Describes 300 uniforms o.l'lltt' ltrst l(l(tyearsfrom all ouer llt.e rrttr"ltl

S uperbtg tttustraied' w it. tr..li t I I t r t I r t t r r

artworks

fnclud.es o "o*oi"hensipt' irtrlt't .lirr

edsu referen,t:t'

Copyright O 2002 Amber Books Ltd

First published in 2002 f,or Grange BooksAn imprint of Grange Books plc

The GrangeKingsnorth Industrial Estate

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All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

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ISBN: 134013-476-3

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Proiect Editor: Charles CattonEditor: Vanessa Unwin

Design: Mike Rose

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PICTURE CREDITSTRH Pictures

o" o*'".'^l#Y:"ff otT*?iT.'o'"''*

CONTENTS

Introduction

Abyssinia to Austria-Hungary

Bangladesh to Biafra

Cambodia to Czechoslovakia

Denmark to Dhofar

Egypt to Eritrea

Finland to France

Germany

Greece to Hungary

7

74

3l

38

54

58

64

89

119

India to ltaly

Japan to Malaya

Netherlands to Nigeria

Pakistan to Portugal

Rhodesia to Romania

South Africa to Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

USSR/Russia

Vietnam to Yugoslavia

Index

130

162

176

186

195

202

213

253

286

304

313

lntroductionTlhe hletortcal study of military uniforms has a broader significance than isI €cmmonly appreciated. ,a. military uniform, aflter all, signals the practical,

FSlnental, even ideological priorities of the soldier on the battlefield. Thus,t l{€ ealt our eye over the history of mititary clothing, we see not onry thed!ryley of reglmental pride or ethos, but alsoa barometer for the changes inlrufua ltcelf. shifts in battlefield technology and tactics have demanded newHadcr ol dreas and equipment and new ways of understanding the nature ofgfr€d €onftlct.

Nowhcre is this change better illustrated than in the transformations ingnlform design within the twentieth century. During world war l, particularlyln lil4 and 1915, an officer belonging to the AustrLn Hussars would often betefn ln battle in a striking blue Attila jacket with gold braiding, scarletFantaloons, a ceremonial cutlass slung on his hip, and sometimes the elaboratelhrks helmet complete with its high crest and ornamental feathers. ThisiFlEtacl€ would have been quite usual on the battlefields of the eighteenthand nlneteenth centuries. Now move forward in time 75 years and witness amedern 'cavalryman' of a US armoured unit in the deserts of Kuwait duringthr €ulf war' The change could not be more dramatic: a khaki camoufragJ

A,tnue" A British rommy prepares some uarm food on the western Front duringlltnld war L He is wearing a scarf as well as his standard issue British uniform.

clothing system with curious black and white spots, known as a ,Chocolate

Chip'pattern. This uniform, shared by almost all US troops in the theatre,contained advanced fire-resistant materials; fabrics which can let outperspiration but keep out rainwater droplets; a kevlar combat helmet, part ofthe advanced PASGT (Personal Armor System, Ground Troops) body armour;equipment carried in a tactical load-carrying vest; minimal insignia.

The contrast is striking not just visually, but also for the massive shlft inpriorities. The Hussar's uniform celebrates his regiment; he wants to be seen,respected, even feared by the enemy, and expects to make his impact as anindividual warrior on the battlef ield: he exudes the martial spirit. The uniformof the US soldier in the Gulf Wari howeveri speaks of the functional and theanonymous. The camouflage uniform and body armour acknowledge that heis vulnerable to modern weapons: being conspicuous means being killed. Thequantity of high-tech equipment and weaponry he carries testifies to the factthat, in many cases, technology exercises a greater influence over thebattlefield than pure personal valour. The fighting spirit is still there, but it is

tempered by the realism of the battlefield.The final demise of the ceremonial element in combat uniforms (not, of

course, full dress uniforms) is the thread running through the history oftwentieth-century uniforms. Yet uniforms did not become any less importantas the century went on. As we shall see, in terms of blunt survivability, theuniform became much more integral tothe soldier,s role.

1914-1945: FROM KHAKI TO CAMOUFIAGE

Of all the conflicts in the twentieth century World War I had the most seminaleffect on military clothing designers^ The onset of war in 1914 saw the Alliedand Axis armies displaying the full spectrum of uniform types. For the commoninfantryman, the period 1850 to 1914 was one in which a plain style of uniformwas introduced into most major armies. These uniforms were usually in khaki,f ield-grey or olive-drab, and featured single-breasted jackets worn with trousersor pantaloons (the latter requiring puttees or gaiters). Headgear was usuallyone ofthreetypes: peaked cap, field cap orsteel helmet. Thus. French infantryentered the war in the blue-grey service dress adopted in 1870, the Britishstepped into khaki inthe late'lB00s in lndia (thisextending outwards intotherest of the army in 1902), Bulgaria donned a Russian-style grey-green uniform in1908, and Russia itself introduced khaki in 19i3.

Though there were distinct and recognizable differences between uniforms,standardization was taking place. The reasons for this lie in the main in whatthe historian John Keegan has called the'militarization of Europe,in the8

fi|il€t€enth century. A massiveFtpenslon in population (Germanydoubled its population betweenlE/0 end 1900), improvements inhselth and nutrition, greaterwE6lth amongst European nationsthankr to greater tax revenues(wltlch translated into militarytlll€nditure), advanced census-llklng which aided effective{.orlrcrlption, the ideologicalrppeal of common military serviceglvan to the nation state: all oflhptc factors fed into a massiveiltrtease in the number of soldiersitt,rervlce. When World War I

began ln 1914, some 20 millionEtttupean men entered into therrnkr of the armed forces.

Loqlstics alone demandedtt€llderdization of uniforms.Etttate uniforms simply could notbs made with the requisite speed,

Aboue: Men of the German Africa Corpsuith an ltalian colonial during World War IL

gu€ntlty or economy to equip the new mass armies. The hordes of soldierswlto entered world war I were mainly dressed in plain tunics and trousers,rliltough many older regiments distinguished themselves with the brighter andtttute defiant uniforms of yesteryear. The cavalry were particularly vivid.€atrrrany, for example, had various cavalry units, each wearing biightrcglrnental tunics and trousers and tall head-dress, such as the shako. Howeve;llrlght red or blue tunics provided an irresistible draw to the sights of enemyIttfatrtry. The first recognition that the ceremonial dress was inappropriater:rnre with the introduction.of a khaki cover for the head-dress, but by the endnf 1915 most cavalry regiments wore regular army uniforms (at the same timear thcy were dismounting their horses). Frontline officers of all arms-of-service,willr the exception perhaps of the navy, were also toning down their tendencytn drets boldly, as enemy snipers found distinguishing clothing helpful inwrtklng out priority targets.

lhe lesson of World War I for military outfitters was that in an age ofrnerhenlzed warfare and accurate rifled weapons, being highly visible was a

9

strong disadvantage. Thus by 1918, plain uniforms were the norm acrossalmost all armies and regiments.

Note, howevel that camouflage did not make a significant appearance inthe ranks of infantry during World War l. Modern disruptive-patterncamouflages were first designed for covering artillery, tanks, aircraft and shipsfrom aerial-, ground- or ship-based reconnaissance. The only use applied touni{orms was in 1916 when some German Sturmtruppen units put a green,brown and grey fragmented pattern on the new Stahlhelm steel helmet.

It would be the interwar period in which camouflage for soldiers truly tookhold. Several influential books on camouflage were published, such as AbbottH. Thayer's Concealing Colouration in the Animal Kingdom, an Exposition ofthe Laws of Disguise Through Colour and Pattern (1 909) and Lieutenant-Colonel Le Marchand and E. Denis' La Guerre Documentde (c. 1920), whichstarted to attract the attention of uniform designers and military thinkers. ln'1929 the ltalian Army issued a camouflaged tent-cloth called the te/amimetizzata (camouf laged cloth), and in 1930 the German forces produced atriangular poncho/tent sheet called a Zeltbahn. The pattern which derivedfrom this was called Zeltbahn 31 and consisted of green and brown angularshapes against a tan background,with short, rainlike green streaksbreaking up the lines in a densepattern. This became known as

Spl itter (splinter) pattern, whichwas used on World War ll uniformsissued for some Wehrmacht soldierson the Eastern Front, to paratroo-pers during the invasion of Crete in1941, and also in a softer Sumpf-muster (swamp pattern) variant tovarious infantry units in 1943.

Nazi Germany was to stay at theforefront of camouflage uniformdesign, far ahead of any otherarmy. The Waffen-SS in particularwas a pioneer; especially throughthe input of SS-SturmbannfuhrerWim Brandt and his assistantProfessor Otto Schick. From 1937they produced a range of foliage-10

Aboue: US infantrymen in Vietnam attemptto contact their base.

pattern camouflages (mainly the platanenmuster (plane rree), palmenmuster(palm tree) and Eichenlaubmuster (oak leaf)) which closely imitated nature,€amouflages which were later estimated to reduce unit casualties by .15 per€tnt ln combat. As many as 33,000 camouflage smocks had been delivered toth: Waffen-SS by September 1940 alone.

Yet world war lr was still not to be the war of camouflage. As in world warl, ollvc'drab, khaki and field-grey predominated in the infantry, while blues,blackl, greys and whites were chief amongst the air forces and navies of thewarrlng nations. ln the European and soviet theatres soldiers travelled throuqhmultlple terrains, from beach to woodland to mountain to city, and no unifoimcculd be found that would provide camouflage in all these environments.Hawever, the value of camouflage was realized for particular units in limitedlnvlronments. Thus the main other user of camouflage was the us for itsFfclflc campaigns, particularly for the use of Raider, Airborne, sniper andMarlne soldiers on the tropical pacific islands, where jungle foliage wasE€mmon. The British Army in the Far East also made a gesture towards€emouflage by introducing a green version of the khaki battledress, andRtt:rlen ski-troops wore all-white ski-suits.

what world war rr did do for the progression of uniform design was toadvence the specialization of uniforms. The advent of total war meant thatnlw forms of soldiering were introduced, with the accompanying requirementfor new types of uniform. High-altitude strategic bombing meant that aircrewneeded insulated flying 5uits, some Allied versions coming with electricalheatlng. Airborne forces required parachute uniforms with special windprooflump+mocks and cutaway helmets which would not snag on parachute lines.Tank crews needed their own specific overalls and jackets. As the number andtype of regiments expanded with new types of regimentar purpose, so to didthe range of military insignia and colour schemes.

toad.carrying equipment also underwent changes. During World War I

lpather webbing systems were dominated, usually consisting of a belt andthoulder-straps on which all utility and ammunition items would be hung.Ammunition was almost invariably rifle ammunition, so bandoliers tended tob: the most common way of storing rounds, individual pouches usuallyholdlng about five rounds each. New personal weapons in World War llf:gulred new systems of carriage. Submachlne guns became common issue,thur longer pouches were required to hold magazines of 25-35 roundsEap€clty and more. soldiers often had to traverse greater distances with mobilefrentr (an effect of the domination of armour), and so packs were enlarged formnrt lnfantry.

11

World War ll came to an end with the realization that the uniform of asoldier must contribute to his actual combat performance, rather than justprovide a means of identification and basic environmental protection. Thislesson was taken to heart in the post-war period with increasing sophistication.

POST.WAR DEVELOPMENTS

Revolution in uniforms naturally did not take place straight away. During thesecond half of the twentieth century, standardization actually continued on aglobal scale. There are two primary causes. First, the end of the war releasedmassive amounts of war surplus, especially In former European colonies. Thus wesee British Army khaki worn in places as disparate as Greece, rndia, pakistan,lraq, Africa and Malaya well into the 1970s, with the British .1938-pattern

webbing still in use in many places today. secondly, the onset of the cold warstarted a global chess game in which the United States, the USSR and Chinasponsored various proxy wars with military supplies. For example, south Koreansoldiers in the 1950s could be seen in US M1943 combat uniform, while theirNorth Korean opponents would be in Chinese khaki battledress.

These two forces of standardization exercised their influence worldwide, notonly making soldiers within nations look the same or similar, but also makingsoldiers of different nations resemble one another. The growth of guerrillawarfare in the post-war world has also meant that we see items from variouscold war military sources in unlikely combination, revolutionary fighters orterrorists utilizing whatever military stock is at hand.

what becomes apparent in the post-war period is that wealth has becomethe defining factor in the sophistication of uniforms. Today many developingcountries in the Middle East and Africa have uniforms similar to those seenduring world war ll, but the same cannot be said for the developed world. TheUnited States soon took the lead with its M1943 uniform. This adopted alayered approach to uniforms, based on the principle that many thin layersgive better temperature control than few thick ones. The success of the M.1943model caught on, the UK and other European countries either buying theuniform direct or developing versions of their own. From this point on _particularly from the 1960s - the world's developed nations pushed ahead withuniform design at a rapid rate. By the '1970s, camouflage had become standardin many nations: the UK with its Disruptive pattern Material (DpM); the US itsspecial forces'Tigerstripe' in Vietnam, later bringing in the Mgi Woodlandpattern for most soldiers in the US Army; the USSR having its ,jigsaw, and leafpatterns. By 1990, over 350 camouflages were in use throughout the world (alarge percentage in the modern Russia and the former soviet republics). some12

l/rr11' ,1 soldier from the 6th Royar Austrarian Regiment scrambres up a beach inI ttltftttniu ctn an interoperability exercise in lg\g.

rrf 111111'1' are increasingry sophisticated, British and US uniform evenl* r )r rlorating anti-ref lective dyes to conf use night-vision scopes. Materials suchnt (r(lr(r-Tex, which allows perspiration tb evaporate while keeping outr'rl.w,rtel make advanced jackets for the modern combat sordier; whire bootsrrrarh'of similar materials have reduced incidences of age-old maladies such astiprrr lr foot. Load-carrying systems are now no ronger based purery on bert andilrdl)\. For example, the US Army,s lntegrated lndividual Fighting iystem places

'rr!*,r ()f its pouches on the back and front of a crose-fitting vest,-keeping'

woir;lrt more aligned over the body's centre of gravity.llre cconomics of the modern worrd has ru.nt thut armies have become

irreillor and smaller in many countries, but operational demands mean thate.rr lr roldier receives more per capita in terms of equipment than those of5ll yF,rrs ago. Add to that the fear of public response to casualties in conflict, a!r lnr,rry political fear following the vietnam war; and investment is made inllip w'rld's wealthier countries to give each soldier the best survivar chance|rrtrilrlc" Hence the future wiil have uniforms with camoufrages which changewlllr rhe terrain; hermets with buirt-in computer screens for urban combat;tii,ilerials that enable one uniform to be worn regardress of crimate. Lookingirrlrr tlrc twenty-f irst century, survivability has become the guiding,'rrr:itlcration in how uniforms are designed and produced.

13

Privote

AbyssinionPotriot ArmyEthiopio 1941

f, byssinia lell under ltalian controlla,in tg35 after an invasion from theItalian territories of Somaliland andEritrea. With the onset of World WarlI, the Italians thus used Abyssinia as ajumping-off point for their EastAfrican campaigns into the Sudan andKenya. However, resistance frornAbyssinian patriots and an effectiveBritish campaign in the regionreturned Abyssinia to its own controlin May 1941. The soldier picturedhere is one of the Abyssinianresistance fighters who foughtalongside the Allies. There was nouniform as such, the patriots usuallyutilizing whatever items of Europeanclothing were available. This soldierhas a khaki tunic and pantaloons,probably of pre-war ltalian orGerman origin, worn with canvasleggings, but no boots. The rifle is theGerman 7.62rnm (0.3in) 98K, and apistol hangs from his leather belt.

AFGHANISTANPrivote

Afghon ArmyAfghoniston l9B0,!\ r lhis soldier demonstrates. the, l' lr(xrps of lhe Afghan Army werelll r.rlrrlpped to fight the highlyrrrol I vulcd Mujahedeen guerrillasrlrrr{ng lhe Soviet Union's l0-yearrirrrrpnllon of Afghanistan. TheclAu(lllr(l grey-drab combat uniformurrl roltleaked cap provided scantlil olra.tlon from the severe Afghanrrr.nllrer, and gave a poor appearancernr lllr' parade ground Qt doubled aslrnr nrk, kit). The webbing is of locallrnrrrrlircture from cheap leather, andliu, r'lvlllan belt has an inadvisablvahhrv gold buckle which couldll. nrr trlming point for a sniper,I ll, r{llc is the venerable Mosin-Nngnrrt 7.62mm (0.3in) M1944r nrtlrrr., a weapon with origins backIrr l Hl)fl und, by 1980, hopelesslyriltirlnlr.rl against the AK series rifles.I nilvll8 l{uiters,worn to protect againstrur:rl nrrrl water intrusion, featureriurl n'llrlbrced black leather sections..llghnrr soldiers were inconsistentlyrrilr lp;xrl throughout the confl ict.

1 980

Afghan Army

irnh:

Locrtlsni Afghanmountains

€onfllctr Afghan War

15

AFGHANISTAN ALGERIA

Guerrillo Fighter Guerrillo

Muiohedeen Algerion Notionol

Afghoniston .l980

Liberotion ArmyAlgerio 1960f, s is typical of guerrilla fighters

Athe world over, dress often tendsto be civilian for both reasons ofavailability and the tacticaladvantages of an anonymousappeaftmce. Here thejacket and calf-length trowers are made from localcloth, and the sandals from rivetedleather, both to traditional designs.More ceremonial elements of dressinclude the traditional head-dress andthe blue sash wrapped around theupper body. No webbing is worn, andall supplies are carried in the musettebag hung over one shoulder. Theweapon is a bolt-action hunting rifle,but as the war progressed theguerrillas were often seen with moreadvanced arms, either captured fromthe Soviets or USsupplied (mainly AKrifles) being shipped over thePakistan/Afghan border. TheMujahedeen did an effectivejob ofbattling the Soviet occupation anddestroying morale amongst theoccupying troops.

tfihough the revolutionary soldiersI of the ArmEe de Libiracion

Nationale (ALN) equipped themselvesfrom many sources, they did attainsome level of formalized appearancethrough Soviet kit, weapons andtuquipment delivered through Eg1pt.Yet this only took effect from 1959,[rid the ALN's attempts to oust theItench Government from Algeriabegan as far back as 1954, when theruniforrn tended towards US suppliesrctained from World War II. Thismldier has several items of US source,I lls jacket is from the US MI943runlform and his rifle is the US M2curbine, a.30 calibre weapon with alhort range but a full-automaticcupability, which distinguished itfrom its semi-auto predecessor, theM l. However, the trousers and theurp are French, captured from Frenchforces during action, and the suedelxxrts are civilian.

H*tcri.iritiliiti.i :l 960

ffi iril,li,,ri A&srian NationalLiberation Armv

f,un[r Guerrilla FiqhterLt b$$Il ii'tillf nis,ianlatgerian uoraer

c+t11ff I laperan

hdependence war

ANGOLA

Mercenory Senior SergeontFNIA Argentine MorinesAngolo 197 5 Eost Folklond 1982The Frenle Nacional de LiberlaoI de Angola (FNLA) became a

repository for many mercenariesfrom around the world during itsstruggles for Angola's independencefrom Portugal. This mercenary isfairly nondescript in appearance;there is certainly nothing to give anindication of his native country. Hewears a ubiquitous olivedrabuniform, probably of African origin,and a peaked cap with neck protectorto give the necessary resistance toheat exhaustion and sunburn. Hisweapon is the Soviet AKM rifle. TheAKM, an improved and modernizedversion of the AK-47, enteredproduction in the lg50s, and can beidentified from the originalKalashnikov by the lozenge+hapedindentation above the magazinehousing. The Soviet Union pumpedthousands of them into the many ColdWar bush conflicts which riddledAfrica in the 1960s and 1970s, andmany are still in use today.

flrrring the Falklands War in tg80.I-rthe arctic conditions of the SouthAthrntic posed a challenge to Britishrurrl Argentine forces alike. Thoughrllrrtrlards of uniform waveredllrroughout the Argentine Army, thisN('O has good clothing for theituvlronment (the Argentine Marineslrrrrlud to receive a higher quality ofwlnlr:r uniform than regular units). Hew(.nrd a thermal parkajacket: padded,wlrrrlproof and waterproof, with arhr.p hood capable of going over thehr.lrrrt:t. The helmet is of US supply, aslr Iho webbing and ammunition;xrru'lrcs on the belt (morerrnrrrultltion is carried in the twohnrrrkrllers hung over the shoulders).Ar llre IJS was a major supplier ofttrllllorv stock to Argentina, a USArnry nppearance is typical amongstllr forcuc, but the blueand-white;tolth ubove the red rank chelrons onlhe r.lrost clearly defines nationality.l lr+ *rltller carries eye goggles forpr.ols{'llon against the weather.

ARGENTINA

\$

MorineBuzo Tcctico

CommondosFolklond s 1982fhe Argentine Marines'own specialI forces unit - the Buzo Tactico -

played an active part in the FalklandsWar, particularly in the initialinvasion and the capture of PortStanley. Yet the rest of their war wasinauspicious; the unit sufferedsignificant casualties and wasoutperformed by British forces. Likeall special-forces units, its soldiers hadthe best uniforms and equipment oftheir nation, usually hand selected by

the soldiers. Much of thistrooper's uniform is not militaryat all - the quiltedjacket and

trouser:s are civilian mountaineeringwear - though the woollen hat istraditionally worn try Argentinespecial forces as a signature item. Theweapon is the British I-34A1, asuppressed version of the Sterlingsubmachine gunl magazines, stored ina leather pouch on the hip, are next toa 9mm Browning pistol.

CorporolAustrolion lnfontryGollipoli 19.t5D rltish Commonwealth casualties at.El<;attipoti during the period fromI'i'bruary l915 to January 1916irtrrrbered 2f 3,980. This was ahkkuus cost for an operation that hadlllllc strategic effect on therlcvr:lopment of World War I. Many ofllrr. r:uusalities were sustained byArrrlralian forces, and battles for'l'trrklsh positions such as Lone Pine -irr whlch the Australians lost 1700rrrt'rr nlone - are legendary inArrrlralian military history. Thissokllcr wears the standard servicerlrcan: a single-breasted khaki tunic inn llrlll$h pattern, corduroy trousers(llurugh khaki trousers ofthe sameruulcrlal as the tunic were also worn),ixillc(ls and brown Ieather shoes. Al*nllrcr belt around the waist supportslwo lx)uches, each with ammunitionfnt'tltc .303in (7.7mm) SMLE Mk IIIl{lllc, here fitted with pattern swordirnyouct with curved quillon. Therllillrxrtlve Australian touch is addedby tlxr wide-brimmed slouch hat.

