The Navy used to call em EVOLUTIONS.......
What the hell were they called by the Marines....Standing on Parade full kit and some High up Rupert would ask you to provide him with a Rabbit supper! I'm sure the 1st Drills's lad would breed em for this sole purpose, You could get asked to do anything and usually had 12 hours to do it.... Luckily I missed the opportunity to get caught but many did'nt......
Any reminiscences?
Aye
The Honourable Lord Mike of Loch Borralan
.........................Because I AM Worth IT..xxxx.......Never Mistake Motion for Action
Lovats first came into being around 1962/63. I know this because as Adjutants Orderly at Eastney in July 1963 I was told that I would model the new uniform at a Garden Party to be held at Sheet House (near Pompey) A day which has been etched in my memory and one that still makes me cringe.
Highly chuffed at getting given this honor and well made up to think it might even improve the trapping stakes at the party. I trotted down to the Clothing Store for my first fitting of this fantastic new uniform.
First they were of the version rough- really rough and hairy, they made a battle dress look bald I had kittens trying to press it,beacuse they was no amount of half dollars rubbing to bring this thing back to life if you singed it. Second it had corporals stripes on, and last but not least I was to be the Corps only 18 year old corporal who had been awarded about ten medals for being one of the ‘Chosin Frozen’ . The guy who it had been made for had gone outside at the end of his 22 'a walking hero'.
Unable to take off the stripes or medal ribbons as it would leave a mark I ended up going to the party wishing I was not so skin and feeling like an extra in the 'Three Green Bears'. There was no comparison to todays Lovat colour this thing was made in bearskin two clicks down from Robin Hood Green.
On the way to the hooley we gave a Perce a lift and I can always remember him sitting there in the back of the three tonner looking at me, wondering what the hell I was and no doubt thinking that I must have looked young for my senior years.
The hooley was not too bad as it was RMA. Understanding my situation they took the piss in the nicest possible way and all agreeing that they did not think much of the suit or its colour. I remember trying to hide away so much I missed scran and worse still the free ice cream.
All I remember was going on draft not wanting a set of something that made you look like a ‘green bear’- luckily by the time I came back from 45 they had shaved of the hair, introduced a new colour and the smooth shirts, so life was not so bad after all.
'Until proved otherwise' indeed! Cunning ploy! But you know no one can!
Anyway, unless those DLs told me lies (surely not ) I'm going with the Lord Lovat connection!
Hang on! I've just remembered I've got a copy of the OED in my study! I'll check it out and see if it throws any light on this profound and immensely important problem.
According to sticky it's going anyway and all ranks will have to buy a black tie because of the new blues! (bet the KUA will stay the same)
Further to my mention of number 6's. The rig was Number 6's trollies, GP shirt, dessie wellies, (a must!) Staybright RM's, Green lid and adonised capbadge. Plus unit Lanyard. (being a ships marine we used to wear whatever lanyard we had. I used to use me light blue 40CDORM one, well it matched me eyes. Smoooooooooooth as buggery!
"Hi there big boy, do you want to come back to my place?"
"O yes please!!!" (only the once, but.......it happened, honest!) Oie liokes them there Yanks!
Extract from Royal Marines 1919 - 1980. James D. Ladd.
On 1 April 1964 Lovat suits were introduced, with the distinctive dark green infill in their khaki weave. They are worn as an alternative to blues for certain ceremonial parades, by sentries and other duty men, and for walking out when ashore.
Im not sure what they were called, but Serge would fit the description.
The person who gave them the go ahead was not all there in the head and definatley not of this world, especially if they thought they were to take over from BD.
I note Mike remembers having to get green webbing white when he was a Junior. Just think how easy it would be today with some of the items that are on the market.
I remember a Junior useing a mixture of bleach and Ajax to clean his belt. Just like his dad had told him to! Sadly he did not remember the mix and the result was a green/white belt that disintegrated and himself in and four others in the sickbay for two days having gassed the cleaning room.
Must be right Andy, I know they came in whilst I was still out in Aden. On foreign service leave I drove down from Derbyshire to Pompey to get kitted out with a set. I knew what it would be like turning up amongst all the lovats wearing a ginger suit. I didn't object to being out of fashion but still even now subscribe to `keep a low profile'. A ginger suit at that time would have stood out like hairs on a dogs do dahs.
Artist... KUA!!! That went out a while back now. We now 'One for one' everything. Each piece of kit has a life and unless the storeman is a good egg he will check your book and see if it is due for replacement.
Drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed...
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Wasn't that what kept us smart (ie we looked after out kit) I remember one of those apocryphal stories that the Guards' uniforms were often patched/threadbare (or, at least, not upto parade standard) because they were on a one-for-one exchange routine.
Mind you I do remember getting a brand new set of Blues and then leaving for Singers for 18 months. On return, on the first Adjutant's parade I had I was ordered to get a new set of Blues as mine didn't fit properly. Aarrgghh!
)
But you know no one can! 
