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The old great-coat was a good piece of kit, made to keep a man warm under most circumstances. Unlikee the pongo coat, it was well fitted and had a collar that covered your ears when turned up (collar not ears).


Remember the Canadian BD well,Jim, looked good with boxed pleats.!!!


Aye Owdun

Mike.... Number 1 Cermonial Tropical, or Full Whites. The Royal Yacht Band used to wear full whites whilst the remainder of us wore half whites (blues trousers and white tunic) for the last few years we have all worn full whites including the white boots. Chokie dhobi bloke loves the full whites... lots of dollar!!

So are the old Pith Helmets still issued, Corps of Drums and Bandies excluded?
The only otheres who were issued as party of thier clothing scale were ships detatchments. I had one that I never returned on Demob, but for the life of me I cant find it now, probably lost in the multitudes of house moves, I never did have the Brubswick Star of the chin starp....Just the Ball and vent from the top.!

.
Aye

Pith Helmet,still got mine wear it in the Garden,went into tropical routine last week,her indoors wanted to turn it into a hanging basket no way.Still got a set of No 8s but I think they must have shrunk? cant fit into em,also got a lightweight green Blanket proffed from Singers tried to get it back from the dog basket but the B*****D keeps growling at me.Aye JR

Detachments still pass out in them as far as I know. ANY Royal Marine can wear NO1 Ceremonial or Whites... they are not just for the band. Brunswick Star is about £3 from the store i think, the chin stay about £40 and the ball top about £10 I don't have a clue about a helmet though.... not cheap!

Further to the thread of the Ginger Suit, and the smell of burnt.....er......Ginger Suit, a distinct oder that even today haunts my nostrils. The other item of clothing that was far worse to wear was the Hairy and Coarse Woolen Shirts that were issued,this item was designed to chafe the arm pits of all Junior Marines, especially when sweat was applied and which when washed, appeared to soak up all the liquid in the wash bowel, then when rung out would distort and make Ironing the damb item an act of pure hell
Aye

Hey Mike,ya forgot the vests woolen,underpants woolen,socks woolen and a 'bloody' towel that did'nt do much for the complexion (Skin).Aye JR

Anyone know how to get 'old paint' of a helmet WP???

Those hairy shirts (shirts AP, angola pattern I think) were still in when I left in 88!

My last trip away, Ascension for a joint staff do saw me using me initiative
and drawing tropicals to the chagrin of numerous officers who hadnt!

So there I was in me made up rig (tropicals, corps pattern belt, beret shiny badge and arm band!) lovely and cool getting asked by a three pipper sweating in denims and shirt ap why I was wearing why I was?

I replied it was 'in the pamphlet' as RM Police tropical rig etc and was official so I got away with it!!

Angola shirts....Yuk!

I got some old hairy shirts and removed the collars and sewed the collars onto some OG shirts. Looked the part and no bloody itching.

One exercise the OC told us to remove our wooly pullys as it was a tad hot. He had a fit when he saw 3/4's of the blokes had done the same as me! Green shirts and brown collars. No sense of humour at all. (I reckon he was annoyed because he hadnt thought of doing it himself)

"Sgt/Major put all those men on a charge!" (Sgt/Major still had his wooly pully on) Yep he'd done the same.

Artist

sticky

don't you wear a big tiger skin job?

bongo

Owdun I know w hat you mean about greatcoats, we didn't live in a house with central heating until I was 12. I knew winter had arrived because I got my dads old RM greatcoat as an extra 'blanket'.

It was a damn sight warmer than the threadbare 'utility mark' blankets that were the alternative.


Oh the joys of freezing lino and scraping frost off the inside of the windows.

Sticky , Way do our Drummers yomp up front when in all other military bands I have seen the drummers are always tail end charlies. Personaly I love the Drummes up front thin red stripe and all.
(Please play Thunder Birds)

Thanks guys - a fantastic thread! :laola: :laola:

This is what I love about this forum. All you smart asses coming up with reminiscences about things in the Corps I'd forgotten about - or never experienced.

I've mentioned elsewhere that when I arrived at deal expecting to see a guy in Blues and Pith helmet this was this guy in a green (Lovat) uniform shouting at me! So much for Corps advertising in the early 60's!!!

Jim,do you remember the Major Generals inspection at Deal. Each squad had to remove a different item of kit, ours was BD tunic and trousers, all this taking place on the main parade, and woe betide the poor bastard with the mickey mouse bracers.We stood there ,stiff and still in our drawers and vest woolen,while the old pratt and his entourage pranced up and down the ranks,taking the piss.Dont you just love the STAFF.

Aye Owdun.

Frank that brings back some Memories Major Generals inspection,Who was the one wearing a multi coloured T shirt under his best Blues,A deathly hush decended over the main Parade,then it happened 'You there' Yes you the man dressed like something out of a comic opera,Get on the Flank and a titter ran around the parade (No not that sort of titter).Aye JR