Drtr: 1915

Australian lnfantry

ililki l' liliir,liirCor'oral

Thriltfril' ii, g uth-east Europe

lo{.{oft, rilqrallipoli

I r llt rll

AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

Privote Privote

6th Division Zth Division

Austrolion Army Austrolion ArmyNorth Africo 1941 Syrio 1941

fithe uniform here is representativeI of Australian infantry clothing not

only of the time, but also the 20 yearswhich preceded it. The defining itemis the headgear: the traditional wide-brimmed felt slouch hat, with the leftside fastened up by a regimentalbadge when worn formally. The tunichad a distinctive design: four pocketsto the front, four bronzed buttons asthe main shirt fastening, a sectionedcuff and a unit insignia worn on thecollar and sleeve (the soldier here hasa formation sign on his sleeve whichdiffers from the World War I versionby having a grey border). This soldieris typical of Australian infantry inwearing canvas anklets. The 6thDivision was heavily involved inNorth African campaigns of early1941, and this soldier shows the kit ofearly deployment, including LeeEnfield rifle, 1908-pattern webbingand 19O7-pattern sword bayonet.

fhis Auslralian infantryman of the.l. 7th Division wears the typical

klr0ki drill uniform of the Britishhlfnntry in the same theatre. Thewt'bbing is the 1937-pattern, herefi.rrlrrring only two utility/ammunitionlxru<:hes strapped to the belt with asclrbbard for the 1899 sword bayonet,Ir.rc seen attached to his ShortlVlugnzine Lee Enfield (SMLE) rifie.'l'hl* bayonet had some utility in ther4x.n spaces of the deserts of NorthAtrl(a, yet in other theatres itsr.xtcssive length was a liability, and itwua replaced by a shortened versionl0 fir:company the No. 4 Mk I rifle. Asx'r.n in earlier illustrations, twoprlrtlcular items of dress set'him apartlr nn Australian soldier: the feltrklrr<:h hat and the canvas anklets.'l'hc widebrimmed slouch hat wouldIrnvc been a much more welcorneforru of desert headgear than thelrnrlltlonal British Mk I helmet.

March 1941Dstn

Unli: ;.71h Divkion.

.,1 .Rustralian Army

hnutllnrl,,flria

AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

Privote Privote

9th Division 9th DivisionAustrolion Army Austrolion ArmyTobruk 1941 Tobruk 1941[though the native AustralianI ittfuot y uniform was actually

more suited to desert conditionsbecause of its lighter material, BritishArmy uniforms steadily became thenorm as the North African campaignprogressed. This soldier reflects thosechanges. His uniform is entirelyBritish, apart from the canvas anklets,He wears the British infantry's Mk Ihelmet (with goggles to protect hiseyes against flying sand and sunglare) with a British single-breastedgreatcoat over a khaki desert/tropicaluniform. He is heavily encumberedby a British 1937-pattern webbingsystem, on which hang two bulkyutility pouches. Ammunition seems tobe this soldier's priority, as he carriesadditional rounds in a clothbandolier, while general supplies arestocked in the khaki pouch on hischest, The rifle he carries is the LeeEnfieldNo.l MkIII.

rTthe 9th Division of the AustralianI a.-y paid a heara price during

lho fighting of 194142 in NorthAfrica. Total casualties or soldiers lostrur POWs numbered over 6000,nlrormous Iosses for a division-sizeruult. The Australian Army sufferedrome 19,351 losses throughout thewur in actions against German forces(lncluding 3552 dead), yet against the,lnpanese the toll would be greater:,12,224 with over 15,000 killed.(bnsidering that the Australian Armylxrgan the war with just over 82,000ruurn, the scale of Australia's sacrificelxr<:omes clear. This soldier is one ofilx! three Australian Army divisions -lhu 6th, 7th and 9th - deployed toNorth Africa in 1941. The kit andrurtllbrm is almost entirely British: MkI hchnet, 1937 webbing, Lee Enfieldrlllc. One notable item is the leatherJt.rkln, which provided protectionnflulnst low desert temperatures.

usts iiirr. ll ':Ortober 1941

'r,. rgth,Division,..,r ..Australian Army

Rrnft iiili ir iPrivate

Mediterranean

[oc[ti& , rTobrukiii ht lt l

24 25

AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA

Leoding Seomon TrooperRoyol

I

)

\l'\lrltuL

1.

\

Austrolion NovySydney 1943urhis sailor belongs to Task Force 44.I a contingent of the Royal

Australian Navy which took part inthe Allied attempts to recapture thePhilippines. The similarity ofappearance between this man and aRoyal Navy rating is not coincidental;the nary whites of the Royal Navy onPacific duties also served as thestandard RAN uniform (both forcesalso shared a serge temperate 'l

uniform). The distinction between thetwo lies in the detail. The cap isscripted with 'HMAS' of the AustralianNaly and the buttons of the jacketwere marked with Australianreferences. This sailor's rank is shownby the anchor on his sleeve, while thechevron is a merit bddge for threeyears or more of good conduct. Thebadge on his right sleeve indicates hisstatus as a leading torpedo man. TheRAN served throughout the Pacificregion and the Mediterranean.

AATTV

Vietnom 1970

f, ustralia's contribution to thela.vietnam war was comparativelysmall, but significant. lts SpecialForces contingent was in largemeasure supplied by the AustralianSAS and the AATTV (Australian ArmyTraining Team Vietnam). Only around100 men strong, the AAITV conductedllumerous combat and 'hearts andminds'missions, which resulted infour Victoria Crosses for bravery. Thiseoldier, on ajungle patrol, wears the"ligerstripe' pattern of camoufl age,which became a virtual signature ofAllied Special Forces during the war.l{ls kit signifies the likelihood of(:ombat, He carries a powerful7.62mm (0.3in) SLR weapon with twonmmunition pouches on his belt - partof a US M56 webbing system - two M8amoke-grenades, and a satchel whichwould often contain plastic explosiveor Claymore mines. Most of his kit isof foreign origin, but his boots areAustralian kangaroo hide, durableIbotwear for the humid environment.

i::.11i1Al.i{tratian RrmYll;i+:,Tria-ihi ntr Tearn Vi et n a m

26

AUSTRALIA AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

TrooperAustrolion SAS

Philippines l9B0stTlhe Australian SAS matches theI qualities of its British counterpart,

and forms the vanguard of AustraliianSpecial Forces. It has acquired asignificant operational record sinceformation in 1957. From servicealongside the British SAS in Brunei inthe 1960s, it went on to serve with

distinction in the Vietnam War, andin recent years has engaged in

aggressive peacekeepingactions in East Tirnor. Itsuniforms revolve around the

environments most likelyto be faced inlhe

Oceanic/Pacifi c region,jungle and outback. As 6litetroops, they get to hand-picktheir kit. This soldier is ideallydressed for jungle operations,

with camouflaged combat suitand a sweat-rag, as helmets tend

to snag on branches. The rifle is theMl6Al, a rifle proven in the jungles ofVietnam, but which needs diligentcleaning to maintain its reliability.

Privqte

Austro-Hungorion ArmySerbio 1914tTrhe uniform of the Austro-I Hunga.irn forces was established

ln its basic form in 1909. During thisyear a new uniform in pike-grey -known as a .EIec htgrau - waslntroduced to all infantry units,lncluding the artillery, MountedTyrolean and Dalmatian rifles (not,however, to cavalry regiments). Thetunic was single-breasted with a standcollar (though later a stand-and-fallcollar) and was made in wool forwinter and drill for summer. Footsoldiers wore long trousers with anlntegral gaiter buttoned at the ankle,though here this soldier wearsconventional puttees. Headgearvaried considerably, including a blackkepi for many infantry officers, sidecaps and, as here, a cloth peakedrervice cap. German steel helmetswere worn from 1915, mainly byassault troops. This man's rifle is the8mm (0.31in) Mannlicher Model 1895.

28

AUSTRIA-HUNGARY

Officer Guerrillo FighterAustrion Hussors Bonglodesh

Serbio 1914 Liberqtion ArmyEost Pokiston 1971I f /orld War I saw the end of the

W credibility of horse-mountedcavalry. For many nations this lessondied hard, especially true in theAustro-Hungarian Army, as Hungarywas the home of the hussar. We seefrom this hussar officer how traditionleft a uniform unsuited to the realitiesof mechanized.warfare. The brightblue Attila jacket (here with goldbraiding for an officer; other rankswore red) and red trousers presenteda clear sight picture to snipers andmachine gunners alike. Before thewar, hussars wore the elaborate shakohelmet, but after 1914, a peaked fieldcap with grey cover. The tunic wasoften worn slung over the leftshoulder like a pelisse. This hussaralso carries his cutlass on his left hip,though he is actually using a moremodern form ofweapon, a 9mm Roth-Stelr M1912 pistol. The hideous lossesamongst the hussars led to theadoption of standard grey infantryuniforrns during 1915.

,Tlhe creation of the state ofI Bangladesh was one of the

bloodiest episodes in recent Indianlristory. The ll4zkti Bahini@angladesh Liberation Army) wasamongst several guerrilla forces in[ast Pakistan attempting - ultimatelysuccessfully - to wrest their regionfrom the control of West Pakistan. Theguerrilla here is lightly dressed butpowerfuIly armed (the guerrillas werematerially supported by the IndianArmy, which eventually invaded EastPakistan to force the estattlishment ofthe independent Bangladesh).Clothing is civilian, though this manhas made an ammunition bandolier.His helmet is of British Army origin.but its lines are obscured bycamouflage. The machine gun is theGerman MG3, an updated version ofthe MG42, which gave such violentservice in World War II and was notedtor its fast rate of fire.

Bangladesh

BELGIUMColonel SergeontI st lnfontry Regiment lnfonfry DivisionBelgion Army Belgion ArmyBelgium 1940 Belgium 1940Delgian militarY uniform in the

^Dearly years of the war followed a

French pattern for the private soldiers

and NCOs, but adopted British-style

uniforms for the officers. This colonel

of the lst Infantry Regiment illustrates

this division of styles. Working from

the top, we find a British ArmY'stYIe

peaked service cap. The crown in the

centre of the cap indicates the arm-of-

service, not bY the motif but bY the

colour (each arm had its own servicecolour). This caP would come

with different chin cords: gold

for officers, silver for warrant

officers, and a brown strap forlowerranks. Beneath the officer's thigh-

length tunic, a white or light khaki

shirt was worn with a khaki tie. On

the lower half of the bodY' Belgian

officers tended to wear trousers inbeige cord or khaki. Footwear could

be a pair of brown shoes or a Pair ofknee-length riding boots.

fhis NCO demonstrates the FrenchI style of private- and NCO-rank

uniforms in the Belgian Army. Thesteel helmet is a direct French copy,though with a Belgian lion's head onthe front (a painted regimentalnumber and crown was analternative). He wears a singlebreasted jacket with stand-and-fallcollar, with an infantry crown on theshoulderstraps and regimentalnumber and rank displayed on thesleeve. His webbing is standardBelgian issue, showing six smallpouches with ammunition for his7.65mm (0.30lin) Mauser M1889 rifle.Belgian infantry distinguished theirarm-of-service through the helmetandjacket. Motorized troops had aspecial leather-covered helmet and ashort, brown leather coat. Riflesoldiers wore a black leather coat orsingle-breasted greatcoat and a greenberet with boar's head cap badge.

.itrh.gatrq: Nonh-westEurope

BELGIUM BELGIUM

Belgion Air Force RegimentBelgium 1940 Congo 1964

MoiorI st Regiment

il /fav 1940 was a dark time for allIYle"kiun forces, not least the airforce. Of 250 aircraft available, only50 were modern. The Belgian pilotsfought bravely, but against theLuftwaffe they had little chance ofoperational impact. As with BelgianArmy officers, Belgian Air Forceofficers tended towards an English cutin the style of their uniforms. ThisMajorwears a blue-grey uniform ofRoyal Air Force type, though theforage cap and riding boots set himapart from that unit (Belgianpersonnel who did serve with the RAFhad a light-blue shoulder flash on adark-blue or grey background todistinguish their nationality). Airforce membershipis made evidentthrough the aviator's badge on thecap - which has a black band forofficers - and the sleeve. Groundpersonnel and NCOs wore a propellerbadge on the cap and shoulder-straps.

Worront OfficerBelgion Porocommondo

f lrr. llelgian ParacommandoI ll.'gftncnt gained public

;lrrrrrrhlunce in the Congolese CivilWnr ln l!)64, when it liberatedlllllll lur*tages from anti-{uvr.r'ntrrcnt rebels in a U$Alrlclrrl Irorachute operationttr,irt' Slnnlcyville, where thiseoklk'r lo plctured. From the lslllrrllnlkru, he bears a strong visual*lk.{lnrtcc to the British Parachutel{r'ghu(.nt which inspired the Belgianrurrll. lk. wcars the paras' maroonbelrl, whoee SAS badge refers to thetll'el ll.lglnn para company whichtorulrrclctl operations with the SAS inWot'ltl Wur lI. His jacket is a Belgianrrsr'lkru of the British paras' Denisonenrrx'k, nn<l his rank is displayed ont srl rlklcs on the shoulder-straps (theaipr h llrrr rank, the red the regimentalr ttkrttrl), Arnmunition for his 7,62rnm(ll,lllu) l,'N FAL rifle is stored on hislfulll:h Il)ll7-pattern web belt.

ion, Belgian

35

BELGIUM BIAFRA

NCO Privote

Belgion Biofron ArmyPorqchute Regiment Eost Nigerio I 968Belgium

.l990s

Date'. 1990s

3736

fithis modern Belgian para sharesI hi" upp"u.unce with many modern

European armies, His uniform is in aWoodland paftern similar to BritishArrny Disruptive Pattern Material(DPM), though in Belgium this patternactually separates the paras from therest of the army, who wear a plainolivedrab. Unlike the lst and 3rdBattalions of the paras, who wear theclassic red beret, the 2nd Battalion (towhich this soldier belongs) wears thegreen beret. This alludes to theirinvolvement with British commandoforces during World War II. In actionor training, the beret is generallyreplaced by a NATO ballistic nylonhelmet with double chin-strap (thedouble strap gives better fit duringparachutejumps). The weapon heldhere is the 7.62mm (0.3in) FN MAGmachine gun, a Belgian weapon whichhas clairn to being one of the bestmachine guns of the last century.

flx.Blafran Army fought anI hxlependence war for three years

( llxlT-70) against the much morelxrwtrful and well'equipped NigerianAt'rtry. 'though they performed well asIurllvlduals, the Biafrans sufferedJlorrr u chronic lack of materiel, andl(xlk nrllitary supplies from a range ofr.,lrr('cn, both military and civilian, arllrrnllon evident in the soldier here.I llx nhlrt and jacket are unknown,lliorrgh probably taken from theSovkrt-supplied kit which floodedlnnny countries of Africa during thel'okl War period. The wellingtonlxxrtt ure civilian, hardly suitable orrlnrllrrtable footwear for the Africanhrnl. lle wears a soft cap, thoughlllnfron soldiers can be seen in avnrk.ty of US and Soviet helmetsrlulhrg the conflict. For armament, a?,{l2urnr (0.3in) Vz58 assault rifle isrnlrlcrl - a Czech copy of theKnlurhnlkov AK47 - and a single largealnnunltlon pouch for the 30-roundnrflgnzlnes k strapped on his left hip.

Biafran Army

Private

lorrtl0n: East Nigeria

2nd Battalion, Belgian

Parachute Regiment

tocrtioni Belgium Conlll(t: Biafran

lndependence Warir, conftkti None

CAMBODIA CANADA

Guerrillo Lieutenont

Khmer Rouge Royol CqnodionCombodio 1975 Women's Novol Serviceuthe leadership and soldiers of PolI Pot'" Kh-"r Rouge inflicted one of

the worst genocides in twentieth-century history within Cambodia,renamed Kampuchea after the KhmerRouge take-over in 1975. Being aguerrilla army, the Khmer Rouge hadsome diversity of dress and kit, yetthere were essentially two patterns ofrecognizable uniform. The first was aformal olive-green or dark-brownmilitary uniform which was sourcedfrom the Khmer Rouge's mainCommunist suppliers, China andNorth Vietnam. This soldier wears aChinese Liberation Army cap, yet therest of his appearance is perhapsmore common of the Khmer Rouge,Thejacket and trousers are civilianworking clothes, following lhe KhmerRouge's proletarian philosophy, whilethe neckscarf (often red and white)was Khmer Rouge identification, Thissoldier, armed with a Type 56 assaultrifle, has ammunition in 'ChiCom'(Chinbse Communist) chest pouches.

London 1943ftmale personnel in the RoyalI Canadian Naly tended to performe$cntlal shore and administrativedtttlea, which allowed the maximumnumbers of men for active service.I lence this lieutenant belongs to the.paymaster section, a departmentklentlfled by the white sections s€tlnlo the rank lace on the shoulder-rlrupa. This lieutenant's uniformmntches that of British ranks except,llko many units of the British Empire,lu the button details and hat ribbonswhlch lllustrated the country ofot{gln. She wears a standardllghtwelght uniform which wasrhnred with other ranks, but thelhrec.cornered hat separates her as

au offlcer from the round sailor's hatworn by NCOs and lower ranks. Thebutkrne on herjacket are gilt brasslnrtoad of the plastic buttons ofretlnga. She carries a naval-issue bag,called a pouchette, and white gloves.

CANADA CANADA

Privote Worront OfficerLe Regiment de Levis Princess Potricio's

Conodion Army Light InfontryEnglond 1944 Cyprus 1970stfrhis soldier was part of the AlliedI b.tild-up in England in preparation

for the D-Day landings on 6 June1944. His general uniform would havebeen a close match for Britishsoldiers, but the 'Canada' badge onhis upper sleeve leaves no doubt as tohis provenance. There are furtherdistinctions; the cap is Canadian-pattern, with earflaps (a fur-earflapped version was also producedcalled the 'Yukon) and has theregimental badge on the front, thoughas the war progressed, British-stylehelmets became the norm. Theuniform colour was greener than theBritish, while the cloth was of a betterstandard. While only officers in theBritish Armywere allowed to wearthis style of greatcoat, it was standardkit for Canadian privates and NCOs,an allowance which was due, nodoubt, to the bitter cold winterclimate of Canada.

f'!or the early part of the post-warI period. Canada followed thellrltish Army models of kit and dress.I lowever, the Canadian military soonbrgan to forge its own identity, andIcuned more on the United States.'l'hle soldier of the Princess Patricia'sl,lght Infantry - one of Canada's mostpreEtlgious units, formed in l9l4 - islll sn interestingjuncture. His weaponlr the British Army's LlAl Self-l,oadlng Rifle, and his uniformrlandard Canadian olive-drab. Thewcbbing is trased on the US ALICEr.ystem, worn with t\,vo

nrnmunition/utility pouches. Sincelhen, most forms of kit have becomelndlgenous. The LlAl was replacedby the C7, a Canadian adaptation oflhc US M16 rifle, while the latestl nqrroved Envi4onmental ClothingSyatem (ECS), Load Carriage Systemtnd Tactical Vest form a superb,home-grown battlefi eld kit.

0utui,ll' :l r1976t

Piiocess PatriciatLigfrt lnfantry

Warrant officer

Lo$tlbnrl .li Cyprus

Cnhtllhrl 1,1 Feacekeepi ng, Cyprus

CHINA

Crewmon I st Lieutenont

Chodion Notionol Chinese Notionolist

Army Air Force

Chod 1970 Chino 1939Tlecause of materiel shortages. and

Ddespite large-scale US assistance'

wartime Chinese Nationalist Air Force

personnel were seen in a varietY of

drees. This pilot is a lst Lieutenant'

the rank indicated try the eagle and

bare on the cuffs (later in the war the

runk badges were moved uP to the

rhoulder). Predominantly, like the lst

l.leutenant here, the Pilots and

ground crew simPlY wore the khaki

hrnlc and trousers ofthe armY, the

nruln difference being the peaked cap

altd the insignia. The caP itself

feotured a light khaki band, a badge

rhowlng gold+mtrroidered wings

wlth an enamel sun-and+kY badge in

the centre, and a black leather peak

and chln€trap. Similar insignia was

nlao available for a side caP' an

nlternative for air force personnel'

When flying, the Chinese pilots would

woar US flyingjackets and helmets' or

rnlttured Japanese flYing gear'

f f Tith its independence fromW P'orl". io 1960. Chad suffered a

number of civil wars with variousanti-government guerrilla factions.Chad's Army was, and is, a ratherincoherent organization, sPlit bY

tendencies towards infighting andalso by inconsistencies in weaponryand equipment. This soldier is mostlikely the crewman of a FrenchPanhard AML60 orALM-90 armouredcar, the armoured rnainstaY of thepost-independence Chadian Arrny. Hewears French AFV communicationheadphones, and his ParatrooPer'sshirt and suede boots are also ofFrench origin. Howeve& the bayonetbelongs to a Type 56 assault rifle, theChinese copy of Kalashnikov'sinfamous AK-47, disiributed in largenumbers throughout Africa andSoutheast Asia. APart from Frenchand Chinese influences, US and Sovietkit was also seen in the Chadian Arrny'

CHINA CHINA

Colonel I st Lieutenont

Chinese Guerrillo Chinese

Notionolist Army Communist Forces

Chino 1942 Chino 1945tTrhe Chinese Nationalist ArmyI uniform varied depending on the

region of China and the economic andmilitary resources of that region, butessentially the uniform fell into twocategories. For winter clothing, theuniform was made in a bright-bluecotton (a rather questionable choiceof colour), For summer - as in the caseof this army colonel here - theuniform was made of khaki cotton.The tunic was single-breasted withfour large front- and side patchpockets and a stand-and-fall collar.Rank and arm-of+ervice weredenoted on the collar patches; in thiscase the red background indicates theinfantry, while the three stars definethe rank. These patches were cloth,metal or plastic, and were detachable.From the waist down, the officerclearly follows European riding dress:his trousers had puttees, over whichhe wore leather riding boots.

Mil*i;Hff,T-T;*.rnassive force of over 500'000trnnbatants, despite its irregularrtatus. Over the four yearshnmediately following World War II,thls army inposed steady defeat upon

{overnment forces by revolutionarywur, until it eventually achievedpower in 1949. Kit and uniform forlhe Communists had threepredominant sources: either home-ilrode, captured from the Nationalistnoldlers, or war surplus following the.krpanese defeat, supplied in bulkfrom the Soviet Union from 1946. Thismldler's rifle - a JaPanese 6.5mm(0.255in) 38th Year carbine - belongslo the last category, while the uniforntlr almost entirely home'made. Hewcars traditional Chinese peasantclothes, an improvised'webbing' ofcotton or canvas bandoliers, and agrcnade holder over his left shoulder.

