars. Notice the Gurkha flashes on the shirt and jacket. After he left the army the shirt was later given to his son for "dressing up" before the uniform was later gifted to my late father on the condition that the soldier's identity was never disclosed. The shirt has been shortened and it is believed that the jacket buttons are non original.

The "Safe Conduct Pass" came from the same source and was gifted at the same time as the uniform. These were air dropped over the Malayan jungle in areas thought to be hostile and this example is thought to date to the late 1950's.

Information

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[Gil Boyd]

Yes the flap pockets donate its an officer jacket..............."they can't be seen with too many buttons to do up or get caught by the RSM with buttons undone now can they"

[Flying10uk]

These photos are believed to be from the same source as the uniform and are believed to be Malaya.

[Daan Kemp]

The Ferrets seem to be everlasting. Awesome engine it had.

[Gil Boyd]

More than likely shots from during the troubles. They were in evidence in Singapore and Malaya even in the early sixties, when I lived there for 3 years.
REME had big command workshops at NeeSoon.
Peter L might know more

[Peter Laidler]

The big workshops was on the Ayer Rajah Road in Alexandria. That was 40 Base - or Singapore Base as we called it. There were a few workshops scattered about the place for the individual units. My friend Dave Lee was at the Nee Soon sub-district workshop and there was a big Aust/NZ contingent there.

We only had the very thin tuck-in OG (olive green) shirts and our OG shorts and longs were a slightly thicker material. In the Oz summers, the UK issue very light shirts were popular of course. The green oblong with crossed kukri's was the tach sign of 17 Gurkha Inf Brigade as I recall, based up at Seremban and another armoured brigade* based at .......I forget the place but on the East coast, where the big battleships were sunk. They had a yellow oblong with a black cat. The shirts that were worn outside were called jackets but hardly anyone wore them up-country.
* Don't be mislead..... Armour there was just Dingo's, Ferrets and some Saladins. Twelve Centurions were kept in deep storage in Singapore.

BA Ferrett......, indicates a post war vehicle, POST census number. The Dingo's were xxYVxx and xxZYxx, so old census number vehicles

Just remembered it...... KUANTAN on the East Coast!

Oh, yes. The OG uniforms didn't last long. Just weeks on operations and 6 months in camp after the regular beatings by the dohbi wallah. We did have our usual leather soled ankle boots and then BOOTS, combat, the calf length boots. But for ops and military training, lightweight jungle boots made of cloth and rubber. VERY useful with speedy laces that laced up to the middle of the calf. Same again, they only lasted a few weeks but we were never short of kit really.

[Flying10uk]

This additional photo came from the same source as the others above. I assume it to be Malaya?

[Gil Boyd]

Good old BATA boots made locally I believe. Canvas laced uippers and rubber soles