Sniper's Smock Ghillie S 1945

[Nigel]

I've been trying to find the recent thread where Peter refers to the typical summer dress of British/Canadian snipers in 1944 Europe. The item Peter refers to is pictured in the photo of a pair of No.3 Commando snipers in Normandy about to be sent out on a mission (sniper on the left is wearing what looks like a giant green string vest with sleeves and a hood. And then I saw one at a militaria fair - with a label marked Smock Ghillie S and on the reverse a Broad Arrow and 1945. What look like holes made by moths are actually equally spaced and I believe are for a draw string. It was in unused condition. Very rare because I can't see how this would survive more than a couple of months crawling and stuffing vegetation in to it.

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[Roger Payne]

Nige, have you run the existence of this garment past HF? If anyone is likely to have come across it it would be him.......

[Peter Laidler]

Never saw anything like that. The ones from the early 60's onwards-ish were all hand made of smelly old used hessian and hastily daubed with various green drab and black paint.

[Peter Laidler]

Had some other thoughts about that.......... There's a saying that if something LOOKS too good to be true, then guess what..............? It probably is! Especially if that is dated 1945 and made of a nylon type material (from the sealed ring holes).

Annanuvverfing too........ While not being into the Army stores systen except to see what I could lberate from it, all clothing and textile materials are fully labelled. And the manufacturers dont usually use a John Bull printing set when they are formulating their products. Just an opinion based on nothing more than been in one or two stores.............

[Gil Boyd]

Peter,
I probably have to agree with that. It looks too new in terms of the weave I'm afraid and in its current weave it would be more of an incumberance than of use to a sniper, worn on the outside, unless you had already setup your OP, than it would be of use.
Faceveils are woven completeley different and pre 60 camouflaged ones stand out heads and shoulders above all the green newer ones. If you remember back they were cravat size and not often bigger, to wrap round binos, to break up shape/shine, shadow bla bla or to keep your neck warm!!.

I have a couple of very expensive books, which detail the Denison Smock and other Headgear used from 1941 onwards, and nowhere does it show a Gillie suit made out of "scrim" on its own in that weave.
Sorry to pass on my negative opinion, but I assume that is what you sought, honest views?

[bigduke6]

While not being into the Army stores systen except to see what I could lberate from it

Isn't that a punishable offence ?

[Gil Boyd]

You know Peter, he would enter the store with the obligatery dog or dogs and whilst the storeman was stroking them and going Coey ahhhh, Peter would be filling his pockets

[Bindi2]

Isn't that a punishable offence ?

only if out ranked by the blanket stacker.

[PrinzEugen]

I understand the army stores person sees his job as being to avoid issuing any of his beautifully stacked wares. Any issue sanctioned or otherwise would clearly come under the unauthorized withdrawal heading.

[Nigel]

Somewhat stunned by the responses which seem to ignore the picture of the sniper actually wearing the item in 1944. It is not made of nylon, the equally spaced holes are not sealed and it has got that distinctive smell of items that are that old. I'll do some more digging.