1945

,Chinese Communist'Forces

Revolutionary Fighter

lomllbni touthernChina

Chinese Nationalist Army

donflla: ChineseCivilWar

CHINA

Privote

Chinese

Privote

Chinese

Communist Army Notionolist ArmyChino 1945 Chino 1945tTlhis soldier resides at the better-I equipped end of the spectrum for

Chinese Communist troops in the mid-1940s. His uniform is that of thegeneral Chinese Army, including thedistinctive knee-height woollenputtees and the stand-and-fall collarshirt. Two items are notable. The firstis the system of ammunition carriage,consisting of a sequence of leatherpouches of two lengths. The shorterpouches would store pistol rounds orrifle clips, while the longer wouldcarry submachine gun magazines, Hissubmachine gun is the secondinteresting feature. The US 9mmUnited Defense Model 42 was a gun ofexceptionally high quality and fairlyrare in terms of world-widedistribution. This weapon wasprobably acquired via US OSS units inthe Dutch East Indies, and was alwaysthe exception in the ChineseCommunist Army's personal arsenal.

fn lts war against the Communists,IChang Kai Shek's ChineseNatlonalist Army had several on-paper advantages. Not the least ofthege was the fact that post-war, thellS began to supply it with copiousamounts of weaponry and equipment.ln the case of this private, this islmmediately clear in his.45in'l'hompson MlAl subrnachine gun, a

utaa+production version of thelnlamous Thompson Ml928Al whichwaa in heavy service with US andAllled forces throughout World War II.ln terms of uniform, the soldier'sdreas is of World War Il type: a lightkhaki tunic and trousers (above therank of private, the collar wouldleature metal, plastic or cloth rank

Patches), with knee-high woollenputtees, black shoes, and a Peakedlorage cap. Insignia is minimal, theonly apparent badge being the 'whiterun blue sky' badge on the caP.

CHINA

Privote Guerrillo

Chinese People's Cubon

Liberotion Army Revolutionqry Forces

Koreo 195.l Hovono 1959Anlv a vear into the existence of|Ltrr" tt"* communist state,

Chinese forces were once again incornbat, this time assisting Communist

North Korea in its attemPted take-

over of UN-backed South Korea. Over

the three Years of the Korean War,

however, the PLA would lose uP

to one million men,--ryq$F-4::"

despite early victoriesover the United Nations forces. The

soldier's dress here gives some

indication of the severitY of the

Korean climate. Arctic conditionscould prevail in winter, thus he wears

a fully quilted jacket and trousers'

though the archaic Puttees have

remained. The caP is fur-lined, withextensive earflaps to prevent frostbite;his footwear does not suggest as much

protection. Ammunition for his Type

88 Hanyang rifle is held in cottonbandoliers across the chest, whichwas popular in East Asian countries'

rTthe Cuban RevolutionarY Forces

I suffered from a lack of militarYsupplies during the campaign tooverthrow the government ofFulgencio Batista, yet intelligent and

persistent tactics often made up forthis. North Anerican weaPons and

clothing were the primary fighting kit'Underneath his civilianjacket -emblazoned with a revolutionaryCuban patch - is a standard US

herringbone-twill combat uniform'Worn by US Marines and ArmY

soldiers during the Pa€ific campaign

of World War II and the Korean War, itwas hard-wearing and comfortable.The webbing is UStYPe, but the small

ammunition pouches on the belt were

for holding five-round clips for the MlGarand semi-automatic rifle, whereas

this revolutionarY holds an olderSpringfield M1903 bolt-action firearm'The patch on his arm and beret are

typical of guerrilla fighters.

,liUhitil:l i ir...i I

Chinese People's

Liberation Army

i4u':.t '.-: l'' . r,:;,- "{rlij !'+''

1

:::. ..- .:tl*r,. "'] l:r , .f

!,-"]ffi l*;.*ffiW C,"rd,

ujd"* J.lr"l lfdil,/'%/

ii"lidai.lk: Private

illi.ocition1 South Korea

r i(onflict: Korean War

Grie-lrilla Fighter

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Privote tonce-Sergeont

Cubon Army I st lnfontry Division

,Angolo 1976 Czechoslovok ArmyFrqnce 1940FFlrr cxodus of Czech soldiers fromI tlrr.lr homeland began immed-

lalely ttfler the Munich Agreement ofI 0l!tl, nnrl France becarne a rnajor

rierlltrrllrtn for many' In France they

Ittlllnlly nerved with the French

Fnn'lgu l.eglon, but actually began toforrrr llurmgelves into Czech unitslrttr'r. lrtrtnce had entered the war'prtrrnrlly the lst Czech Division.l:,v+'rylltlng ln this lance-sergeant's

iiiilltirnt ln of French origin, apartfnrrrr lltt lnsignia. Czech soldiers initsrrr. (llsplayed rank on the:!rrlrltlur-rtraps' and also wore theirotFler'l graduation badges over the

rlgirt p(x'kct. Other than these

nrcrklttg$, the French influence runstlurlrghrtttt, The tunic, pantaloonsiurrl helnlttt are of French infantrylreue, 'l'lrt'roldier carries the Frenchtnrrrr (l).ll I 5) M1892 revolver which'lhough ftlrly tneffectual, served withl t ertt'h fttr<:cs until the end of the war'

fiuban forces were involved inLsubstantial numbers in Angolanaffairs ftom the mid-1970s. Angola'snew Marxist government, fresh in itsindependence from the Portuguese,was locked in a civil war with variousfactions. The well-armed and trainedCubans made a significant impact onthe situation, helping to crush theanti-government rebels. Because ofthe intense Soviet sponsorship of theCuban Government and ideology, bY

this period, Cuban kit is mainlY ofRussian manufacture. The Soviet7.62mm (0.3in) AKM assault rifle isseen here, with its innovative bayonetand scabbard: the two componentslock together to form a wire'cutter. Amagazine pouch for the AK's 30-roundmagazines is seen just behind theweapon.The steel helmet is also aSoviet infantry type, but the rest ofthe uniform - a simple set of olive-drab fatigues - although it could havecome from anywhere, is most likely ofCuban manufacture.

CZECHOSLOVAKIA CZECHOSLOVAKIA

Air Force

Fronce 1940 Englond 1940

Stoff CoptoinCzechoslovok

tfrhe pilots of the Czech Air ForceI served bravelv in both British and

French air forces following theannexation of Czechoslovakia byGerrnany in 1939. This staff captain ispictured here while stationed inFrance and, like the Czech infantry inFrance, has adopted French uniform.The jacket and trousers form theFrench Louise-Blue uniform, but theinsignia and badges mark the man outas a Czech national. On thejacket, thepilot wears a French pilot's badge onthe right breast pocket, with aircraftwings above, while on the left pockethe has his Czech pilot's badge (he alsohas the Croix de Guerre medalribbon). The peaked cap continuesthe Czech identification, as does thelion and wings centred over the peak.Combatants would also have crossedswords on the badge, omitted for non-combatants. The cap is finished withgold strap cords.

o"*, lMav1940

rr:tlh-xi.,,'r'. , 'Czechoslovak Air Force

Generol

Czechoslovqk ArmyMinister of Defence

tlricted here is the Czech Ministerof Defence-in-Exile, General

SrlgrJ lngr, seen shortly after hise'rcn;lt: from Czechoslovakia toLrrglund. Significant numbers of('ltll Army soldiers made their waylo llrc UK, and were based, trainediliirl rr.structured at Cholmondeley('arlkr, near Chester, before beingl.nl lo l)ases around British cities.l llc rrxrln influences on the Czechrrrrll'ornr were British and French. Thellrrnrg Czech alliance with Franceiiirarnl lhat French tunics, helmets andllollff(.r$ were common; indeed, theI ilru,rnl's tunic is of French origin,I krwr.vcr, British uniforms becametlrr. rrorrn after time spent in the UK,llrorrgh wlth Czech badges and a'l';rr'lxrslovakia' title on the upper leftgle'rvr.. 'l'he General's tunic has ther ituk rlcnoted on the shoulder-straps,rvlrlk. llrt three stars on the sleevet rrrlk'rrlr. rlivisional commander.

November 1 940

Czech Ministry of Defence

General

lhratrol North-westEurope

sta{f Captain

52

Locrtlonr England

53

DENMARK DENMARK

Privote

Jutlond DivisionDonish ArmyDenmork 1940tfihe Danish Army presented noI significant resistance to the

German invasion in 1940, and theoccupation was on especially lenientterms. The Danes were allowed toretain widespread control over theirgovernmenlal, legal andadministrative affairs, ahd even kepta small army of just over 3000 men.The reasons behind this can be seenin the uniform and kit of this soldier:smart but utterly dated. AlthoughDenmark had a modern khakiuniform from 1923, it was in store by1940, and soldiers were kitted out inWorld War I-pattern clothing. Thisuniform is the wool l9lS-pattern ingrey-blue with an M1923 helmet.Rations and personal effects are inthe backpack, while the containerbeneath holds a 1926-pattern gas

mask. The black pouch on the beltholds ammunition clips. The bayonetis for the M1889 8mm (0.314in) rifle.

I st Lieutenont

Reconnoissonce Unit

Donish Air Force

Denmork 1940A t the point of German invasion,

AnerrmarL trad only 50 militarynlr<:raft. The Danish Air Force unitswcrc further weakened by the factlhnt they were split between the armynrrrl navy, services in rivalry with onenuother, and thus found it difffcult tolrfrrrcnt a united command. Therhrrllarity of this officer to a DanishArury soldier indicates that he fallsruulnr the auspices of the army. Airftlrcu personnel wore army uniformsfilr lle ground dress, in this case ahlttrkl Ml 92&pattern uniform, withllorcd- or open-collar tunics (here theckned collar), trousers flared at thellrlgha, and knee-high boots. The arm-olqcrvlce is indicated by a set offlyhrg wlngs on the right breast, andthe lleutenant's rank is given by therlnri on the blue shoulderstraps andlh{. gold star on the collar. Whenllylng, British Royal Air Forcejacketsnurl llylng helmets were used.

55

DENMARK DHOFAR

Worront Officer GuerrilloZth lnfqntry Regiment DhoforiDonish Army Guerrillo Forces

Denmork 1940 Omon 1973tflhe 1923-pattern uniform whichI this warrant officer wears is

entirely obscured by his healy black1864 greatcoat, another dated pieceof uniform in Danish use. Thegreatcoat was double-breasted andfeatured a stand-and-fall collar plusturn-back cuffs (I92$pattern trousersalso featured turn-back ankles on thetrousers), with two rows of buttons.The only markings it would usuallycarry were those denoting rank andarm-ofservice. Rank markings wereon the shoulder-straps; this soldierhas the two gold rosettes on thebrown, silk shoulder- straps of awarrant of fi cer. Arm-of-servicebadges were worn on the coat ortunic collar. Completing the soldier'suniform are black, pull-on boots andthe awkward-looking Danish steelhelmet. A khaki field cap - analternative form of headgear - istucked into his Sam Browne belt.

Eaom 1965 to 1974. nationalislI guerrillas of the Dhofar province,Oman, began an armed struggle forIttdependence against the forces oflhc ruling Sultan. The guerrillaswottld grow in number throughoutllrltl period, but in 1975 were finallyrlelt:ated by Omani military strengthtttttl their own internal factionalism.Support for their cause came mainlylrour the Soviet Union, and thus(irnmunist items of kit, uniform andwrnponry are common. This fighter isrltrrrned in the traditional civilianrklrt and head-dress, supplementedIty aupplies from the Soviet Union andI'iulcrn Bloc. His weapon is the7,(l2mm (0.3in) AKM, the modernizedvt.ralon of Kalashnikov's AK-47. Hisl,irrl (lerman jacket, here in a leaf-pnll(rrn camouflage, was developedftrr urc by 6lite German units in WorldWnr ll. Webbing is British 1958-pnllcrn fftted with an AKM pouch.

Drtir 1973

Uhltl Dhofari Guerrilla Forces

irnM iirill'liil ffi *e.rilla

57

EGYPT

Privote Privote

Egyption Army Egyption ArmySouthern lsroel 1948 Commondos

.is soldier is seen at a pivotal Sinqi 1967moment in Middle Eastern

history: when the combined forces ofseveral Arab states, including Egypt,Iraq and Sy'ria, attacked the one-day-old Jewish State of Israel. Theoutcome of the conflict in Israel'sfavour has repercussions to this day.This soldier's webbing, boots andweaponry allude clearly to Egypt'sclose links with the United Kingdomat this time. The rifle is the British.303in (?.7mm) Short Magazine LeeEnfield Mk III, here fitted with a 1907-pattern bayonet. Ammunition iscarried in the 1937-pattern webbing,still standard British issue at this timefor non-tropical operations. The bootsand garters are also British issue. Theuniform itself is of Egyptianmanufacture, a simple khaki denimone-piece overall, fly-fronted, andwith a standing collar and matchingberet (cavalry, military police andartillery soldiers wore green, red andblack caps respectively).

fly 1967. during which year lsraellJlaunched the lightning Six-DayWnr on its immediate Arabnclghbours, Cold War sponsorship ofthe conflict in the Middle East hadbroadly settled into Soviet backing forlhe Arab armies, and Western backingfor Israel. Though this Egyptianeoldler is mostly kitted out with localtuulform and equipment, the SovietItrlluence is seen in the Russianlllfontryman's helmet and also thegnrmask pack which canjust be seenon the left hip. The other item on thebelt ls actually an aberration - a US

wnter bottle in an Ml94l cover- onewhlch lllustrates that many Arabrtlrtlers had to innovate in how theyInrt together their kit. The uniform isan ligyptian-made desert<amouflagetuttlc and trousers. The weapon is theligyptlan Port Said submachine gun, aropy of the Swedish 9mrn Carl Gustav,Ittnrlc under licence in Egypt.

Privote CrewmonEgyption Army EgyptionSinqi 1967 Armed Forces

If lhile commandos and 6liteYY regiments of the Egyptian

armed forces tended to wearcamouflage uniforms, the standarduniform of the Egyptian infantr)rynanwas as depicted here. The plain khakidenim overall was hard-wearing, ifgiving little temperatuie control inthe desert. This soldier carries ablanket around his shoulders for thedesert nights when the temperaturescan drop precipitously. Soviet kit isagain in evidence. The AK rifle is seenhere with its bayonet fitted, and thesoldier's headgear is the Sovietinfantry helmet used by all Egyptianground forces at the time. He has nowebbing system as such, just a civilianleather belt fitted with water bottleand a Soviet-issue haversack slungover his shoulder for various rationsand utility items. An interestingreference to the UK Iies in the British1937-pattern web anklets, which wereprobably left over from World War IIoccupation.

Sinoi 1973tfrhe 1973 Yom Kippur War betweenI Israel and Egypt and Syria actually

fcatured one of the greatest tankbnttles of the twentieth century,fought between some 2000 mainlmttle tanks in the Sinai desert. TheArrb forces used Soviet T54/55 tanks;llrc Israelis British Centurions and US

M47l48 Partons. This Egyptiancrcwman wears a simple cotton khakiovtrrall of Egyptian 1955-issue pattern.I llr headgear, of Soviet origin, featuresrurr lnternal headset for receivingrnrllo communications, and over hislefl shoulder hangs the throatrrrlcrophone which he would use onllrc move. The other lead is for thell'l'/lC internal communications radio.'l'lrt padded helmet must have beenrurxrlmfortable to wear in the desert,nr lhe fur lining indicates a winterlmuc. The future of this tankman isirol known: Israeli armour inflicted a

hugc defeat on the Egyptian tanks.

Dfie: 1973

@

-

itnk Crewman

Lootlon; West Sinai

Eonflld: Yom KiPPUrWar

EL SALVADOR ERITREA

Privote

Solvodorion Army

fhe Salvadorian Army is actuallyI one of the most professional in the

whole of Latin America, with highstandards oftraining and discipline. Itis also a battle'tested force, fighting inEl Salvador's long-running civil warsfrom the 1970s to the 1990s. Duringthis period, the army received heavyamounts of US materiel support, towhich this soldier is testimony. Theentire uniform is US produced, theshirt and trousers being simple olive-drab fatigues, while the helmet is thevintage Ml steel helmet. The boots

are made from a nylon-and-leathermix, a type of boot developed

for US forces in the tropicalconditions of Vietnam.Webbing is the US M1943

pattern with an M1956 belt. Anemphatic departure from US kit,however, is the Gerrnan rifle, a7.62mm (0.3in) Heckler& Koch G3A3.It has had amazing export success inover 60 countries, South Americabeing one of its biggest markets.

GuerrillqEritreon

El Solvodor I 980 Liberotion Front

Eritreo 1979'ar between Ethiopia and Eritrealasted from 1962 - when

l,lthiopia forcibly annexed Eritrea - tol$93 when Eritrea finally regainedIndependence. The main resistancelxdy within Eritrea was the Eritreanl,lberation Front. Though chronicallyruDder-resourced, the ELF managed toprovide a fairly determined foe forlhc Ethiopian Army. This ELF fighterh dressed as many of his force were:wlth anything they could acquire, Annpproach at a standard uniform wasnrude in the form of a khaki tunic andlrousers, but this was never consistentlhrough the entire force. This soldierlr nrostly wearing civilian clothing:rk'nlm shirt, cotton trousers, plimsollsnrr<l headscarf. However, he hasrrurnaged to acquire a British 1937-pnllern web belt and ammunitionpouch, the pouch used to storeruurgazines for his Czech Cz58 assaultrlllc, which fired M1943 rounds.

\r,

f,r,&itq

I'*

lii'F

63

FINLAND FINLAND

Seomon MorsholLoke Logodo Flotillo MonnerheimFinnish Nouy Finnish ArmyLqke Logodo 1939 Helsinki 1939tfrhis Finnish sailor is amply dressedI for the severe weather conditions

of the Baltic. His two-piece fleece-lined foul-weather suit with fur collarwould give good protection againstarctic winds, rains and ice storms.Underneath he would be wearingthe standard 'square rig' uniform of

, the Finnish Nary. This consisted of a' double.breasted blue jacket with an|t open left breast pocket and two

flapped side pockets, this beingworn in combination with a whiteshirt and black tie, blue trousers andblack shoes. The cap worn here,featuring a circular cockade of thenational colours, is the standard navalheadgear, and the word across thefront would indicate either the ship orthe installation (the Finnish Navy alsoran coastal artillery). Officers weredistinguished by a dark-blue peakedcap, the rank indicated on the cuffs,greatcoat and tunic shoulder-straps,

f, lf,arshal Mannerheim was the head

IVIof trt. very small (nine divisions)but resilient Finnish Army. However,

this arrny would suffer greatly in the

war, when some 89,000 Finnishmilitary personnel were killed.Mannerheim was exclusive in his titleof Marshal, and so his uniform must

be treated in manY waYs as unique tohis person. With his plain field-greytunic and riding trousers, he wears a

ringularly unostentatious display ofhis rank and merits. Around his neck

he wears the Mannerheim Cross of the

Cross of Liberty for braverY, whiledecorations ribbons are placed overhis left breast. His shoulder-strapsI'eature the regimental insignia ofll{annerheim's former regiment, thelJusimaa dragoons, and silver Finnishllons. He wears no rank badges -lhree gold lions with crossed batonson a silver background - trut there is a(llvil Guard badge on his left sleeve.

ndne. tr",i,.5eptember 1939

,, Unit i'.',,"'.'Finnish ArmY

nhnki i Marshal

Theflrer' i, ..,Eastern Front

l0$ation: :i:' Helsinki

65

FINIAND FINLAND

Coptoin Lieutenont2nd Division Finnish ArmyFinnish Army (lnfontry)Leningro d 1943 Korelio 1944fhis Captain wears a dark-greyI Model 1936 uniform, the standard

uniform of the Finnish Army whichresulted from a modernization of theold light-grey uniform in that year.Subtle distinctions of cloth quality,style and insignia separated theofficers from the lower ranks. Thestandard tunic was single.breastedwith four patch pockets and a stand-and-fall collar. Matching breecheswere issued, this officer's beingreinforced with leather sections - theFinnish Army had a strong cavalrytradition - and a pair of knee-hightroots in brown leather. The winterfield cap was worn by all soldiers, theofficers'with a gilt-metal lion badgeabove the central buttons, while theIower ranks wore the Finnish blue-and-white cockade. Also issued werethe German 1935 Model steel helmetand a side cap for summer use. Theofficer's kit was a knife and a pistol.

tTrhln lieutenant of the FinnishI lrrlnnrry is more nolable for the

rulrrmtlons of his uniform than for itstyDk'nlltv. The most visitrlynrrnclrronistic item is the large andrurwlol<ly helmet, the German l9l5-rrrll(.nr. By this point in the war, thelll l Slmttern helmet had beenr rrpllccd by the 1935-pattern of thett,grrlrrr German forces. His generalnlgx.llftrnce is closer to that of a WorldWnr I (icrman infantryman than to al'irrrrlnh soldier. His short tunic andllourcr$ are of poorer quality than theI llil(i-lnsue standard Finnish uniform,rurrl lltcv could be the pre-1936i r.r.rv<l stock. Fortunately for him, helc wr.ll armed with a scarce Russianl'l'lt-4(l(i submachine gun. This mosteolkl ol weapons was more of a

;x.nrtllme weapon, as it wasrIlililulil(:tured to exceptionally highrlirnllly, higher quality than could becrrrlnhlt:d during wartime production.

Driluli ,rl; 11{tlay 1944

lnf€ntry Division

lrlrrrit Liierutenant

ttr.rtruiii lril|trEastein Front

lrnhl

I

lo$tl0niiririKarelia",r|t itjii,"ir ii t irt ,lriil rir'll'

FRANCE

Officer Privote 'lst

Closs

French Cuirossier French ArmyFrqnce 1914 Fronce 1914f\uring the first year of World WarLlI, many French units -particularly the cavalry units ofcuirassiers, dragoons, hussars andchasseurs - wore service versions offulI ceremonial dress that were highlydecorative and coloured. Howeveroby l9l5 such units realized thehideous cost of high visibility, andmodified their dress to be more inline with the infantry. Here we see acuirassier officer decked out in thisearly ceremonial dress. The basicuniform is a dark-blue tunic withsilver-threaded shoulder boards, overwhich is worn a gold'coloured giletwith red trim. Red cavalry breechesare worn with a pair of black ridingboots. The striking shako hat,complete with horse-hair tail downthe back, was often, as in this case,covered with a khaki cloth to avoidreflection off the bright metal badges,a draw for enemy snipers. Thisofficer's regimental number is seenon his collar.

fhls infantry soldier during the fitstI year of Wbrld \['ar I illustrates

llr,urs of uniforrn which were whollyhilrppropriate to the conditions ofronrbat on the Western Front. Chief

Anlongst these is the red collarpttlches (the nurnber indicatingbnltallon or regiment), the red rankrnnrklngs on the sleeve (a singlechovron indicated Private lst Class)

nu(l, the worst offenders, the bright-retl trousers, The lessons of the lowvlrlbllity, however, were quicklY

rrrtrlcretood, and from SePtember

llll4 most French infantrYmenarrlved at the front line with blue

llrtrrn overalls covering these scarlet

trouEerc. The clean appearance of thisrokller indicated that he has yet torcn(:h the combat zone. He is wearingthc French-issue leather webbing withM I tl97 ammunition Pouches and, on

hlr back, an M1893 pack with shelter-

lurlf rtrapped on top of it. The rifle he

hna been issued with is the 8mm(0,3 I l-rln) Lebel M 1886/93'

FRANCE

,t)i,19ll:6

l.j ftircnnrmy

'l |lrlAbstern Front

FRANCE

Corporol Lieutenont

French Army Escodrille N. No.3Fort Voux 1916 Groupe de Chosse

No. I 2, Fronce 191 6fhe Battle of Verdun was one of.l. pure attrition. the strategy of

General Erich von Falkenhayn toconcentrate French forces in oneposidon and there bleed France'smilitary white. It did not succeed, butit cost the French 400,000 casualties,though the Germans lost 350,000. FortVaux was one of the fortifications atVerdun, and in this picture here wesee an infantryman in the typicalFrench uniform of the time; thehorizon-blue uniform was introducedinto the French forces in 1915,replacing a grey-green earlierversion. The long grey'blue greatcoatfeatures the rank of corporal on thesleeve. It was also in l9l5 that theMl9l5 steel helmet was standardized,designed by August-Louis Adrian. Thetunic underneath the greatcoat wouldhave the regiment, battalion and arm-of-service identified on collar patches.This soldier has leather webbing andcarries an 8mm (0.315in) 1892revolver and an Fl hand-grenade.

fJere we see Lieulenant Deullin' a

I ldistinsuished French pilot ofWorld War I, in the uniform of thellrurch Aviation Militaire. The tunic isllrrizon-blue in colour with a stand-nnd-fall collar. On this collar is thelrrrrlgnia of a qualified aviator - a five-

lxrlnted winged star - while on his leflIrrcast is the stork badge of the( lroupe de Chasse No.l2 above tworle<'oration ribbons. Rank is given onlhc dark-blue kepi hat and also on therkrcve of the tunic. The AviationMllltaire badge sits on the rightlrroast. The tunic is worn with a pairol rlark-blue breeches and a long pairol lnce-up leather boots, which wereworn by French aviators. Flyingclothing consisted of a black leather

J[cket and trousers of a type actuallyrrned by the Paris Fire Brigade. A blueckllh armlet was used when wearinglhls dress to display the rank andgroup insignia.

