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Originally Posted by
Flying10uk
Possibly there was a lightweight version for use in hot climates?
There is a denim version, and a lightweight KD version for the Far East.
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08-26-2017 10:48 AM
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Definitely a tank suit, would say pen holders etc on the left, for the pens of the day such as fountain pen, maybe some kind of marker for the map case etc.
Found this while looking for something else in a book I've had since I was a kid (The Armed Forces of World War 11, uniforms, insignia and organisation) although it says drawings many are original photographs that have been copied or drawn over...
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Inside a tank in action it gets roasting hot, whatever the weather. Certainly in the Centurions and (the very few) Chieftains of my time and the tankies just wore the issue green (or dyed black) boiler suits. And even then they would be pulled down and the arms tied round the waist with just a tee shirt on top. Can't say about wartime tanks of course but believe me, inside a working tank turret soon became like a greenhouse and you soon start to sweat. I think the medical term for this perspiration process was known as '....sweating your bollocks off' according to the good Dr Roger Payne. Tank suits like that...... not in my day
I'm surprised that no ones come up directing us all to a Tank Suit collectors web-site. Well...., not yet anyway!
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 08-27-2017 at 08:17 AM.
Reason: to add a bit.....
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Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
bigduke6
Definitely a tank suit,
Yes, seen.
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
Mk VII
There is a denim version, and a lightweight KD version for the Far East.
Yes, there was indeed a denim version.
I've not seen a KD version, as in typical KD colour, but there was a green lightweight version for use in the Far East, Tank Suit Jungle it was labelled. It was made of drill, but, a lightweight 'poplin' type material. I know someone with one in their collection - very rare today, I've only ever seen two of them in the past 20 years.
There was a KD tank suit earlier in the war, (as per the traditional early and pre-war black version) but it wasn't the same pattern as this one.
There was also a camo version of the 'winter' suit as well, which was the same colour pattern as the camo windproof smocks.
The 'winter' tank suit was known as the 'Pixie suit' and were more often also used by Recce units in armoured cars, such as the Dingo etc. I used to help out with a few Armoured Recce Regt veterans associations back in the 90's and those guys were glad to have their Pixie suits in the winter of 44/45 in NWE!!!
20 years ago they were easy to find still, but good condition ones (especially in large size) are despite what a previous poster said, not that easy to come by now.
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
GeeRam
but there was a green lightweight version for use in the Far East, Tank Suit Jungle it was labelled. It was made of drill, but, a lightweight 'poplin' type material. I know someone with one in their collection
Would there be any possibility of getting a few pictures of it, please, to post here? Thanks for the information.
Is the Tank Suit that I have the winter version then? I assume that it is from the weight of the material.
Last edited by Flying10uk; 08-27-2017 at 07:31 PM.
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I'm not too sure that I'd agree that there was a jungle version of the tank suit. Certainly the British didn't have ANY tanks out in the Far East or East of Suez after 1967. And those we did have out there before that were disposed of to Australia (and NZ?) and shipped straight to SVn, complete with the British type 07ZR22 type numbers. Even then, there were only 6 Centurions that couldn't really go anywhere far from their storeage facility in Nee Soon because the roads and defenately the bridges couldn't take the 60 ton weight. They were taken out of the hangar once a year and run-up by crews who had to come out from the UK just for it. No tanks there. The notion of wearing a tank suit in a tank in Singapore or Malaya defies belief. Sorry chaps.......... Been there, seen them, worked inside them and when the main engines are running - to power the stuff - it's already an oven. And then you've got the sun. Nope, PT shorts and boots (filled with water to keep cool) were the order of the day I'm prepared to be corrected, but based on the bleedin' obvious and all that..........
Last edited by Peter Laidler; 08-28-2017 at 04:33 AM.
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Legacy Member
---------- Post added at 12:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:17 PM ----------
Originally Posted by
Flying10uk
Is the Tank Suit that I have the winter version then? I assume that it is from the weight of the material.
Yes, its the winter suit.
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Thank You to GeeRam For This Useful Post:
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Legacy Member
Page 117 from the book Khaki Drill & Jungle Green by Brayley & Ingram
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Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
GeeRam
Yes, its the winter suit.
I've done time inside armor during our frozen cold of mid January in our prairies and would have enjoyed something like this for added warmth when hugging up against the hull. Still, without a heater, it wouldn't be enough.
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