U$tdiii i,l', l' :{ 916

I

fhorltiliiillli''riWestern Front

FRANCE

Sergeont Privote

French Infontry French ForeignFronce 1916 Legion, Syrio 1925,flhis soldier is wearing the standardI horizon-blue uniform adopted in

1915, in addition to the helmet issuedin the same year which was basedupon a design from the French fireservice. The collar numberindicates either his regimental orbattalion mrmber, and rank isgiven conventionally on the sleeveof the greatcoat. Perhaps moreinteresting than the uniform is theweapon, the 8mm (0.315in)Chauchat Ml9l5. Authorities havedescribed the Chauchat as'theworst machine gun in history'.The accusation isjustified. The

bolt travel in the qun wasoverlong and vigorous, disturbing

accuracy, wearing out the parts, andpulling in dirt. It was made from poor-quality metals, frequently jammed,was awkward to load and let downthe French infantry in combat. It isunclear how many French soldierslost their lives because of its failures,but it was alrnost universally hated.

1917

fhe French Foreign Legion wereI deployed to Syria in I 925 ro

trmbat the anti-French Djedel Druzercbel movement which was treginningIo have serious military successesngainst French forces (Syria waslllaced under a French mandatejustufter the conclusion of World War I).llr four months of campaigning, thel.cgion inflicted a series of crushingrlcfeats upon the retrels, and furtherconsolidated their reputation asnrasters of desert combat. Dress in therlcsert was rigorously practical. Hereru Private wears a loose cotton tunicrund trousers, plus the traditional kepi* the white colour of these itemswould reflect away some of the sun'slntense heat and glare. Footwear is apnir of brown shoes worn with longl)uttees to the knee to stop thelntrusion of sand and wildlife. He isnrmed with the Artillery MusketoonMle 1892, a carbine designed tryAndr6 Berthier which had a five-round internal magazine.

,illlri'ili. :ii jl ,

t:iUatbi.l .r 1925',Dstq

LJnit French lnfantrv,lknlr. . .r Sergeant

Western Front

L.p(6ilon: France

I

ri :r French Foreign Legion

72

Location: Svria

,fl,u,ntliit:1,:,.r 5!rrian uprising

FRANCE FRANCE

Moior Sergeont46th lnfontry Armoured DivisionRegiment Amiens 1940Europe 1940fhis French major's uniform. seenI before France's surrender, harks

back to the days of World War I in itsstyle and colouring. Indeed, themajor's participation in that conflict ismade clear through the medalribbons on his chest for the Croix deGuerre 1914-1918 in red and green,while the white and green ribbonsrelate to the bloody Dardanellescampaign, His unit number is statedon the collar tabs, though the khakibackground of these patches andtheir dark-blue piping are alsoindicators of the ,t6th InfantryRegirnent. A further unit identifier isthe metal badge over the right breastpocket, and rnost infantry units wouldhave their own versions of this. Thisofficer displays his rank mainly onthe sleeves of the tunic, though if hewere wearing an overcoat the rankwould be on a cloth panel attached toone of the coat buttons.

fhis French Sergeant is wearing theI typical uniform foran NCO of

lnotorized troops in the early part ofthe war. The most distinctive item isthe three-quarter length brownleatherjacket issued from 1935. Herethe rank of the sergeant is displayedby the single bar on the fasteningseam of the coat, while the greenpatches (usually grey on mostrrniforms) on the collar indicate hisrunit. For headgear, the sergeant iswearing a blue beret featuring thelladge of the French tank forces,representing crossed cannon and arnedieval helmet. Underneath his leftrurm he carries the M35 paddedhelmet for wear inside the tank itself.'l'his helmet, which was purpose-designed for mechanized warfare,was introduced in 1935. Prior to thisllme, the crewman would wear thentandard infantry metal helmet,which turned out to be far from idealln the cramped interior of a Frenchlank in battle.

-Uitir: . Aprit 1940

,iliiil. hiiiri.:ji.iti,l,'Armoured Division

I

,.1

75

FRANCE FRANCE

Privote First Closs Privote

I B2nd Artillery Free French ArmyRegiment Englond 1940Flonders 1940

fhe.v-ears 1935 and 1936 seemI pivotal for uniform design in many

European armies. Styles changed asthe old ways of World War I werefinally left behind. In the FrenchArmy prior to 1935, the uniform wasthe blue World War I pattern, but1935 saw a khaki uniform, ih line withmany other nations, as shown herefor this artillery private. This cut isperhaps superior, as he is wearingwalking-out dress. The khaki tunicwas single-breasted with six metalbuttons and a low-fall collar, and hada gaberdine summer variant. Breecheswere generally replaced byknickerbockers in 1938 for non-mounted soldiers, For headgear therewas a blue or khaki kepi (seen here), a

khaki field cap, and a steel helmet.Regimental number was usually onthe kepi and the collar patches. Thisprivate has an artillery badge on hisIeft sleeve, and his rank at the cuff.

tTlhe Free French stationed in theI ur. lit . many European soldiers

who came to Britain following theGerman conquests in Europe, set theiruppearance somewhere between thellritish Army and their national force,now in exile. This private soldier iswearing the British khaki drilluniform. The tunic features auationality title on the shoulder, whilelhe red, white and blue ribbon on thenhoulderstrap is a mark of allegianceto General de Gaulle, leader of theFree French Forces. However, there isstill much more to emphasize hislrtatus as a French soldier. Mostapparent is the French infantryhclmet. the style having its originsbackin 1915. By 1940 itwasmade ofmanganese steel, and was pressed as asingle piece to improve its overallrtrength, An arm-of-service badge wasllxed to the front. The boots, gas.maskcase and load-carrying system is also|rench. His rifle, the Berthier M07/15,l$ the standard issue French rifle.

Ulieir:r., . Siptember 1940

iuhit iri:ii::' . Free French Army

Rank: Private

Theatre: North-westEurooe

Hffi1,:enOuna

182nd Artillery Regiment

i iiti,ir:Private Flrst Class

77

FRANCE FRANCE

Pilot Lieutenont

Poris Air Region Mediterroneon Fleet

French Air Force French NouyFronce 1940 Toulon 1940Decause of noor decisions in theD*-.a to."es in the interwaryears, the French Air Force enteredthe war with many obsolescentaircraft. Indeed in May 1940, less thanhalf of its 2200 aircraft were ofmodern specifications. This pilot of aPotez 63/II would have to fly hard tosurvive the might of the Luftwaffe.The standard uniform of French AirForce personnel was a dark Louise-Blue tunic and trousers and either apeaked cap (blue with a black bandand gold-ernbroidered wings), a blackberet (for working duties), or a steelhelmet. A double-breasted greatcoatwas also issued with a fall collar, ahalf-belt at the back, with gold-embroidered passants on theshoulders. The uniform in this case iscovered by a one-piece flying overall,and the pilot rdears a padded flyinghelmet of chrome leather. He carriesthe Chanole parachute.

f'\ver 27 per cent of the French\-fmilitary budget was spent in theflve years before the war onmodernizing the naly. Theconsequence was that France enteredthe war with 660,000 tons of militaryehipping, the fourth largest fleet inthe world, and possibly the mostprofessional of the French arm+of-eervice. The sailor here is a lieutenantof the Mediterranean Fleet, and hewears the blue service dress of thenaly, though in tropical climatesthere was also a standard lightweightkhaki uniform. His cap is blue with ablack leather peak, and features abadge depicting a gold€mbroideredopen laurel wreath with a fouledanchor at the centre. In addition tothe blue service dress, officers hadfurther options for dress uniform: thecap could feature a white cover withmatching white trousers and shoes oreven a white summer jacket.

78 79

FRANCE

Leoding Seomon PrivoteAilontic Fleet Vichy French

French No,ry Moroccon SpohisBrest 1940 Syrio 1941presenting arms with his 8mmI (o.gtsin) M92l16 rifle and IlI92knife bayonet, this French sailor iswearing the French Naly paradeuniform. Some items of his uniformwould only make an appearance inthis context, such as the white lacedand truckled gaiters which cover thetops of his boots. Others are part ofthe traditions of naval dress, some ofthem world-wide rather than purelyFrench. The blue-and-white T-shirt,for example, is worn by severalnavies and naly-related special forcesto this day. Though ceremonial innature, this uniform also containsmuch of the standard dress. The tunicand trousers are general naval issue,the tunic having crossed anchors onthe upper sleeve, while at the cuff arethree stripes to indicate ajuniorquartermast€r. The'square rig'headgear, with the words'MaritimeNationale', has a red pom-pom.

rTrhe Vichv French forces of NorthI Rr.i"u r"li.a heavily on

indigenous peoples to fill their ranks.In Syria in l94l there was a total of l3battalions plus one cavalry formationofAfrican troops under the leadershipof General Dentz, Moroccan, Algerian'Senegalese and Tunisian trooPsfought hard against the Allies for theVichy cause, losing over 6000 men inSyria. Few ever went back to the Free

French. This Moroccan soldier iswearing typical French uniform forthe desert theatre (though a littleheavily dressed compared toEuropean troops) with a standardFrench helmet, khaki uniform, a longdjellabah, and leather ammunitionpouches. A yellow rank striP isbuttoned to the front of his tunic'indicating so/dct de premibre classe,while his helmet features a crescent toshow his Muslim faith. Collar patches

depict the regimental number.

jf!:f'f"

I

FRANCE

80

FRANCE

Privote

French

Volunteer Legion

Ukroine 1943tflhis small contingent of FrenchI Foops who fought on the Eastern

Front for the Germans is a little.known aspect of French wartimehistory. The Ldgion VolontaireFtangaise was an all-volunteer forcewhich rose to 2452men, motivated byeverything ftom Nazi to anti-communist sympathies. This soldier isseen in the Ukraine, to which thevolunteers were sent in June 1943,just over a year before they weredisbanded in September 1944.German uniforms were adopted - theGerman greatcoat, 1935-pattern steelhelmet, Mauser Kar 98k rifle andjackboots are standard Germanelements - yet the French tricolouradorn both the coat sleeve and thehelmet, while the medals are French(eft to right Military Medal,Combatant's Cross, Colonial Medalwith two bars). The rifle is also heldhigh, in the style of the French.

FRANCE

GoumierFrench

Africon Troops

Syrio 1944f urge numbers of French Africanl:lroops were recruited to the Alliednrurc with the fall of German forceslu North Africa and the Germanrx'r'rqration of Vichy France. Thesewrlrc formed into part of the Frenchlixptdltionary Corps which enteredcourbat in Italy in 1943. As the warprogressed, British and US uniformstlonrlnated within the Free French,lhough many troops clung to theirrrnllonal identity. This Moroccangorrrnler is no exception. His vividovrrrcoat is the djellabah, an item ofllolhlng which identified his tribe,nnrl he wears a British steel helmet onlop of his turban. The actual cornbatrrrrllirrm, which can just be seen, is ofI lS prttern, as is the webbing system:llrr: pouches at the front would takecllp* for the Ml Garand rifle (thoughll lr not clear here what rifle he isctrrylng, possibly a French-issuel,cbcl or Berthier).

I

FRANCE FRANCE

Coptoin CorporolForeign Legion French ColoniolPqrochute Brigode Porochute Regimentlndochin o 1952 Suez lnvosion 1956

tfhough the Anglo-French operationI to seize the Suez Canal in 1956

wns a generally calamitous mission,llro lrrench parachute forces

fhe war in Indochina between 1945I and 1954 was perhaps the

bloodiest episode in all FrenchForeign Legion history, with I 1,620legionnaires killed out ofthe 20,000who served there. For the I REP - theunit to which this Captain belongs -the six years between its formation in1948 and the end of the waf saw

..[., almost every single serving soldierffid.r:, either killed or wounded. French

Foreign Legion uniform and kit inthe first decade after the war is oI

mixed sources, testimony to theirbroad activities during World War II.This para captain in a camouflage USjungle-warfare jacket matched withthe trousers of British airborneforces. The Ml helmet is Arnerican, asare the Ml9l0 canteen cover andenamel water bottle, the ammunitionpouch for pistol magazines, and thefolding-stock MlAl carbine. Thebackpack is British l95&pattern.

gx.rfbrmed excellently, partly owinglo lhe thorough training andlcglmental pride, and partly to thehx'l that many of the paras were toughIrrrlochina veterans. The soldierhr.rc shows the typical pararrulform of the mid-1950s.'l'lrc camouflage shirt and trousersrurc from the MSl parachute uniform(llrst issued in 1953) which, as the

lnrtterning suggests, was firstlnlcnded for use by the paras in theluugles of South-east Asia. He alsowcars a pair of brown leatherpurachute high-boots and Frenchwcbbing, and went into action at Suezlronvily armed. His rifle, the 7.5mm(l).295in) MAS 1936 bolt-action, waslxxlsted by six rifle.grenades fittedlnlo a pouch system on his belt,

I

FRANCE

Privote Corporol

French I Oth French

Porochute Division Foreign Legion

Algerio 1961 Corsicq .l990s

urhe Algerian lndependence WhrI demonstrated how effective, and

brutal, the French paras could bewithin a civil war/revolutionaryconflict. Between 1957, when the l0thParachute Division and 3rd ColonialParachute Regiment were deployed,and July 1962, when Algeria achievedits independence, the paras perfecteda style of counter-insurgency warfarewhich inflicted terrible losses on thenationalist ALN movement.Ultimately, it was their use of tortureand murder that was their undoing, asthe French military becarne vilifiedby the international press. Thisprivate is carrying a 7.5mm (0.295in)M1952 (AAT Mle 52) machine gun, agood attrition weapon for suddenencounters, and he is wearing thestandard MSl tropical parachuteuniform. By this time, all Frenchtroops were wearing camouflage, achange which occurred in 1960.

flxccpt in parade dress. the FrenchDl',rrcign Legion have generallylirlkrwcd fairly spartan styles ofrurrllirrm. What is constant is thelrrl'nulrus kepi hat. Two common typesul'ncrvice kepi prevail. This NCO gets

l() w(xrr the ftepi noir, a black'coveredlrnl, while all lower ranks usuallywr{rr lhe ftepi blanc, which has awhllu cover. The red top and goldbnrlgc are seen on both styles. Thisrokllt:r is kitted out in standard khakillrllgucs. The tunic features severalrr.glurental features and insignia.llrrrrning under the left arm is arr.glilrcntal lanyard, next to variousn,rvlce medals. On the right breath isnl'llxcd the parachute brevet, which isxlr.rr on the uniforms of almost alllx.rsounel in the Legion, as almostr.v(.ryone receives parachute training.It$uh stripes are on the upper rightrk'r'vc. His weapon is the standardl'r.l'r(inrn (0.22in) FAMAS Fl rifle.

1990s

French Foreign Legion

Corporal

Lo(stlonr 'l Corsica

:lOth Parachute Division

Con{llctr' ;None

FRANCE GERMANY

OperotiveFrench GIGNFronce I 990s

lhe Groupe d'l nteraen I ionI Cendarmeria Nationale (GIGN) is

France's foremost counter-terroristunit, formed in 1974 as part of ageneral world-wide movement toestablish effective national anti-terrorist squads. It has executedseveral dramatic and high-profileoperations, including the liberation ofAir France Flight 8969 from hijackersat Marseilles on 26 December 1994,which resulted in all terrorists killedfor remarkably few hostage lossesand injuries. This man is a GIGNsniper, indicated by his 7.62mm(0.3in) Giat FR-F2 precision weaponfitted with powerful optical sight. Hewears thermal-imaging goggles fornight-vision, featuring a built-in radiomike. Hanging from his belt is a fast-rope and harness, ideal for rapiddeploynent to a vantage point in anurban setting. The only markings onhis uniform are a GIGN badge on hissleeve and parachute wings on hischest. All GIGN are parachute trained.

CorporolSchutztruppeGermon Eost Africo1914

fhe Scfturzrruppe, asmall defenceI unil maintained by Germany in its

I'iurl African colony, consisted of only2{i(} Germans and2472 asharis Qocalrokliers), yet its training standardsnrr<l tactical familiarity with the EastAlrican terrain enabled it to beat off arrruch larger British invasion force inNovember 1914. This corporal showsol f typical Scftatztruppen dress,(ll$linct from that of German forces inrurrthern Europe. The lightweightlunic and trousers are yellow khaki,llxr tunic featuring four patch pocketsrur<l a rounded fall collar. Rank isrllsplayed on the sleeve while ther.paulettes (white with a black-and-redlwlst) give unit identification. Thisroldier wears a slouch hat with thelrnst Aftican cockade on the side; therrs/rari soldiers wore fez-like head-rlrcss. The belt and pouches areslnndard German issue and the rifle isllrc 7.92rnm (0.3in) Model Ml89l.

Ddtel il ,i ,i:1914

Unitri; 11, 11 ,Schutztruppe

nnhkili irir ri .rCorporal

Th,oat1e1 11; ,r{ffi6a

,il

:lll

iil

:lJnit.+=--Rsnkl

GI€N

Operative

rr..tqiiiition:,. Francei$siifliftr, None

LL., rl ,: r'

't;lt

toratlo$r .1 EastAfrica

r,lrrtiNi..rii I .

g

GERMANY

Lieutenont-Coptoin OfficerZeppelin Bolloon Uhlon (Loncer)

Germony 1914 Regiment

Belgium l9l5lfeppelin air-raids over EnglandZh.d littl. tactical significance inWorld War I, though the psychologicaleffect was pronounced. Here we seeKapitiinle utnanf Joachim Breithaupt,commander ofII5, dressed in usualclothing for the chilly operations overthe south coast of England. Altitudeswere very low by today's standards -up to 4877m (16,000ft) - yet in theunheated cockpit, this meant icytemperatures. To combat this,Breithaupt wears a base layer of athick woollen jumper, over which hewears a naval double-breasted jacketfeaturing a German cross and rankmarkings on the cuffs, this beingworn with leather trousers and anaval cap (this has the Imperialcockade surrounded by oak leavesand topped with a crown). The Iargestof Germany's Zeppelins - the ZZ-70 -was 220m (740ft) long with a range of25,744km G6,000 miles), but after itwas shot down, Germany ceased touse dirigibles for combat purposes,

tTlhe uhlans were one of severalI G".-un cavalrv divisions in

World War I, the others including thecrrirassiers, dragoons, hussars and,liiger zu Pferde (mounted rifles).'l'hough the M1910 uniform - therlundard uniform of Gerrnan cavalryroltliers - worn by the uhlan officerIrcrc follows the general field-greyrrrlour scheme which the regularnrnry had adopted, the style is muchrrxrre theatrical. Two features inIrrrticular capture the eye. The first,nrrd most dominant, is the distinctivecznpka helmet, here with a cockadeon its plate. The khaki colour of theczapka is by virtue of a cover; in non-wartime scenarios the hat would be inlllc regimental colours. The otherprominent item is the double-breastedlunic, featuring a stand-and-fall colournrr<l displaying the arm-of+ervice inthc trim and at the cuffs. This officerlr armed with a Mauser C/96 pistol.

GERMANY

I

GERMANY

Lieutenont-Coptoin Privote

Germon Nouy WUrttembergJutlond 1916 Mountoin Rifles

Coporetto 1917-tTlhe uniform here was establishedI *irfrin the German Navv in the

early part of the twentieth ientury,though a full-length dress coatbecame popularly replaced by thedoublebreast tunic seen here. Thetypical dress of a German navalofficer in the Great War was the bluetunic with matching trousers, a whiteshirt with wing collar and black tie,black shoes, and the naval peakedcap. The cap was blue in colour andhad a black mohair surround andleather brim. It also featured Imperialcockade surrounded by oak leavesand surmounted by a crown. Therank of this officer is indicated by therings on the sleeve capped by theImperial crown, though naval officersduring this period often had rankdisplayed through shoulder-boardsand shoulder-straps, During themassive battle of Jutland, Germany'snaval losses were less than Britain's,but it was no longer able to operatebeyond the safety of the home ports.

A t the outset of Wotld war I' most

Ac".-u" i"ru"try wereaortred in

llcltl-grey unifor-". How.vtt, t'rttitt-i,-"iii#

""1" ".r.i *11t..ftg"*a

Schiitzen (Rifles) were isued $feY-

grcen uniforms, and into this category

i'irue this soldier of the wiirttenbergerttl,r.rrr,ui., Battation, trere pictured

rlurlng the battle of capoietto in 1917'

'l'hc uiiform consi$eiof a tunic with

nttnd-and-fall collar, two patch

lxrckets on the chest, and two slash

nklc pockets coverea witn nuttoned

lltps. This was worn withaPdrof,rurtching trousers, high pufiees and

rt,rlr"J-r"'Jnr"". tiffi.ut it u ti*nt"

s';il;;";;;;;nt'e fi en cap' Tle

wfi.ti"-b".g ,;it is indicated by the

,',rrro. p.t n"-" ltrr" sintle pip on lhese

rhows the rantj, tne piping around

,ru, "rroola",

urri in"'t;Fo on 'n"

Itlt hip. He is wearing $andard(ierman infantry equlprnent and

,;,"t"" " t.et;; io'.ii'n; rilos 'utni""'

Dater 1917

-

Fie;;44e-+i-r:--=

Uilhi . Worttemberg

GERMANY GERMANY

Stormtrooper StormtrooperMichoel Offensive Germon ArmyWestern Front l9l B Fronce I 91 8tfhe slormlroopers were a newI breed of soldier trained and

developed by Germany between l9l4and 1915. The concept, devisedmainly by Hauptmann Erich Rohr,was for spearhead units,Sturmtruppen, to use speed, mobilityand firepower to smash open weakpoints in enemy defences for massinfantry assault to widen. InDecember 1915 an operational unit,lhe Sturm-Bataillon Rohr, enteredinto the war. Here we see a soldierduring the Michael Offensive,Germany's last-ditch effort to breakthe deadlock of the Western Front in1918. His medieval appearance wastypical of assault troops. Metal bodyarmour, a chain-mail head-dress andnon-standard steel helmet gaveprotection in trench battles, though atthe expense of mobility. This soldieris armed with classic trench fightingtools: a Mauser Model l9l4 pistol andtwo hand-grenades, as well as asharpened spade.

' l.i,l. fA

::$turmtruppen.Assault units.T160per

,.1'lEFtWeen Flesquidres and

firhis stormlrooper carries littleI exfaneous kit. The two khaki bags

slung over his shoulders are actuallygrenade sacks made from sandbags, aplcntiful supply of grenades beingrcquisite for most stormtroopersussaulting Allied trenches. In additionIrc carries a gas mask case, a long-lrundled shovel and a 7.9mm (0.3lin)lMauser carbine. The Ml9l5 uniformls typical of the German soldier inl1)18. It replaced the Ml9l0 as therlandard-issue German army blouseln l9l5 and initially featured exposedhuttons. These were eventuallycovered with a fly front, as shownIrcre, something which gave less forr:nemy riflemen to draw a bead on.Note how this soldier hasnrmouflaged his helmet. This wasouly done by German stormtroopersrund was the first effective use oflrrlhntry camouflage, Each man wouldlxrint an individual pattern, but basednround an angular disruptive-typerlcsign scheme.

U[terl

unlt: German Armv

n*hkt ri .r.rStormtrooperTheatre: Western Front

trffi1.,Fhn."

, lrr 11: , ,i.r,, Qu.entin. France

GERMANY GERMANY

Pilot CorporolCondor Legion Infontry Regiment

Modrid 1939 Polond 1939tflhe Condor Legion was a force ofI *ome 100 German aircraft (split

equally between bombers andfighters) and over 16,000 personnelwhich fought for the Nationalist causein the Spanish Civil War. Hitlerdeployed the force in November 1936,and the conflict gave German aviatorsand many ground troops - the Legionalso featured anti-tank, anti-aircraftand armoured units - opportunitiesfor combat experience prior to WorldWar II. Perhaps the most significantaerial tactics to emerge were thedeplol'rnent of fighters in the four-aircraftt Scftrtarme and also dive-bombing. The pilot here, pictured latein the campaign, is wearing a Germanaviator's cap, jacket and pantaloons,all in a dark khaki. On the right breastpocket hangs a'Spanish Cross'German campaign medal, abovewhich is the brevet of the Spanish airforce. His boots are those of anofficer, these being made of leatherand suede and lined with larnbswool.

f, German corporal strides forwardAduring the first few victoriousmonths of Blitzftrieg in the West.

Because of Germany's intensivepre-war investment in its armedforces, Gerrnan soldiers at thisstage of the war tend to be seenwith an excellent standard ofuniform and kit (compare thislmage with those of Germansoldiers on the Eastern Front in1945). The blouse is in infantrYfield-grey, featuring a dark-bluecollar on which the artificial silk'thread rank stripes are stitched;other rank markings are on theshoulder-straps. Trousers come in aslightly darker stone.grey. Otherinsignia is fairly minimal, mainlYNazi or national emblems on theblouse breast or the helmet. Hisweapon - the MP38 Submachine gun'

indicated by the long magazinepouches worn over the stomach -shows that he is a section leader incharge of a squad of 10 soldiers.

I

GERMANY GERMANYSeomon CorporolGermon Nouy I st Ponzer RegimentBoltic 1939 Fronce 1940

, k:/ 'ry.

'. wi,p' .-

fhis seaman, who is operating inI th" Bulti". is wearing the standard

summer whites of the German Navy inthe months immediately prior to theonset ofwar. The fact that hostilitieshave not been declared is indicatedby the name of the ship still beingdisplayed on the cap bandl nameswere omitted on wartime caps forsecurit5r reasons, Furthermore, thewhite capcover worn here was notused once war had begun. The capfeatures a Nazi eagle set above anational cockade - a standard insigniafor ratings - while on the tunic, thenational emblem is stitched over theright breast. Officers who werewearing the summer uniform wouldgenerally have a metallic pin badgedepicting the eagle. By 1943 thestandard summer dress would havechanged to include a light-brownuniform with a peaked field cap, andthis particular style was one whichhad some resemblance to the dress ofthe Africa Corps.

j^l erman uniform designers in thelLJmld-l93os managed to createtunllorms which were both functionalnnd vlaually impressive, and nowherelr thle more apparent than in the caseol thla corporal from the lst Panzerlleglment. The uniform - introducedhrto aervice in 1935 - is an ideal formof rlress for the cramped and hotlntorlor of an armoured vehicle. Thetrougers are loose to aid movementnnd ventilation, and the double-lrruaated jacket is kept short so thatl)uttons a.re not strained in a seatedporltlon, The beret appears soft, butnctually contains extensive paddinglor head protection. Insignia relatingio nrm.of-service features on thelollar patches - skull-and-crossbonesou a black background - while thisroldler also has the Iron Cross and'lhnk Battle Badge on the left breast. Aphtol would usually be the onlywt.apon carried for self defence andrrroct perconal items would be storedlu lhe vehicle.

98 99

GERMANYGERMANY

MoiorHeinkel Hel I ILuftfilotte 2Fronce 1940

ith the approach of summerduring the Battle of Britain

campaign, many German airmenbegan to wear the one-piece canvasflying suit designed for summer use.Its canvas construction made it lighterand more breathable, and the pocketswere set inside the overalls to avoidbulky padded sections. Headgear inthis case is the Luftwaffe peaked caprather than the beige linen flighthelmet usually worn on operations.This cap features the Luftwaffe eagle,cockade, oak leaves and wings, whilethe chin-strap is in the silver of officerrank. The actual rank of major isdepicted by the two bars andpropeller badge on the sleeve. Ayellow life-jacket is worn against thevery real possibility of ditching in theNorth Sea or English Channel. ManyGerman aircraft succumbed to fuelshortages on the way home and wereforced into the sea.

July 1940

,'r 'lJnit: Luftflotte 2

-Rilki

lrhgatr* . North-west Europe

NCOI st Porochute

Regiment

Belgium 1940

Major

tTrhe German Airborne forcesI lnvested heavily is designing a

prnctical and functionalpnnrr:hute uniforrn, though thellZ I and RZl6 parachutes gave

llrr. para no directional controlol lllght and hung the Para inth(.slraps at an oblique angle.I'hlx para wears a jumPsmocklvplcal of the summer of 1940'

tlrough field-grey seems morecorrrrnon than khaki. Thelrrurck, worn over the regularrurlftrrm, was removed bY ziPorr lunding (although theprrrrrchute harness had no quick-rtk'nsc mechanism). BY l94l ar(,(r)nd pattern smock came in aSlrlll lcr (splinter) camoufl age. The

lrr.lruct is a para type designed not tohnng on ropes, while kapok'filledkil(.(.|)ads protect the legs. Para boots

li.lllurcd thick, rubber soles togrrr.vrrnt slipping inside an aircraft.

August 1940

1st Parachute Regiment

Thcotrer North-westEuroPe

itrl;qtioq France Lo(atlon: Belgium

101

GERMANY GERMANY

Lieutenont Lqnce-CorporolJogdgeschwoder Ponzer Lehr

26, lll GruppePqs de Colois 1940pictured here is Luftwaffe fighterI pilol Leutnanf JoachimMiincheburg, a highly decoratedairman of JG26 who shot down 135Allied aircraft before being killed inaction in 1943. The decorations ondisplay are the Iron Cross lst and 2ndClass, and the Knight's Cross, sittingalongside pilot and wound badges.The blue-grey uniform was Luftwaffestandard, its heritage dating back tothe dress adopted by the German AirSport Association in 1933. The tunicwas single-breasted with two chestpatch pockets and two side patchpockets, and rank displayed in whiteon gold collar patches and on theshoulder-straps. The trousers werebreeches, as seen here, or straight leg,worn with high boots or black shoesrespectively. Finishing the dress wasthe peaked cap, which had anartificial mohair band, silver cordsand Luftwaffe insignia.

Regiment

Eostern Front 1941'FJrhls soldier - Lance-CorPoralI lieidhelm ollenschiiger - is

wcarlng the standard uniform of an

ermoured crervman: black loosetrourers and short double-breasted

lm:ket. Instead of the padded beret'hc has a cloth side cap. His rank istllrplayed as a single stripe on the

rlutrve and the Wehrmacht eagle andthc death'shead badge on the collarptttches indicate his armof-service.'l'ltc standard 45mm (l.8in) wide(lurman Army belt would have beenworn by all German ArmY soldierstrp to officer rank, and even in manY

rltrrations beyond. It served for alleltcumstances, both operational andpurade, coming in black or darkllrown, though occasionally lighterbrown versions are seen. The highlyvlelble aluminium belt buckle(Koppelschloss), painted field-grey'ofltrn bore the legend Gott Mit Uns('(krd With Us).

103

GERMANYGERMANY

Corporol Coptoinl5th Ponzer Division Lufrwoffe, ArmyNorth Africo 1941 Group Centre

f, Yaturallv. when lhe armouredI\ ,rnit" oi tt

" German Army

transferred to the North Africantheatre, the black uniform of

Ukroine 1942

European zones was no longerappropriate. Thus we tend to see

armoured crews adopting thestandard khaki uniform of theAfrica Corps, as seen here

consisting of a khaki tunic withlighter open-neck shirt beneath,

and breeches or straight trousers.Footwear is a pair of leather and

suede knee-high laceup boots, whichtended to be rejected for shorter,cooler boots in the arid desertconditions. Indeed, flexibility andcustomization were the watchwordsof desert dress. The bakingtemperatures meant that uniformcodes were little enforced as eachsoldier adapted as best he could tothe heat. This soldier wears armyuniform, but retains the death's'headcollar insignia of the armouredforces, as a sirnple badge.

1-raptain Hans Phillipp. pictured\.h".*, was one of Germany's moslhlghly decorated pilots on the Eastern

Iront. He was awarded the Swords totlrt: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

wlth Oak Leaves for downing 82

Allled aircraft, and he would go on toluke many more. However, suchvl<:tories in Russia were offset by theclrronic problems of suPPlY andnruintenance which had beset thel,uftwaffe by the end of 1941, as wellrw improvements in Soviet fighternlrcraft and tactics. Captain Phillipp'srkrcoration is displayed by the crossruround his neck, while the Yellowcollar patches show the oak leavesnud acorns (the three silver wings on

lhc same patches and the two yellowplps on the shoulder-suaps indicatellrtr rank). A flying badge is worn onllrc left breast, and the Yellowcolouration in the insignia refers tollrc arm-of-service.

Dqt+l March 1942

Unlt: Luftwaffe

Rankl Captain

Thbrlrbrii,r rEastern Front

totffiffij1i u.Frllne

tr r ltrir l1 il . l

GERMANYGERMANY

j,,iilir ::l 389th lnfantry Division

rr.Eastern Front

Privote Corporol

389th lnfontry Hermonn G6ring

Division Ponzer Division

Stolingro d 1943 Moreth 1943rTlhis soldier here slands as a

I salutary counterpoint to the crispimages of German uniform seen

earlier in this section. This soldier has

been drawn from a Soviet newsreel ofcaptured Gerrnan soldiers after thecatastrophe of Stalingrad' Some

90,000 German soldiers went intocaptivity under the Russians. Only5000 emerged alive, some uP to 13

years after the war. The hideousdeficiencies in German winteruniforrn are apparent here. He has

wrapped a cloth around his head toprotect himself from frostbite, and hisgreatcoat is stuffed with newspaperand straw He has also managed toacquire a pair of straw overboots,usually issued to sentries or similarsoldiers who would have to stand forlong periods. The bag he carries inhis left hand is the M1931 clothing

bag which would have been used tostore changes of clothes.

rFhe l-uftwaffe had several 6liteI g.o,rrrd force units under its

rrrmmand during World War II' notl(.lst the unit which took itstommander-in chief's name, theI I t, rmann Giiring P anzer Division''l'his soldier is seen during therllvision's operations in North Africahr 1943 in the ultimately futilerk'lence of Tunisia. He wears a khakirrrrlform which includes trousers withlxrckle ankles, hence the baggYlrl)pearance. His 'jacket' is actually a

dlx)lter quarter in the splintermmouflage used by the Luftwaffeground forces. He is heavily armedwllh two Stielgranafe (stick-grenades)nnrl an MP38 or MP40, this weaPonlrr<licated by the long magazine

lxruches on the belt. Identificationw llh the H er mann Cdring Divisionrrrme from a blue cuffband on therlght cuff, featuring'Hermann Giiring'Iu wtrite on a blue background.

March 1943

ril tiil.lt,etma nn Gori n g

,i: tllrll Fanzer Division

Corporal

:rr M. ditenanean

L$cttlurlr i

r'il l

',M-areth, Tunisia

GERMANY GERMANY

Corporol Sergeont-MoiorDos Rerch Division l st AirborneKhorkov 1943 Division

ltoly 1943rFhe Da.s Reicft Division was one ofI ,h" SS'* pr"-ier frontJine units.

This corporal's SS membership isstated through several items ofinsignia around his field-greyuniform. Working from the top, wehave the death's.head badgedominating the peaked servicedresscap, while on the right collar of thetunic there is the double lightningflash runes of the SS. Note that the leftcollar was always reserved for rank,the other rank marking being on theshoulder-straps and also the two lacerings around the tunic cuffs. TheGerman eagle on the left sleeve wasanother SS trait. The SS eagle wentthrough two main forms in the SS, asnall pointed-wing variety in the1930s, followed by a larger eagle witha longer middle section of each wingand also larger in proportion to thewreath, This soldier is emphaticallySS, an allegiance proclaimed in wordson his belt buckfe: Mein Ehre heisstTreue (l-oyally is my Honour).

fiihe early years of World War lI sawI G".*uo paras with their own

designated uniforms. Yet by 1943 - bywhich time airborne forces wereeuffering horrific losses on theEastern Front - general issuecquipment was becoming morecommonplace, especially as post-

Crete, the paras did not engage in anymajor parachute operations again.This soldier still has two items of paralssue: the FG42 rifle, which wascasentially one of the first moderna*sault rifles produced and wasdesigned specifically for para usage,and the para helmet, with chickenwlre added for fitting foliage forcamouflage. The overcoat is theLuftwaffe field coat in splinter<:amouflage for use by groundpersonnel, here with matching tripleSrouches for ammunition. Luftwaffetropical trousers are also worn withbuckles at the ankles.

GERMANY GERMANY

Sergeont Privote

Grossdeutschlond Leibstondorte

Division Division

Kursk 1943 Polond 1944vflhe G ros s de u ts c h Ia ndI Purrr".g""rrudier Division. an 6lite,

multi-arm force within the GermanArmy, had infantry, artilleiy andarmour in regimental- or battalionstrengths. Pride within the unit ranstrong, a pride'it displayed in uniforminsignia and combat badges. Thisuniform, that of a panzergrenadier, isin field-grey, as he belongs to anassault-gun detachment. Membershipof the division was indicated by theletters'GD' displayed on shoulder-straps, the border of which woulddenote the armof*ervice within thedivision (this soldier has the redborder for artillery). The 6lite statusof the Grossde utschland. is suggestedhere by the sergeant's Knight's Cross,the Iron Cross lst and 2nd Class, theGeneral Assault badge, and thewound badge. Two bands around hisright arm show he has single-handedly destroyed two tanks.

rTthe Leibslandarle Adolf HitlerI alrri"ion was the first division

of the SS. Like many Waffen-SSunits, they performed someheroic actions during theEastern Front campaigns,alongside the less.than-heroiccrimes which oftenaccompanied their political role.This tankman wears a 194,1-issue

camouflage two-piece in adlstinctive foliage pattern. The SS

were the pioneers of camouflageduring World War II and, as far backas 1940, issued camouflage uniforms.The uniform here replaced a one-plece camouflag'e overall of 1941,after when the SS went through twosubsequent patterns: the M43 withelngle-breasted jacket and the M44wlth double-breasted shirt. Four typesof camouflage were utilized, known as'palm tree', 'pea', 'oak leaf' and 'planetree'to indicate their natural patterns.

L I

GERMANYGERMANY

Privote

HitleriugendDivisionNormondy I 944Dy 1944. camouflage was makingLlwidespread appearance in manyGerman units, though mainly thoseunits with elite status. While much ofthis camouflage was confined to theEastern Front initially, the threat of asecond front in France forced Hitlerto relocate some SS units there. ThisHitlerjugend tooper is wearing anItalian pattern camouflage smock andtrousens, the helmet also beingcovered in a matching cloth. Theperiod 1944-45 saw many Germanunits adopting surplus Italian militaryclothing, as Germany's own suppliesran short and industry could notproduce enough to m€et demand.This accounts for an increasing lack ofconsistent appearance amongstGerman troops on all fronts. TheHitlerjugend division was largelyformed from former members of theHitler Youth. This trooper is armedwith the MG,12 machine gun.

Senior Sergeont

916th lnfontryRegiment

Normondy I 944rTrhis image of a German FelduebelI (sergeant) shows the equiPmeut

carried by German infantry soldiersin 1944. The most recognizable item is

the cylindrical gas mask case' This

was made of fluted steel and featured

a hinged lid containing additionaleyepieces for the mask. Beneath this

to right is the tent quarter/ponchoknown as the Zeltbahn 31, renderedin the distinctive Splitter (splinter)

camouflage designed for armY use inthe 1930s. The Zeltbahn could be used

as a wind shelter' a tent' a poncho, oreven be made into an emergency

stretcher, The two remaining items

around the soldier's back are a canvas

bread bag and a water bottle inleather cover. On the belt can be seen

an ammunition Pouch for his Mauser

rifle. The rest of the uniform is

standard German issue for this stage

of the war, while the helmet has a

wire cover for attaching camouflage'

rI

113

GERMANY

MoiorStu/<oges chwoderRussiq 1944fhe airman here is Major HansI Ulrich Rudel. a talented German

Stuka veteran who was awarded theKnight's Cross with Sword and OakLeaves for bravery and performance(the award can be seen here at thecollar). He was shot down no le$s than32 times, He is wearing what wasoften termed the'Invasion Suit', aone-piece flying overall in field-grey,with zip fastenings at the front anddovyn the insides of the legs, the latterso that the outfit could be removedeven while wearing boots or shoes,The large patch pockets served tostore maps and navigational aids, and.even basic survival equipment in caseof being shot down. When wearingsuch an overall over the standarduniform, the rank and arm-of-serviceof NCOs and officers were displayedon the shoulder-straps and coliarpatches, and sometimes on the uppersleeve of a flyingjacket. The shoulder-straps were double silver cords,interlaced for senior officers.

PetV OfficerKriegsmorineKiel 1944fhe eevere Baltic winter requiredI lhst all members of the

Krltrgemarine wear specialist clothingftrr their own protection. The petty0flkrtrr here is in the foul-weatherclothlng lssued to all seaman on eitherItnltlc or Atlantic duties. In this case itcontlsts of a thick padded coat overwntcrproof jacket and trouser' withirt boots and waterproof mittens' Alrnrlltlonal sou'wester hat is alsowrlrn. Rank is given on the collarlnrt(:hes (one stripe for a petty officer)'hrlroduced in blue in December 1939'

nurl vla the anchor on the sleeve ofllrc coat which was also often wornwlth departmental badges. This wouldhnve protected the soldier while onlhc arduous convoy or minelayingrlrrtles which the German Nal-5'

conducted in the Baltic. Annlternative to the shortjacket was ahcoly lined watchcoat which hadrchrforced shoulders. In 1943 a sand-coloured tropical uniform waslntroduced for the summer months'

GERMANY GERMANY

AuxilioryFlok UnitLeipzig 1944tTrhe Baltic states vieldedI surprisingly fruitful recruiting

grounds for the German forcesfollowing their occupation in 1941.This soldier is actually a latviannational, A wave of Latvians wererecruited into Luftwaffe formationsfrom September 1943, ultimatelyforming the Latvian Aviation Leaguein August 1944. However, otherLatvians entered the Luftwaffe afterbeing rejected for cornbat servicewith ground units, and many ofthesebecame auxiliaries in flak units.Appropriate to his apparent age, thissoldier is wearing a field-grey HitlerYouth uniform. It is relativelyunadorned, the principal insigniabeing the Latvian national emblemwornjust above the cap band andalso on the sleeve. Auxiliaries in flakunits were known a.s Flakhelfer,though many were absorbed into theSS during the latter months of thewar, and subsequently they weretermed SS-Zoglinge.

September 1944

Privote/Recruitlsf AirborneDivision

Germony l9B5f, ( ierman Fallschirm.iiiger

Aplrcpares to perform a static-linetrululngjump during exercises in theurl<l- M80s. His uniform still followsllrr. nlyle of outfit worn by the paras inWorkl War II, though with modernlulxlutcs in material and utility. The

;nrrn lrclmet remains in the high'siderlrnpc, allowing good hearing aboardr rrolsy aircraft and giving little forlxrrnchute lines to snag upon. Hewcrrrs a two-piece jump uniformr'orr*lsting of field-grey shirt andBl()nrlgrey trousers, with the coloursol'lhc German Federal Republic onIrls lcll tunic sleeve and few otherlrrnlgnia. This probably indicates arccrrrit status, also suggested by thelir( l that the soldier is jumpingwlllx)ut any weaponry or pack, Hisgrxrl ls the red beret desired by manypunr recruits world-wide, though for(;(.rnlans, the badge is that of a divingrtgk:, the Fallsclrirmjriger's emblem.

1st Airborne Division

PrivatelRecruit

loratloni Germany

116

Con{ltct: None

GERMANY GREECE

OperotiveGSG-9Anti-Terrorist UnitGermony

'l 990s

rfhe G re n zsc h u I zgr u p pe-9 (GSC*9)

I ranks alongside the SAS Counter-Revolutionary Warfare team as one ofthe best hostagerescue and anti-terrorist units in the world. Theirformation was inspired by thed6bAcle at Munich in 1972, when abotched police rescue-attemptresulted in nine kidnapped Israeliathletes at the Munich Olympics beingmassacred by their captors. GSG-9was established to create an efficient,standardized response force tonational emergencies. Here we see anoperative in classic urban<ombatgear, with the suggestion of ahelicopter deployment lying in hisairborne harness for fast-roping downto buildings. His helmet is para-style,the high-side sections allor.rdng goodhearing, while a balaclava protectsanonymity. His weapon, the 9mm HKMP5A3, is the choice of HRU teamsworld-wide for its stopping power.

Privote

Evzones

Greek ArmyGreece 1940f, /f ussolini's invasion of Greece inIYlrs+r was conducted under thelx.lklf that Italian forces would soonrulrtlue an inferior Greek Army.I krwever, Greek forces violentlyrrpclled the ltalian onslaught throughrlrxlrous tactics, intimacy with theurrxrntainous terrain, and sheernggrcssion, and German forces wererk'ployed in rescue in April 1940.'l'hls soldier belongs to the EDzones

hllhntry, an 6lite force within the(ircck Army formed during theenrly 1800s in Greece'slrrrltrpendence wars andrubsrlrbed into the Greek Armylrr lflil3. This uniform showselr.rnents of the Eazoneslrndltlonal dress, including therlrocs with woollen pom-poms. Thellght pantaloons and stockings are anrllltnry representation of civilianrrrr[ntain dress. For warmth, thissoltller has a local goat-fleece cape.

II

119

GREECE GREECE

Lieutenont Wing CommonderArtillery Regiment Fighter SquodronGreek Army Greek Air ForceGreece 1940 Greece 1941

f, s a mounted officer. this artilleryf'lllieutenant wears loose ridingbreeches and leather riding boots,these being worn with a three-quarterlength tunic fastened at the waist witha Sam Browne belt. The uniform ismatched by a khaki kepi hat, thisbeing adorned with a silver crovr'nand also the blue-and-white Greekcockade. Black stripes delineate therank, as do the stars on the shoulder-straps (the collar patches indicate thearm-of-service), though the plircing ofrank on the kepi exists only on pre-war versions. Other headgear issuedto officers included a khaki peakedcap as an alternative to the kepi, aside cap, and also a steel helmetwhich even officers would wear intocombat. This helmet moveil fromBritish'pattern to a native Greekpattern during the first two years ofthe war. For equipment, this officer iscarrying binoculars and a map case.

fhe Greek Air Force uniform wasI designed around the British Royal

Alr Force model, and many Greekpllots underwent their prirnarycombat training in the UK. A single-breasted jacket and matchinglrousers, both in blue-grey, was thentundard uniform and was worn withn white or grey shirt and trlack tie.'l'he peaked cap featured a blackItrather peak, black mohair band, plusn gold-embroidered eagle on the frontNct in a crest and crown motif. Thisrrnlform would naturally varyconsiderably in operational settings;khaki drill uniforms, for instance, areolten seen in the summer months oft:ombat. Rank markings on this officernre found in the stripes and diamondon the cuffs which, combined with therow of gold-embroidered oak leaves(!n the cap peak, indicate a seniorofflcer (unior officers would not wearlhls detail).

GREECE GREECE

Able SeomonGreek NoryGreece 1941f ike the Greek Air Force to theLRoyal Air Force. the Greek Navyhad a uniform similar to that of theRoyal Nar.y. This able seaman wearsthe classic blue reeferjacket withmatching trousers and Royal Navy-pattern anklets, As a rating, his rankis given on the sleeve in red (thechewon indicates the rank of ableseaman, the torpedo beneath signifiesa torpedo specialist), whereas officerswould have their rank displayed viaembroidery on the cuff and also onthe shoulder-straps of the greatcoat ortunic. Though the uniform here is of aRoyal Naqy style, the equipment andfirearm are all Greek Army issue. Therifle is the 6.5mm (0.255in) CarbineModel 1914, a shortened Greek versionof the Mannlicher, with fittings for thelong bayonet which extends down hisleft leg (earlier carbine models had nobayonet fittings). Two ammunitionpouches fitted to the leather belt holdfive.round chargers for the rifle'srotary magazine.

Privote

GreekNotionol ArmyGreece 1947

D;ffi1*",i:"ffil"".111'"',government of Greece and communistrevolutionaries, both the UK and theUS sponsored governmend resistancewlth both men and materiel (thellrltish were initially involved as acombat force, but economic austerityut home forced their withdrawal). Intcrms of uniform and kit, two periodsof lnfluence can be identified:1945-1947, when British equipmentttnd clothing dominates; and 1947,when US materiel increasingly takesover. The soldier shown herefltraddles these two periods. His shirt,pullover, beret, anklets and trouserslrre standard British Army uniform(the trousers are 'denims', a workingversion of combat uniform). By(iontrast, the submachine gun is theLJS .45in Thompson MlAl, which waswldely known a powerful close-quarters weapon.

122

GREECE HUNGARY

Guerrillo Sergeont

Greek Hungorion

Democrotic Army Gendormerie

Greece 1947 Russio 1941rFhe communist revolutionaryI forces of the Dimohratihos

Stratos Ellados @SEJ conducted an

effective guerrilla war against theGreek Government for nearly threeyears, yet eventually sabotaged itsown efforts by moving too quickly toconventional warfare in 1948. Afterthis point, the DSE insurgents weremore easily targeted by the U$backedforces of the Greek National iArmy,and several set-piece battles saw theDSE take losses it could not sustain.This fighter is seen in 1947, wearing a

civilian blouse and waistcoat, butwith trousers from British Armycombat dress, here dyed black. The

web anklets are also British Armystock. She carries the 9mm MP40

subrnachine gun, no doubt left by thewartime German forces. The DSE hadno standard weapons and uniform,though many DSE units shared khakibattledress and a khaki side cap.

A s in the case of the German Army.Athe undoing of the Hungarianfirrces was its commitments on theliastern Front. The 2nd HungarianArmy alone suffered up to f90,000r:asualties during its ill-fated defenceon the Soviet Don Front to the south ofVoronezh, near Stalingrad, in 1943.llowever, this soldier is pictured intuarlier times, part of the HungarianMobile Corps under General FerencSzombathelyi. He represents the 6liteRoyal Hungarian Gendarrnerie. Thekhaki tunic and trousers are standardl"lungarian Army wear, the tunicI'caturing a stand-and-fall collar (withrank and armof+ervice displayed onpatches), five buttons down the frontnnd four pleated patch pockets, twofront, two side. A most distinctiveclement of the uniform is the side caplcaturing cockerel feather plume. Thescrgeant also wears a whistle on agreen lanyard with pom-poms.

lnfontrymonRifle Brigode2nd Hungorion Army Hungorion ArmyRussio 1942 Russio 1943

HUNGARY HUNGARY

Geen here in November 1942, thisJsoldier of the 2nd Hungarian Army

presents a defiant picture inhis role as company bugler.

The uniform is the HungarianArmy pattern introduced in

1922, though the helmet isrecognizably of German origin;Hungarian forces wore both thel9l5- and 1935-pattern of Germanhelmet. Other headgear included

a side cap and a peaked field cap. Thetunic was a single-breasted khakiaffair with two breast- and two sidepockets and a stand-and-fall collar,while the unusual pantaloonsfeatured buttons to create a tight fitaround the calf and an integral ankletto fit over the tops of the boots. Overthis uniform this soldier wears agreatcoat, and he carries acow-hidepack on his back with a red-hairdecoration which alludes to colours ofImperial Austria.

2nd Lieutenont

I st Armd. Division

lTlhis 2nd Lieutenant wears theI typi"ut uniform of a tank crewman

for the mid years of the war. Itt:onsists of a single-piece cotton khakioverall, over which he wears a leatherwaistcoat. The uniform is cornpletedwlth a side cap which features at:ockade badge in national colours. Atlhe beginning ofthe war, a double-breasted leatherjacket was thedtandard, this being worn with anItalian black-leather tank helmetwhich featured a neckflap. This wasrteadily replaced by the outfit seenhere, as Hungary took more of a leadon uniform design from its Germanallies. Equipment here is minimal, asyou would expect with tank crews, Onhls belt he carries a pistol in a holster,probably a Hungarian 9mm Pistolil9M. By 19,13 the Hungarian lstArmoured Division was decimated,tactically and materially outclassed bythe Soviet T-34 formations.

HUNGARY

Lieutenont GuerrillqFighter Squodron Revolutionory Forces

Hungorion Air Force Budopest 1956Russio 1943 lAn 23 October 1956. what began as

lLJa peacetul student protest inBudapest against Communistgovernment policies turned into arevolutionary action backed by theHungarian armed forces. BY INovember, Hungarian Governmentofficials announced the withdrawal ofHungary from the Warsaw Pact. TheSoviet Union responded bY a largedeployment of armour in BudaPest,

forcibly returning HungarY to thefold, though only after bloodYfighting. This revolutionary wearscivilian hat, trousers and boots, butthe rest of his dress and equipment isfrom Hungarian military stocks (thearmy opened up manY of its dePots

Ior the revolutionaries). Over hiskhaki tunic he wears a Sam Brownebelt from which hangs a pouch ofSoviet grenades, and his rifle is a

Soviet 7.62mm (0.3in) M1944 bolt-nr:tion carbine, which would havebcen outdated against the Russian

l(alashnikov assault rifl es.

May 1943 1 956

Fighter Squadron Revolutionary Forces

Lieutenant Guerrilla

:llr':l.tlinatiei' Eastern Front Location: BudaPest

I)eneath his German sheepskinDnyinglactet. this lieulenant of theHungarian Air Force is wearingstandard Hungarian Arrny khakiservice dress, including a khaki fieldcap with brown leather peak. Thearmy uniform was worn by all pilot-and ground personnel, as theHungarian Air Force actuallybelonged to the Army. Much of thedistinclion from lhe army is made ininsignia. The cap has the usualHungarian cockade in the centre-front, but features air-force wings onthe left side. Rank here is displayed inpatches on the jacket sleeves, a typicalsite for flying officers and NCOs.However, when wearing only thetunic, officer rank would be on theshoulder-straps, with all lower rankshaving cuff patches. This lieutenant isdressed for the spring of southernRussia, but by winter he would wear ablack, zipfastened leather flying suit.

,il !*.,!i",t: Southern Russia

!

Confllct Hungarian UPrising

Sergeont CorporolBth lndion Division 9th Gurkho Rifles

Indion Army lndion ArmyNorth Africo 1940 Moloyo 1941A s soldiers of the British Empire,

Alnaiun Army troops used British '

Army-style uniforms and kit, thoughwith many national variations. Thissoldier is wearing standard BritishArmy drill kit issued during WorldWar II: a khaki shirt and shorts, longwoollen socks, and black shoes. Priorto the war, Indian Army forces worea variety of khaki and silver-grevshirts, meaning a fluctuation inappearance throughout its ranks,though by 1942 standardization infavour: of the British patterns wasestablished. The webbing is theolder l9O&pattern (the 1936-pattern became the standard forBritish Army troops during the

war) but this sergeant also has alocal chest pouch and leatherammunition pouch and pistol holster,He is carrj'ing the precarious Molotovcocktails in his right hand and the No.36 British hand-grenades in his left.

rTrlrlg eoldier belonas to the gth

I (;urkha Rifles or it e I lth lndianI llvlnkln, the Gurkhas having servedwlth the British Army since thenlrrctcenth century. The uniformrrrlurbles British Army tropicalrlrr.r*, though with some variations.Moit opparent ofthese variatiops isllrr. wlde-brimmed slouch hat, alsolutowrr as a saffa, a practical form ofhr.rxlgear for jungle combat, thoughlhh wae replaced on operationalrlullte by a beret or by the standardllrlthh Army steel helmet. The greenpntt:h on the hat displays the Gurkharrlkruns. By his side, he carries thelenmome kukri knife, a practicalcornbat weapon in trained hands.( )thorwlse his uniform follows Britishllnce, wlth khaki drill shirt, shorts,wrxrllen socks and short puttees. Thewtbblng is 1937-pattern, and thelxruches hold magazines for hisM 1028 Thompson submachine gun.

"3

131

Subedor-Moior Lonce-Corporol20th Burmo Rifles Royol Gurkho RiflesIndion Army lndion ArmyBurmo 1942 Itoly 1944fJere we see a Viceroy CommissionI lofficer of the Indian Army,whose role would have been to adviseBritish Army officers on issuesrelating to local soldiers and theirwelfare. The unlform is the Britishlight-khaki service dress, smartlypresented with an infantry officer'ssword by his side, which featured asteel hilt and black leather scabbard,highly polished along with his Sam "Browne belt and l90&patternwebbing. Rank is displayed on theshoulder-straps, while the stand-and-fall collar of the tunic has regimentalbadges representing peacocks. Theboots are the'arnmunition' typewhich were often worn bycornmandos and other special BritishArmy units. During 1942 the IndianArmy also became the recipients of anew jungle-green issue of combatclothing which went to British Armysoldiers in the Far East theatre.

fr rrrkha units contributedlLIl,r.,p"essinelv in Asian, Africannrrrl l,luropean theatres during WorldWnr Il. This soldier is in Italy as partol' lrttlian Army forces shipped intollro Mediterranean following healyllghllng in North Africa. The Gurkhasof lhc 4th Indian Divisionrllnllnguished themselves at the battleof lMonte Cassino, losing 3000 deadnrrl lnjured in the process. This lance-cor;xrral is clothed in the BritishA rnly temperate-zone battledress.I ftrwcver, rank markings colourationIr rllfferent - here rifle.green - andllre sleeve also bears the formationnlgrr of the Indian Army. Over hisrrrrllirrm, the Gurkha has 1938-patternllrltlsh webbing in khaki, worn inlxrllle-order configuration with justllrc backpack and ammunition;xruches. The kukri sits in the back oflho belt, and this soldier's weapon islltr.'l'hompson Ml submachine gun.

l

133

INDIA

Lonce-Corporol Privote

lndion Army Indion ArmyKoshmir 1965 Porotrooper

Eost Pokiston 1971f ven bV lhe mid-1960s. the lndianl-.rArmy was still very much

indebted to its British colonial past interms of its weaponry, dress and liit,The soldier here, who is a lance.corporal, is involved in one of thelong-running conflicts between Indiaand Pakistan over the disputedterritory of Kashmir (these conflictsare still running today). Hisappearance is almost identical to thatof Indian Army soldiers servihg-asBritish Empire forces during WorldWar II. The light khaki shirt andbattledress trousers are unadornedexcept for a single rank chewon onthe sleeve. The webbing is British1937-pattern with two utility/ammunition pouches for his.303SMLE rifle. As a Sikh, this soldierwears the traditional turban, whichhas been dyed to match the uniform.The red band beneath the turban isknown as the 'fifty', a name whichindicates the fiftieth turn of theturban around the head.

fluring India's invasion of East

.l/Pakistan in l97l the Indian Armyrt.llcd on its airborne forces to makernpltl assaults and take the Eastllrkletan forces by surprise.I )r'cupation of the region wasncltlcved in only l2 days. This paraIrus moved on from the khakilnrltledress of the 1960s, but thellrltlsh influence rer4ains, albeit in anulr(lated form. He mostly wearsllrltlsh parachute clothing, includinglhc Denison jumpsmock in DPM(l)lrruptive Pattern Material) whichItratures the white parachute, bluewhrgs brevet on a khaki field. Thelxllmet is also British para issue. Overlhc smock is the 1937-pafternwcbbing system, superseded by thell)58-pattern in the British Army, butrllll a good way of load-carrying. Thepouches hold 3O-round magazinesItrr the 7.62mm (0.3in) LlAl rifle,lrcre with its short knife bayonet.

d

ilii,i Flivatq

INDONESIA

Morine Privote

Morine Corps lronion RevolutionoryIndonesion Novy Guord CorpsBorneo 1963 lron/lroq Border I 980

fhe Malayan'Confrontation' inI Borneo between 1963 and I 966

brought into conflict Indonesia -protesting against the formation of theMalaysian Federation - and Britishand Malaysian forces. The Marineswere Indonesia's premier front-linetroops. In dress, they owed much tothe long-standing US presence in thePacific region, as can be seen in theuniform (but not the firearm) of thisMarine soldier. His steel hehnet is theold US Ml-pattern, covered in adappled carnouflage to match the restof his uniform. This camouflagepattern - brown and olive-greenpatches on a light-green base - was aUS camouflage used during the Pacificcampaign in World War IL Hiswebbing, US airtrorne issue from the1950s, includes the lO-poucharnmunition belt originally designedfor the Ml Garand rifle. The CzechVz52 rifle features a folding bayonet.

tTlhe lranian Revolutionarv GuardI Co.p". also known as the

I\tsdarin,hasbeen at the vanguardrul'lran's armed operations for the Iaslllrrce decades, and consequently haslccrt rnassive losses. A horrific deathloll during the eight-yearwar withruelghbouring Iraq (1980-88) waslrxnething from which Iranian forcesrlr,ver completely recovered, Despitellrc decimation, however, thel{t'volutionary Guard still remainsorrc of the Tehran regirne's mostcupable resources. This soldier ispk:tured in 1980 at the beginning ofhogtllities with Iraq. The uniform ofnhnple khaki fatigues is the same asllutl of the pre-revolutionary army,whlle the webbing i$ British in type,llru helmet the US Ml, and the weaponllxr German Heckler & Koch G3. Theurlx of sources shown here indicatesllrtr supply difficulties alwayst.xperienced by lran,

136 137

ISRAEL

Corporollroqi ArmyShotr ol ArobWoterwoy 1980tflhe lraqi Army's heala losses inI th" Fiot Gnlf War (1980-8Q were

cornpounded by the Gulf War of1990-91, in which tens of thousandsof Iraqi soldiers were slaughteredunder Allied air assaults. This soldiershows the typical khaki fatigues of theIraqi troops at the beginning of the1980s. Iraqi uniforms were of lowquality, yet this soldier wears desertboots of canvas and rubber,{arbetterin the desert temperatures than theblack leather boots worn bY manYsoldiers. Insignia in Iraqi forces tendsto be fairly inconspicuous. Thissoldier has a black sleeve chevron toindicate his rank (officers woulddisplay rank in yellow or gold on anepaulette slide), while the black beretfeatures a national emblem, a goldeaqle. The webbing belt's leatherpouch holds the AKMS assault rifle'smagazine. The Kalashnikov is thestandard Iraqi weapon.

nrt".1980unh; lraqiArmY

ii:riiii[iixkil ],lrr r. CorPoral

ii'lgf tt,.,!latt"I

i'P1w ,Gulrwar

lrregulorPolmoch InfontryPolestine 1948

frrael's history of conflict beganIt'ven during the very acts of itscrcation in 1948 as it emerged frornllrt: contentious UN partition ofllrlestine into Jewish and Arabtorritories. Jewish and Arab citizenslrr these territories formed themselveslrrto irregular armies to fight avlt:ious, unconventional war, whichevcntually became a mass Arabnnsault upon the fledgling Jewishnution. The main Israeli defence forcewus the Haganah, the Palmach beingnn excellent infantry force within theI luganah which brought with it muchrrrmbat experience from World War II.'l'he Palmach had to equip themselveswith whatever war surplus was tolrnnd. This soldier has a US drill yrhirt matched with British drilllr0users; the webbing is a US Armycurtridge belt and the water canteenlrrus an Ml9l0 cover. Armament in thiscuse is the 7.92mm (0.31lin) Model 24,

which was a Czech coPy of the(lcrman Kar 98k rifle.

P,alestine/lsrael

lir,a€liWarof Independence

ru,'.Palmach lnfantry

ISRAEL ISRAEL

Privote

Sayeref GoloniMount Hermon 1967

fhe Sa.veref Golani are an 6liteI reconnaissance and combat unit

within the regular Golani Brigade ofthe Israeli Army. Training for thb unit- as for all 6lite units of the IsraeliArmy - is tough to the extreme, andthe soldier pictured here will haveundergone nearly two years oftraining before being allowed to enterit. Israeli rnilitary units are veryvisually relaxed in nature, oftentending slightly towards informalityand therefore keeping rank-andinsignia to a minirnum. This soldier ispictured during Israel's lightning Six-Day War of 1967, in operation againstSyrian forces on Mount Hermon. Hewears an olive-green Israeli'battledress' zippered jacket, with'lizard' pattern camouflage trouserscommonly seen on 6lite Israeli troops(though the regular olive-green outfitsare more common). The webbing isUS issue and the rifle he carries is ahealy-barrelled support version ofthe FN FAL rifle.

First Lieutenontlsroeli

Armoured CorpsSinoi 1967tflhe Six-Day W'ar was a primary testI tor lsraeli's tactical abilities in

tnulti-arm warfare, and it passed withtxemplary performance. Israeli air;xrwer decimated opposing air forcesItctbre they were airborne; Israel'sl|(10 British Centurion and US M4Innks dominated the openbirttlefields. This Israeli tankt'ornmander is shown in full('ommunications gear, the effective('oordination of the Main Battle Tankftrrmations being one of the vitallngredients of the Israeli success. Hisvcnted and padded helmet is of US

World War II type, made of fibre andIoather. Into this helmet are builtroceivers in the ear pieces and alroom-arrn microphone; the junctionlxlx for the communications system<'ttn be seen on his chest. Apart fromlhis, he carries only a revolver and awater bot0e. Rank is indicated on thethoulder-straps.

rrir iriii r1.rli,;1,. r 'i

o,pi., 1967

rUntillr :rl',lsraeli Armoured Corps

140

1l:l(,$aJreret Go/an i

ISRAEL ISRAEL

CrewmonAeromedicol

f, eromedical Evacuation UnitsA1AEU"; provide battlefi eldmedical rescue and combat first aid,but they are also skilled combatsoldiers. During the Yom Kippur Warin 1973, theyperformed numerousevacuations from the battlefronts,getting most soldiers to medical helpwithin half an hour of evacuation, Theuniform of these units in the 1970swas a copy of the US K2B flight suit inolive-green. This was a one-pieceoverall with large, zippered pocketsand elasticated ankles. It was held atthe waist with a simple web belt, andpistols and water bottles were usuallythe only types of equipment carriedon the body. Helmet types varied,including single-visored models suchas the HGU-26 and SPH'4C. Thehelmet featured here is genuine US

Army: the CVC'bone-dome'is madeof ballistic nylon and features afoldable boom mike.

Unit 669 Aeromedical

Evacuation Unit

Evocuotion Unit BrigodeSinoi 1973 Lebonon 1982

Corporol202nd Porochute

fhis Israeli soldier patrolling in theI L"bunon is wearing the standard

olive-green field uniform of the Israelil)cfence Force (DF), capped by allallistic-nylon helmet that acted astlrc replacement for the old steelvariety. The webbing is also Israelilssue, and can be distinguished fromlirreign supply by the 'boot-Iace'llttings connecting the straps to thelx)lt. What is more notable about thissoldier is his weaponry as, preparedli)r the dangerous possibilities of aslreet patrol in the Lebanon, hecarries a 5.56mm (0.22in) Galil assaultrille, produced in Israel in response torlisatisfaction with Israeli small armsrluring the Yom KippurWar, and anr.xcellent, reliable weapon with a bolt-lr:tion based on the Kalashnikovrilles. The soldier carries IMI bullet-lrap rifle-grenades for the Galil, mostlikcly with high explosive or tear-gaswarheads for urban combat.

1 982

unitl 202nd Parachute Brigade

CorporalREnkr Cfewman l-ocation: SouthLebanon

rr::.Ldi?tion: Sinai conflict: lsraeliinvasionof Lebanon] nn1ot Ycm KiPPurwar

142 143

ISRAEL ISRAEL

First Lieutenont PrivoteSoyeret Tzonhonim 202nd PorochuteLebonon l9B5 Brigode

Gozs Strip 1 990stTrhe Saveret Tzanhanim is the 6liteI

".".rrrrrri**ance arm of the lsraeli

parachute brigade, and specializes inall aspects of reconndissance,including parachute and armouredinsertion. This soldier evidentlybelongs to an armoured deployment,as clearly indicated by the Type 602crewman's helmet, a copy of US

designs, containing full communic-ations headset and made of theexceptionally tough kevlar material(earlier versions were manufacturedin ballistic nylon). He is most likely acrewrnernber aboard an Ml13Armoured Personnel Vehic\le, a US

APC bought in large numbers notonly by Israel, but over 40 countriesworld-wide. The Ml 13 was usedextensively for urban reconnaissancein the Lebanon. The uniform is awinter issue calledlhe Beged Horef, aone-piece overall with insulatedpadding, usually worn underneathcombat waterproofjackets. Rank isdisplayed on the shoulder-straps.

fhe 202nd Parachute Brigade.I formed in 1955 as an 6lite

airborne wing ofthe Israeli DefenceForce, has fought in conventionalbattles and counter-terroristoperations. This soldier is on patrol inIsraeli-occupied territory, his olive-drab uniform showing the Israelisoldier in his current forrn, thoughhere the uniform is worn over kevlarbody armour to protect against small-arm rounds and shell splinter. Furtherprotective gears includes the ballisticnylon helmet. Insignia is at aminimum, though the parasoftenwear silver parachute wings over theleft breast to indicate their airbornestatus. The helmet ls occasionallyreplaced by the regimental red beret- awarded after five properlyexecuted static-line j 'mps - even oncombat duties. This soldier carries theUS Ml6A2 with the M203 40mm(1.57in) gfenade-launcher attachment.

I

145

Corporol Air MorsholMilizio Volontqrio Itolo Bolbo

Per Lo Sicurezzo Itolion Air Force

Sicily 1940 North Africo 1940rlhe Milizia Volontoria Per LaL Sicurezza was Mussolini's fascist

militia organization - also known as

Blackshirts - which, from itsformation in 1922, rose to a strengthof 177 Iegions and 200 battalions in1940. The Roman'Legion'name wasdue to Mussolini's creation of theBlackshirts around Roman rnilitarystructures, Roman symbolismrepresenting the new martial valuesof fascism. A total of 39 of the Legionswere attached to the Italian Armyo asis the case with this soldier who wlarsstandard grey-green Italian Armyuniform. His unit is distinguished byblack additions to the uniform,including his black tie and shirtbeneath the tunic, and also blackcollar patches featuring the fascistfascio, a representation of an axebound by rods, signifying the fascist'strength through unity' message. Thedagger is a special Blackshirt design.

I ir Marshal Italo Balbo is seen herellin wtrat is essentially Italian Armyunlform. This is due to the fact that atthls time, the air force and army*hared much in way of their uniformntyles. The tunic belongs to thetropical dress, while the breeches arelhose which would have been used forthe temperate dress. True to theofflcer class, he wears a pair of ridingboots. His rank is displayed in twokrcations: firstly, his shoulder boards;und secondly, his peaked cap. The capI'catures the greca embroideredsection worn by generals and fieldmarshals, with a cap badge thatfeatures eagle, laurel wreath andRoyal Crown. Officers of Balbo's ranknlso had a purple-red backing underthe badge. 0ther insignia worn byllalbo includes a pilot4ualifi cationbadge which is positioned on the leftbreast just above the row ofdecoration ribbons.

d

MoiorOne GroupItolion Air Force

Libyo 1940f\espite its bulky appearance andLlits colouration. the flying uniformpictured here is actually a summeruniform. This one-piece overall wasmade of white linen and featured adistinctive crossover breast. It isworn here with a matching paddedcrash helmet, also of linen. Thisuniform was also available as a two-piece outfit, and in both cases therank markings were situated on thecuffs in gold lace. The only otherinsignia which can be seen here isworn as a squadron badge on lhe leftbreast. During the winter months, theuniform would not alter at all in style;however, its colourwould be changedto an olive-green, and it would alsofeature a padded lining. Thislieutenant is seen during the earlyItalian operations in Libya, though bythe end of l9tl0, the air force wassuffering from severe losses as well asdeficits in both parts and fuel.

Colonel36th InfontryRegiment

Fronce 1940f talian officer uniforms were ofl.xcellent cut and quality. In essencelltc basic officer uniform was theHllme as that of the general ranks, yetlhc colour was lighter than the grey-green of lower ranks, and the twillr:loth was of better quality. Therrrlonel here is shown in hist<rrdellino uniform with a vividrllsplay of rank, arm-ofservice, and<lecorations, The tunic itself featureslhe rank on the collar patches and inthe stripes on the forearm made ofgold braid. The narrower stripes givethe rank itself, while the thicker stripelndicates senior rank in general. Ther:olonel's decorations appearcxtensive. The two most visible - agold eagle and crown and swords -lndicate war acaderny graduation andpromotion through active service.'l'he cap features two badges, the redbacking referring to the colonel'sntatus as a regimental commander.

148

Corporol Lieutenont

Vl Eritreo Bottolion Itoliqn ArmyItolion Coloniol Army Sidi Azeis 1940

Ethiopio 1940

i:

1r![

rTthe ltalian Colonial Armv formed aI large part of the Italian irmy's

overseas contingent, particularly inthe African theatre where Italy hadseveral colonies. Italy's East AfricanArmy alone had some 200,000colonial troops compared to 88,000Italians. The soldier here is a corporalin the VI Eritrea Battalion, the unitidentified by the green tassel on thetarbusc hat. The uniform is ideal wearfor the African climate, and it wasestablished as a pattern for colonialforces in 1929. Its white colourationrestricts heat build-up in the clothing,and both the tunic and the trousersare loose-fitting for good ventilation.The only markings on the tunic arethe rank chevrons on the arm, thethree stars signifying l0 years service.Over this he wears khaki leatherItalian Army webbing which holdsfour ammunition pouches for hisMannlicher-Carcano M9l/38 rifl e.

f hllan forces had some of the bestldesert clothing of the war, cut forcomfort and durability in the causticcllmate of North and Central Africa.'l'hl8 lleutenant is wearing a lightkhakl drill uniform, consisting of arurharlana jacket, shorts, long socksnrrd suede boots. He also wears ahustlna ffeld cap with the flapsrrndone to provide shade from the sunf(rr the neck, Some care is neededwhen identifying Italian rank, as allrunks had the silver savoy collar stars$oen here. Actual rank for officer wasr:onflned to the shoulder-straps; herelwo stars for the rank of lieutenant(the higher rank of first lieutenant hadt elngle bar). Apart from thesefcatures, the only other insignia is thecap badge, which depicts a gold hand-grenade insetwith the legimentalnumber. A good testimony to thecomfort of this uniform was that bothlhe British and German soldiers werequlck to wear the sahariana if theYcould obtain supplies.

d

ITALY

Tonkmon CorporolAriete Division Gruppi SohorionoItolion Army North Africo 1942North Africo 1941

fhe ltalian Army suffered a chronicI downscaling of its armoured

resources as the war went cin, mainlybecause Italian tanks could notcompete with Allied technologies.From an initial three divisions at thebeginning ofthe war, by 1943 this wasdown to one division, only reviving totwo divisions once Italy had swappedsides following the 1943 armistice.Here we see a soldier of the ArieteDivision, one of four armoureddivisions which existed in World WarlL Ariete, Littorio, Centauro andGioaanni Fascisfi. His uniform is thatof a tank crewmember, with khakitunic and trousers covered by a three-quarter length leather coat, and acrash helmet with neck protector. Nomarkings are visible, but from 1940onwards collar patches are seen, withflames on a dark-blue background.Overall design of this outfit copiesthat of French armoured crews.

January 1941

Adete Division

:Rankr Tankman

lTh€atrei . Mediterranean

f\ruppi Sahoriana soldiers were1,.t"orn" of the best of ltalv's colonialfirrces. Their intimacy withihe NorthAlrican environment, plus anxlrageous disposition, combined toililke them excellent fighters. Yetlhcir skills could not prevent therrushing Italian defeats of the earlyll)40s, during which Italy lost around200,000 men Qncluding POWs) tollritish offensives. This corporal of theGruppi Sahariana wears an ltalianAnny white full-dress jacket withkhaki sirical trousers and a webbingbclt with three long, leather pouches(lhese pouches were sometimesrrranged on a bandolier for mountedor motorized soldiers). The sashwrapped around his waist is an arm-olservice colour, here indicating the3rd Service Group, while the rank isdisplayed as a single red chevron;rank markings like those shown herewere only used after Italiannationality had been granted toLibyan citizens in 1939.

January 1942

Gruppi Sahariana

qrporal

Mediterranean

Loratlbm' .i Norlh Africa

' 'lr

iti'otatlonr' . North Africa

ITALY

SergeonFMoior Ronking LieutenontItolion Toronto CommondMorine lnfontry Itolion NouySicily 1942 Mediterrqn@n 1942\[otwithstanding the blue,and-whiteI I navy collar, Italian Marinesoldiers had littie to distinguish themvisually from the regular army,though the grey-green junper whichis worn here with matchingpantaloons and puttees was usuallyblue in colour when issued to armytroops. However, in the North Africantheatrer the jumper also came in khakito match the light khaki drill uniformworn by all Italian soldiers in thatparticular front (though the jumperthere had a rectanlular collar withtwo white stripes down the border).However, a common denominator inthese uniforms was bright-red collar-or cuff patches, and these depictedthe lion of St Mark embroidered inyellow thread or rendered in giltmetal. An interesting feature of thissoldier's uniform is the Britishwebbing which was manufactured bythe Mills Company.

f, t the outbreak of World W'ar II,Atn" lruliun Navy fielded anlmpressive fleet of over 300 combatveesets fncluding 6 battleships) and,by August 1943, 259,000 personnel.However, its contribution to Axiscombat efforts was fairly minimal. Itsgreatest achievements lay indangerous resupply missions toItalian troops across the British-dominated Mediterranean. Thisofflcer of the Taranto command wearsthe blue reeferjacket and matchingtrousers and peaked cap, the standarddress of Italian Naly officers. The capbadge is the Italian naval insignia: anoval shield bracketed by laurel leavesand surmounted by a crown, all ingold embroidery. Rank is shown onthe naqy-blue shoulder-straps (moreeenior officers would have theiretraps outlined in gold embroidery),and on the cuffs, the silver $tars onthe collar being common to aII ranks'

CoptoinI B4th Porochute

Se

Ito

Re

Ito

DivisionTunisio 1942ftaly was one of the earliest pioneersIof military parachute forces,forming an eiperimental para unit in1927 and formalized para companiesby f938. The captain here is seen in anew style of para uniform, introducedin 1942. While the camouflagepatterning seems to allude to theochre, green and mustard shades ofthe British Denison smock, the jacketis actually a combination of an ItalianArmy field tunic with the longsahariana. The trouserswere plainkhaki and could be fastened at theankle for a tight fft when jumping.Here they are also seen with a pair ofleather-padded knee-protectors. Thesteel para helmet featured a forkedchin-and-neck strap for maximumsupport. The webbing, pouches andmap case are all standard ItalianArmy issue, The firearm is the BerettaM38A submachine gun, commonwithin 6lite units of the ltalian forces.

omon

lion Sociol

public Noyfly 1944

iflhls soldier's uniform, pictured inI lut. t9++, nua already undergone

lome ofthe significant changes whichwere imposed following the effectiverwltch ofsides by the Italians inSeptember 1943. The actual pattern ofprs and post-fascist uniform stayedroughly the same: a navy-blue 'squarerlg' uniform worn with either amllor's cap, a steel helmet (as seenhere), or a peaked cap for officerranks. The real changes lay in thelnalgnia, which now reflected a rnoreneutral and less belligerent ideology.On the peaked cap, out went theerown from the badge and in came awlnged bird, and the embroidered-gold rings on the cdp band also went,to be replaced by a blue-andgold chineord for lieutenants and a gold cordlor hlgher ranks. Affecting all milors,the $adio replaced the silvermvoydarswhich previously featured onthe collar of all ranks' tunics.

ilt

ITALY ITALY

Sergeont-Moior PrivoteFolgore Brigode ltolion AlpiniLebonon 1982

'Jthis sergeant-major of theI Paro ca d u t isti Folgore is one

element ofthe 2000-strong Italianmilitary group which acted aspeacekeepers in Bbruit in the early1980s. This wasjust one of manyItalian peacekeeping roles in theMiddle East under United Nations'commitments. The one-piece jumpuniform, in a camouflage similar tothat of the British Denison smock, hasits roots in Italian World War II paratunics, featuring elasticated anklesand reinforced and padded shouldersand knees. This para wears the redberet of paras world-wide, with aparachute/laurel-leaf badge. Thesilver savoy collar stars, removedafter the Italian armistice in 1943, are

returned. The boots are thicklysoled to prevent slippage

inside an aircraft. HisItalian-made weaponry is

the Beretta BM-59 Ital pararifle with folding stock and, in theholster, the Beretta Model 92 pistol.

Norrh lroly l99Osnflhe Alpini is the ltalian Army'sI clite mountain force,

consisting of a highpercentage of indigenousAlpine inhabitants. It existsln five brigade formations:Tidentina, Orobica, Iuua,Cadore, Ta u n ine nse. Thisaoldier is wearing the camouflageshirt and trousers worn by Alpinieoldiers during the summer. Itfeatures reinforced elbow- andknee sections for climbing, andtlghtly elasticated ankles which arecovered by a calf-high pair ofrubberclimbing boots. Though the Alpiniwear the silver savoy collar stars ofthe regular Italian Army - the starsrepresent the birthplace of the ItalianArmy in the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont - they also wear greencollar patches, In winter, the uniformbecomes an all-white snowsuit, withepecially adapted gloves to allow theoperation of weapons such as theBeretta 8M59. seen here.

I

ITALY ITALY

Officer MorineNuc/eo Son MorcoOperotivo Cenfrole BottolionMilon 1990s Itoly 1990stfhe Nucleo Operatiao Centrale isI ltaly's primary counter-terrorist

and hostage.rescue'force, trainedalong similar lines as the SAS

Counter-Revolutionary Warfare team.This officer dons a uniform utilizedby many HR unitsworld-wide whenoperating in urban constraints. Hisdark overalls give some measure ofcamouflage within a smoke-fiIledbuilding interior, and his trousersalso have fastenings at the ankle tostop them snagging when fast-roping(the harness and equipment for fast-roping is seen at the waist). Fireretardant overalls reduce the risk ofburn injuries. Protection comes fToma kevlar flakjacket and visoredhelmet made from kevlar or ballisticnylon. AII his weaponry is Italianproduced: a 9mm Beretta Model l2Ssubmachine gun, and a Beretta Model84 pistol tucked in his belt in case ofweapon jams.

tTrhe San Marco Battalion lbrms aI specialist sub-section of the ltalian

Marines which is trained in 6litemethods of multitheatre operations,rather like the US Nary SEAIs. All areparachute-trained and some of thebest soldiersjoin the 6lite navalincursion group known as theDemolitori Ostacoli Antisbarco $horeDemolition Group). This soldier is inwinter training in the mountainousregions of North Italy, with a three-quarter length ski jacket belted at thewaist with an ltalian-issue web belt.Beneath this he is wearing thestandard Italian Army camouflagecombat uniform. His boots havecanvas uppers, thus reducingpossibilities of frostbite or trench foot.He is heavily armed with an MG42/59,a post-war update of the World War IIGerman MG42, which is now standardissue to Italian and Austrian armies asa unit{upport weapon.

I160

,i

JAPAN

Privote

lmperiolJoponese ArmyLuzon 1941tfrhis soldier is wearing the typicalI cotton khaki dress of a Japanese

soldier in the tropical theatres ofWorld War II. However, he is withoutthe single-breasted khaki jacket withstand'and-fall collar which wasintroduced in 1938, and whichreplaced an earlierjacket with a stiffcollar. The pantaloons were usuallybound to the knee with khaki tapes,these being a fairly sensible measurewhen walking upon the insect-covered jungle floors of tropical Asia.As headgear, he wears the standardJapanese Army field cap, with a chin-strap of brown leather and aremovable neck sunguard. The capcould be worn beneath the Japanesesteel helmet. Because of thetemperatures in the Pacific theatre, itis uncommon to see the Japanesegreatcoats; the M90 was single-breasted and the M98 had a double-breasted style.

nate: December 1941

fllli.ilEih.kl,.,rPrivate

Scnior NCO!rrciion

Ncrtionol ArmyMcrloysio 1942t I tlrorrgh this soldier is an IndianI rrrrtkrrrirl. he falls under the

*rrepilr.s ol lhc Japanese Army as atilrrlx.r ol lhe anti-British IndianNnlhrrrll Army (NA). The INA was auull pul logcther mainly from Indianl'l iW* (lrr,ixl of recruitment wasl:r.rr'r'irl lVkrhan Singh, previously ofllrr. l.llh I'unjab Regiment) capturedlrr tlrr' .llrPirrtcse amongstalr r r.rrrk.rirrg colonial forces in placesllhr \lnglllxlr(.. Reasons forjoiningr nrr llonr lr gcnuine hostility towardslh ilirh lrrk' in lndia or trecause manyI'l )lVq wr.r0 cager to escape prisonlrrrrlitkxrl. 'l'he senior NCO picturedIl.r r, rr.l:rlrts the khaki field-drillrruifonrr ol thc Indian Army, though.lrriIilI'il(' tilriforms were alsoqlrrrltlrrrcs worn. There is little tolrlr.nlllv lrlnr as an INA soldier; onlyr r,nrtlnnv rrnrl field officers had theL.llcr t'l NA' rn their shoulder-strapsIrtrrrirllr llrcir rank markings.

ltaro: Septomber 1942

lndian NationalArmy

Senior NCO

l,nl t;

iailki

lhEFtrs:

lordtlonr Malaysia

JAPANJAPAN

Porotrooper Roting

Novol Combined Fleet

Porochute Troops Joponese Noyy

Pocific 1941 Philippine Seq 1942

fhe soldier here is seen wearing.l. the olivedrab jump overall issued

to all naval paratroopers. It was wornover a matching shiit and pantaloons,though it could be worn on its own.One of the most interesting features isthe helmet, which is a Japanese Armypara pattern in steel but fitted with acanvas cover for camouflage. This wasnot the only helmet available: navaland army paras also wore leatherhelmets (though these were replacedby the steel ver:sion as warprogressed) and even importedGerman para helmets. All navalhelmets featured the anchor motif atthe front. German influence can beseen in the overall design of theuniform, particularly in the high-boots with rubber soles. No weaponryis carried here, but typically a soldierwould jump with a M2 7.7mm (0.3lin)paratroop rifle, about four hand-grenades, and ammunition.

..,i *..1t.. I rr December i 941

-

lili.Untr r. rr Jepanese NavY

Private

,;i"1thggtrei Pacifie

'llirlltocbtfurn:

flthls style of white rig uniform wasI *..r bv sailors who were

rrrrrlcrtaking administrative or serviceroku aboard a ship or at landIrrrlullations. It consists of a simplewlrltc tunic and trousers, all loose-lllllng, worn with a pair of blackIrulhcr shoes. Markings and insignianrc urinimal. The cap features a bluerunvnl anchor and also a single bluelxtrrtl held in place by a strap. Thislurnd signalled that the soldier is anlllng, whereas officers' caps wouldlurvc two blue bands and also a goldnrr<'hor surrounded by a gold wreath(trolc, however, that the colour of therrrrchor might be varied, depending onllrc <:olour of the cap). The only otherlrrulge on this rating's uniform is thatol Musician 3rd Class, visiblerllrllnguished in blue on his leftrk.r.ve. A short-sleeved version of thisrrull'orm was available for servicemenI rr rllf t'erent theatres.

May 1942

Combined Fleet

Rating

Thqhtr,'dl Pacific

H1d

x

.lHiirilc

164

Pacific Ocean l0ostibni l, Philippine Sea

JAPAN JORDAN

Lieutenont

5th Fleet

Joponese NovyTokyo 1943

fapanese Navy uniforms weretltypi"ully nttderstated, as is thecase here with this lieutenant of theSth Fteet. He is sedn in his regulationwhites, composed of a singlebreastedstand-collar tunic with five goldbuttons and side-slash pockets,matching trousers and white leathershoes. This uniform contrasts with tht.standard service uniform which wasof the same cut but came in a bluecloth and was worn with black shoes.The lieutenant's rank is on theshoulder-straps, but officer rank inthe Japanese Naqy could also bedistinguished by a black silver laceedging the collar, the pockets and thetunic hem. On the shoulder-straps,the gold stripes set the general classof rank, while the stars identified thespecific rank. Other rank markingswere often placed on the cuffs, in gol<l

on the blue dress uniform, and blackon the service dress and whites.

Privote

Jordqnion ArmyWest Jordon 1967

fhis soldier is seen during Israel'sl, victorious Six-Day War of 1967,

probably Jordan's most traumaticrurllltary episode this century, which$nw it lose over 6000 troops and inwhich its air and armour forces wererlcvastated beyond recovery. Hisrunlform is a mix of items from variousolher nations, a combination which*lgnifies the problems in logistics andr.<:onomy in Jordan, The actualrunlform shirt and trouser:s - made innn olive-drab herringbone twill - are.krrdanian-made, though the stylenlludes to US World War II combatrlrcss from later in the conflict in thel,luropean and Pacific theatres.I lowever, the British influence in.lordanian history is apparent in thellrltish Army Mk I steel helmet withcrmouflage cover, while the 1937'

l)ottern webbing is also of Britishruanufacture. The weapon is US - theMl Garand - and ammunition for thisln carried in British trattle-orderpouches on the belt.

sth Fleet

qiii:Fig$tkni r

:.::.;ri]'ilil,!li lir if l

KASHMIR

Privote

Azqd KoshmirArmyKoshmir

.l950

||/-!heAzad (Free) Kasftmir ArmyI was essentiallv a revolutionary

army. Its objective within Kashmirwas the establishment of a Muslimrule in accord with the majority faithof Kashmir's people. In thls it wassupported by Pakistan, but even so,lhe Azad Kashmir forces were neverstrong enough to make the impactrequired. As we would expect, theAzad Kashmir soldiers would dressand equip themselves from a varietyof local and international sources,though there is some standardizationin the use of Pakistani supplies, whichin turn were much derived fromIndian sources. This soldier wearsIndian Army cavalry dress from pre-independence India, consisting of along, healy tunic and trousers. Hisheadgear is a simple beret with unitcolours, but turbans are also common.The rifle is the British .303in (7.7rnm)Lee Enfield Mk lII, the dominant armyweapon of the Indian sutrcontinentduring the turbulent post-war years.

Privote

Koreon

People's ArmyPyongyong I 950f n contrast to manv l-nited NationsItroops in the early years of thel(orean War, this soldier iscxtremely well-dressed for thenrvere Korean winter climate.I llrljacket and trousers arerntde from thickly quiltedrturterial, the jacket featuring arkruble-breasted design withrlpper fastening to reduce penetrationby wind chill. The hat is similarlyJurllcious, as the earflaps would haveprcvented the frostbite that afflictedtttnny troops in the sub-zero winternlonths. Note the complete absence ofnrnk or markings on this cold-weatherguar; the normal uniform - based onSovlet patterns - would have rank onlhc shoulder-straps and the collar.'l'he Soviet weapon is a 7.62mm (0.3in)PPSh4l, here fitted with a 7l-roundrlrum magazine. Though this soldier iswcll equipped, a North Korean soldier'sllfc was one of terrible austerity.

+:i':Aiad Kashmir /Jmy

KOREA, SOUTH KOREA, SOUTH

Privote Trooper

Army of the UN Portison lnfontryRepublic of Kore.' North Koreo 1952

South Koreo I 951 rTrht| UN Partisan Infantrv wasI n.,r.rrrd 22.000 strong and tbught a

vlgorous and effective guerrilla warAunhurt the North Korean regime fromwllhln North Korea itself. It was madeugl ol' lndividuals highly motivatedrgnlrret the Communist system, andwlllr <rrpious US backing (this came toilrr. IjNPI as the US slowly realized itsworlh), it achieved considerableIrrrpnct, mainly in drawing NorthKor({rn troops away ftom the frontllur. und killing some 69,000 of thern.llv I 1)52 the US logistics train to theI lNl'l was in full swing, as is evidenthy lhc elements of this soldier's dress*rrrl cquiprnent. The uniform is US

World War II surplus; the shirt is fromI lu, herrlngbone-twill jungle dresslrEucd to US troops in the Pacificilrr.ulre, and this is worn with a pair ofrrurldrlng olive-green combat trouser:snrul r:ap. A US M1936 web belt*rpports a leather pistol holster,whl<:h contains the classic Browningllurrn pistol.

(touth Korea's Armv lost arounrl l 'Jper cent ot all its troops in th(' llr,,rthree months of the Korean War, srrr lr

was the state of its structure,equipment and morale. UN militarvsupport and US equipment savcil ilfrom an even more ignominious lirtr'at the hands of the North Koreans.This soldier shows his indebtedrrcsrto the US in particular. His clothirrg l"the US M1943 battledress, a unilirrruwhich worked on a layering syslcrrrThe outer layers had good propt'rlilrof wind- and rain-resistance, wlrik'inner layers supported warrnth. Srtr h

a uniform gave fairly substantialwinter-weather protection. The I iS M I

helmet is worn on top of a woolle rr

cap and the weapon is the US .il0hr lll r

Carbine, here fitted with an M4bayonet. US supplies to the SouthKorean Army improved as the wirlwent on, and tilted the war stea<lily Lr

South Korea's favour.

i:jli:rli. lif Aimy of th e

iil,:#i,lRb'puni ic or xore"iUnited Nations

;lFartisan ln{antry

KOREA, SOUTH

Privote Privote

RoK Copitol Division Army of the

Vietnom 1969 Republic of KoreotTrhe RoK contributed over 47,000I troops to lhe Allied cause during

the Vietnam War, sending mainly its6lite units such as the RoK CapitalDivision, known as the 'Tigers' aftertheir divisional badge (a roaring tigerhead on a green shield, worn as a

shoulder patch). The areas controlledby Korean troops became some of thebest-controlled regions of SouthVietnam, and the Viet Cong lived infear of being captured by Koreantroops, who had a justifiatrlereputation for ruthless killing andtorture. The most striking element ofthis soldier's dress is the camouflage,actually a Korean version of thefoliage patterns used by certain US

units in the Pacific in World War ILOver this he wears a USissue M1955flak vest, while for headgear he has a

US Ml helmet with matchingcamouflage cover. He wears the US

canvas and leatherjungle boots; theseproved superior to pure Ieather boots,which rotted in the humidity.

Koreon Border ,l990s

1969 1990s

uiiit: RoK Capital Division

rTrhe South Korean Armv hasI h"".-" one of the *oild'" -o."

modern fighting forces, investingheavily in military hardware andtraining on account of continualborder tensions with its Communistneighbour to the north. Most of itsmilitary expenditure is directed to theprofit of the US, still a major presence

in the region. This soldier shows the ,*--;latest US combar gear. The trnifot- ' "*

shirt and trousers are of SouthKorean manufacture, Yet ther:amouflage is directlY borrowedfrom the modern US M8l Woodlandpattern. His kevlar helmet is the US

I'ASGT (Personal Armor SYstem'

Ground Troops) system, known as the'Fritz' helmet due to its resemblance { ,,t,

lo World War II German helmets. S'l'he webbing is the US ALICE type. pand the rifle is the 5.56mm (0.22in) 1

M 16A2, the current version of theM16 in service with the US forces.

KOREA, SOUTH

173

It

Army of theRepublic of Korea

Lot:rtidnr South VietnamLocaiion: KoreanBorder

172

donflict: Vietnam Warconflict None

LEBANON MALAYA

Privote GuerrillqLebonese Army Moloyon Roces

Beirut 1982 Liberotion ArmyRurol Moloyo 1953tTlhis soldier of the Malavan RacesI Indepe.,dence Army 6furu-4,; - a

revolutionary army fighting for self-government against British rule in the1950s - in most respects resembles aJapanese soldier of World War II. Thisls partly due to the massive stocks ofJapanese clothing and equipmentleft over in South-east Asia afterJapanese occupation, though theMR[,A often produced its ownclothing to the Japanese stylerather than simply appropriatingexisting stocks. The khaki shirt andtrousers are Japanese in style, andlike Japanese Army uniform, thetrousers are gathered up into knee-high khaki tapes. A five-pouchammunition bandolier is worn overthe shirt, this being British 1937-

pattern to go with the .303in (7.7mm)Lee Enfield No.l Mk III rifle. Instead ofa rank denotation, this soldier has ared Communist star on his cap.

tfihe Lebanese Army in the earlyI tsso" was a force in constant

action. Militia forces within its ownborders meernt incessant counter-terrorist operations, and the Israeliinvasion in 1982 gave these militias@articularly the Druze and Shi'iteAmal groups) the opportunity toimpose a serious defeat upon thearmy from which it never recovered.Despite the close ties of the US toIsrael, the Lebanon had receivedmuch US military support andinvestment in the 1970s. This soldier,caught up in the street-fighting inBeirut that ravaged the city in the1980s, is carrying a US Ml6Al riflewith plentiful ammunition inLebanese Army web pouches on thebelt (the sling on the Ml6 is a customattachment). Uniform is plain olive-green fatigues and unit/rank insigniais entirely absent: logos and badgescould have terrible consequences forthe soldier if he \,vas captured by oneof the militias.

NETHERLANDS

Lieutenont-Colonel 2nd Lieutenont

Cyclist Regiment Fighter Squodron

Dutch Army Dutch Air Force

Hollond 1940 Hollond 1940tTthe pattern of uniform worn by theI lieutenant-colonel was introduced

into the Dutch Arrny in 1912. Itfeatures a grey-green tunic andtrousers, with black leather ridingboots (only for officers anb mountedsoldiers; others wore black ankleboots) and side cap, though this styleof cap was actually introduced in1937 instead of the traditional kepi.The tunic itself is single-breasted withfour large patch Pockets and sevenbronze buttons at the front. The standcollar displays the rank - two starsand a bar for the rank of lieutenant-colonel - with the circular badge bythe side being the spoked wheel ofthe cycle regiment and the bluepiping indicating the armof-service

Qnfantry). This blue piping is alsorepeated down the seam of thetrousers. His leather webbing is ofDutch issue and features a comPasspouch and a pistol over on his right hip.

nistinsuishing a Dutch airmanlJf.o-"u -"-ber of the Dutch

ground forces can be difficult at

initial glance, as the air force was

classed as Part of the armY and thus

donned the same grey-green tunic'pantaloons and boots. The arm-of-

iervice piping around the collar and

the cuffs is also blue, but of a lighterhue than the infantry. Insignia and

other markings are what set the airforce apart. The tunic has air-forcewings over the left breast pocket (also

featuring on the greatcoat and the

French double'breasted leather coat

worn as a flYing jacket), while the

collar has the rank star and engine-

and-proPeller badges in gold' His

headgear is distinctive: he is wearing

the kepi, something which began to

be replaced in the Dutch forces in1937, and was rarelY found from1940. This uniform is privately made

from an exPensive whiPcord cloth'

177

til

NETHERLANDS NETHERLANDS

Privote CorporolDutch Army Royol Netherlonds

lndonesio 1946 Morine CorpsNetherlonds I 970s

fhe Royal Netherlands Marine iI Corps is an 6lite force within the

f ike many European countries afterl:World War II. the Netherlands waseconomically crippled by the conflict.As a result, the Dutch forces whichwent immediately into action to fightthe independence movement of theDutch East Indies were clothed andequipped mainly in warsurplus. Thecamouflage jungle overall is actuallyof US derivation, and was the typeused by US soldiers during the Pacificcampaign. The overall featured amore involved approach tocamouflage through the introductionof foliage patterns. Headgear ismixed: a US olive-green fatigue cap,topped by a British Mk I steel helmet,this latter item being matched byBritish 1937-pattern web equipment.The submachine gun is also British,the 9mm Lanchester, a Roll+Royce ofsubmachine guns, which wasmanufactured for the Royal Navy insmall numbers. This private hasattached the long LeeEnfield bayonetto his gun.

l)utch military which, in addition tothe usual land-based and amphibiousroles provided by any Marine force,prrovides counter-terrorist andhostage-rescue training to atrxemplary few, though this meansrxtending training by a tough 48weeks. This soldier is more than likelyundergoing that tuaining, as his Uzi!)mm submachine gun is essentially atlose-quarter weapon. He wearsrtandard army dress for the Dutchland forces: olive-green trousers withn healy matching pullover, thisl'caturing reinforced elbow patches.Over the top is worn a flak jacket. Thewebbing system and helmet are bothLJS: the helmet is the Ml and the weblrclt is the M1967 model. Kit includesru haversack for grenades andturunitions explosives, a water bottle,und a holster for a Browning pistol.

178

Lieutenont Seomonlnfontry Division Armoured CruiserNorwegion Army Norwegion NovyNorwoy 1940 Norwoy 1940f ike the forces of the Netherlands,L,h" No.*"gian Army adopted a

new uniform of grey-green tunic andtrousers from l9l2 onwards. This wasessentially the mode of dress for bothwinter and summer, though there wasa winter-issue tunic with a bigger fitto allow the wearing of warmunderclothes, and a summer-issuemade ftom a lightweight cottonwithout breast pockets. The tunicdesign is very close to that of theNetherlands: single breasted withstand-and-fall collar, and four breast-and side pockets, though there are noshoulder+traps (shoulder-straps werefeatured on the greatcoat). The rank isdisplayed on the collar, which alsofeatures arm-of-service piping, andalso in the lace rows on the slightlyarchaic kepi. Two badges also grace

the kepi: the white, blue and rednational cockade, and below it a gilt-metal lion on a red enamelled button.

urhe seaman pictured here isI wearing the standard Norwegian

Navy uniform which had been issuedfrom 1907. This consists of a blueJumper with a blue-jean collarfeaturing three white stripes, plustrousers in a matching navy-blue. The

Jumper was worn with a white shirtunderneath and a black scarf aroundthe neck. For ratings, the headgearwas a blue hat with a matching pom-pom on top, and the Norwegiancockade centred at the top of the hatwith the name of the Royal NorwegianNaly in gold lettering around theheadband. Markings on the rest of theuniform are limited to a red fouledanchor with crown, though sometimesthis could be sited above one or twored stripes. During summer, nalyrntings would tre issued with a whiteversion of this uniform, and in wintera thick blue pea-coat was available forprotection against cold temperatures.

t

NORWAY NEW ZEALAND

Lieutenont

No. 331 SquodronNorwegion Air Force

Englond 1941tfrhough many Norwegians servedI in th. nAF.fter Norwav fell to the

Germans in 1940, they were actuallygranted a separate status from theRAF in 1941. Hence this pilot'suniform is similar to the Royal AirForce in cut, but the Royal NorwegianAir Force had a grey colour of its own,national identification coming fromthe 'Norway' patch on the Ieft sleeveof the tunic, and the Norway flag onthe right (these were also essential incase they were shot down over the UKand local civilians thought they wereGermans because of the languagedifference). Rank, however is Britishin manner, with this lieutenant havingtwo stars on the tunic collar, while onthe matching greatcoat, rank wouldbe up on the shoulder-straps (thegreatcoat straps had a silver-laceedging). The peaked cap features theNorwegian cockade surrounded bylaurel leaves surmounted by wings,

.llrDatg: September 1941

GunnerNew ZeolondArtilleryNorth Africo 1940,flhe only part of this New ZealandI artillery man which would

tlistinguish him from his British alliesin the North African theatre would bethe distinctive slouch hat, and thisalso served to prevent NZ troops frombeing confused with Australianlbrces. The NZ hat had a pointedcrown indented on every quarterwith an'NZ'badge centred and apuggaree with regimental coloursworn at the base. The brim of the hatwas narrower than the Australianversion and was never folded up.Apart from the distinguishing hat, thissoldier is wearing standard khaki drilluniforrns of British issue, which weregiven to the NZ force on its arrival inEgypt. The soldier is heavily kitted outin full British 1908-pattern webbing, awebbing system older than the 1937-

pattern that most British Armysoldiers would have been issued withat this point.

irl' libate::' ,i. December 1940

fig4tio:'r North-west Europe

llffilluniqr . rr :.'' New Zealand Artillery

ri[hqk.i]r rl I Gunner

riithoatre.i .: Mediterranean

No.331 Squadron

-liFa.qkt Lieutenant

ilr#al'

l', ll "l',li '

t182

England North Africa

NEW ZEALAND NIGERIA

Privote

ANZ Tosk Force

South Vietnom1965A s part of the South-east Asia

la,Treaty Organization (SEATO)Australian and New Zealand bothcontributed combat troops to theVietnam conflict; the commitmentconcluded in 1971. This NewZealander private is seen on a combalpatrol wearing standard-issue olive-green fatigues with a matching short-brimmed bush hat. Sensibly, he hascovered his webbing straps inwaterproof plastic; the Vietnamesejungle climate could easily eatthrough cloth straps in a matter ofweeks. Webbing for NZ troops wasusually British or US. His weapon isthe FN FAL rifle, the contemporary

Privote

NigerionFederol ArmyNigerio 1968

rifle of the NZ and Australianforces. With its 7.62mm

(0.3in) calibre, it was along-range weapon,

but was also fairly reliable in combat,and so was popular with the troops.The 9mm Sterling SMG was also used.

fhe Nigerian Federal Army hasI generally been one of the better

equipped African armies in the post-war world, though problems ofdefections and factionalism in theofficer class led to it struggling undulyagainst Biafran independence forces(1967-70). This soldier is seenwearing the green fatigues which,alongside a khaki version, formed thestandard uniform of the NFA. Theseconsist of a fairly anon)rynous shirtand trousers which are worn withBritish 19S&pattern of webbing withtwo Iarge ammunition/utility pouchesand a water bottle with a lg44patterncover. The Ml steel helmet is of USorigin. On his feet are British jungleboots, made of rubber and canvas,often seen on the feet of Britishspecial forces. His weapon is thevenerable and crude Mk II Sten,though NFA soldiers were usuallyequipped with FN FAL or G3 rifles.

PAKISTAN PAKISTAN

Lonce-Corporol PrivotePokistoni Armylndo-PokistonBorder 1965;Jthe colonial history of GrealI g.it.in in the lndian subcontinenl

is writ large upon the uniform andequipment of this lance<orporal ofthe Pakistani Arrny. He wears thestandard British Army l9405and1950s khaki tropical drill uniforrn,this being accompanied by British1937-pattern webbing. It should benoted, however, that Soviet webbingwas also worn by the Pakistani andIndian forces. The two large pouchesperhaps hold basic rations, personaleffects and ammunition, though therifle slung over his shoulder rnay bean old Enfield or a civilian weapon.Britain and the US imposed an armsembargo on the region at theoutbreak of the Indo-Pakistan conflict.so personal weapons vary greatly intheir age and origin. The soldierwearsa British steel helmet. The rankchevron's red edging shows hismembership of the Frontier Force.

Pokistoni ArmyWest Pokiston 1971faven bv the 1970s. Britishts,"qrrip-"rrt .rrd dress were stillone of the dominant presences in themilitary forces of the Indiansubcontinent. However, in Pakistancconomic constraints meant that thispresence was mixed with a whole hostof other sources. This soldier iswearing the US Ml steel helmet, butthe webbing system is the BritishArmy 1958-pattern. The uniform itselfis the Pakistani khaki drill tunic andtrousers, this being worn with a V-neck pullover in olive-green which,despite its informal appearance, was a

regular item of Pakistani uniform. Apiece of equipment which wasdefinitely not of military origin is thecanvas shopping bag. The soldierpictured here is using it to carryaround some personal effects forwhich there isn't a proper pouch orbackpack. Rank in the Pakistani Armywould be displayed on the uppersleeve for the NCOs or on theshoulder-straps for of fi cers,

1971

Pakistani Army

Rallki

lliil.rilatitinr West Pakistan

1955

,rtrirlfiicl| lndo-Pakistan War

POLAND POLAND

Tonk Crewmon Coptoin

Armoured Corps Bomber Brigode

Polish Army Polish Air Force

Polond 1939 Polond 1939js lank cren'rnan would have

been lucky to escape with his lifeduring the first months of Germany'sPolish campaign. Only 340 inferiorPolish tanks faced the onslaught ofGerman mechanized Blitzklieg, andless than 15 per cent of thesesurvived, This soldier is wearing auniform with many similarities toFrench armoured-unit clothing, andthe leather crash helmet is actually ofFrench issue. A black beret was oftenworn under the crash helmet or on itsown when outside the vehicle, thismatching the black leather coat orlong, black greatcoat with which thecrews were also issued. Beneath thecoat can be seen the two-pi€ce khakiuniform much like that worn by therest of the Polish Army. On its stand-and-fall collar are the orange-and-black pennants of the armouredcorps, while the zigzag ernbroiderywas a feature of officer rank.

,flhis Captain is wearing the PolishI Ai. For"" uniform introduced in

1936 as a replacement for the armyuniform worn try air-force personnel.Its colour was blue-grey, andconsisted of a tunic and matchinglrousers, with a fall collar for officersand a stand-and-fall collar for otherranks, these being worn with a whiteshirt and black tie. Rank here isdisplayed in two locations: on thefront of the cap and on the shoulder-straps (the captain's rank is givenwith three silver stars). The capdepicts the air force version of thePolish national eagle. This eagle motifis repeated in a metal badge on thecollar, as worn by all Polish air forcestaff officers (reserve officer badgesfeatured the letters 'SPR' set within awreath). 0n his left breast he wearstwo badges - including a PilotOtrserver badge - and a ceremonial(lagger hangs on the left hip.

Date: Seotember 1939

rr,r Unit.:,i-. .. Bomber Brigade

r"AAnkirj,ti i Captain

i;ri'f e,;f f$'1,,

ect" n o

'rl,: i,ni:.r 'r

Thsatreirr::,r'.€astern Front

Sergeant

POLAND

Lieutenont SergeontFighter Squodron Polish Army in Russio

Polish Air Force Russio 1941Polond 1939 rTthe Polish Armv in Russia was a

I unit with a high degree of ironysurrounding its formation. It wast:omposed by the Russians at theoutbreak of Germany's Operationl}arbarossa using Polish POWs whichhad been captured by Russia duringIts assault on Poland in 1939. Thissergeant is seen here in southernllussia, but was shortly afterwardstransferred to service in the MiddleEast. His uniform is a medley ofdifferent items, including British,Russian and Polish kit: the PolishArmy in Russia initially wore what itstood in the prison camps,supplemented by private Russianpurchases, but was subsequently therecipient of British Army uniforms.Worn here are a khaki drill shirt withcavalry breeches, and puttees, with aBritish steel helmet (featuring thePolish eagle) and Russian leatherwebbing. The firearm is the Soviet'Iokarev M1940 automatic, a modernweapon for a Polish soldier.

Date: November 1941

unit: Polish Armv in Russia

September'1939

fhis Polish airman is seen wearingI the operational summer uniform.

It is a fairly crude outfit consisting ofa khaki overall (undyed) made from astiff linen, this featuring one thighpocket, one ankle pocket, and twoslash pockets on each side at hiplevel. As the standard trluegreyuniform of the Polish Air Force isobscured, there is little display ofrank and insignia. The only markingon the overall is a rank badge on theleft sleeve. This was composed of apatch of black cloth, edged in silverthread, with the stans of rank stitchedin silver in the centre. For headprotection he wears the standardleather flying helmet and goggles,while his neck is warmed by a civilianscarf. A distinct feature of flyingofficers in the Polish Air Force waswearing a white or gilt metal divingeagle over the left breast pocket, hungfrom a short length of silver chain.

:rirT;$eietle.I -, Eastern, Front

'Southern Russia

POLAND

Privote Able Seqmonll Polish Corps Morynorko WoiennoItoly 1944 Polish Nouy

Polondtflhe tI Polish Corps was formedI fro- Polish soldiers of the Polish

Army in Russia who were transferredto Iraq in 1943. Working closely withthe British - including accepting mostof their uniforms and supplies fromthe UK - the Poles went on to fight forthe Allied cause in Italy, includingmaking a seminal and bloodycontribution to the fall of MonteCassino. This soldier is well+quippedin a mountain-warfare overall, a one-piece thickly padded and waterproofuniform, ideal for snowy mountainconditions. Instead of conventionalwebbing he wears canvas chest packswith two No.36 British hand-grenades,This uniform and pouches were aBritish development for commandounits operating in arctic/mountainousenvironments, and would have givenexcellent protection from northernItaly's climate. Polish soldiersfollowed British modes of rankdtsplay, but the Polish eagle is oftenseen on their caps and helmets.

tfihis naval'square rig'uniform is ofI a convenlional naval pattern: a

naval-blue pullover with a broad,white-striped collar, plus matchingtrousers with the ankles fixed intowhite pull-on gaiters. The cap featuresthe Polish eagle and also the name ofthe ship on which he serves. His tunichas, on his left sleeve, the single goldstripe (edged in red) which, alongwith a double stripe, indicated therank of rating, and above it a redbadge signifying his speciality: radiotechnician. Petty officers' badgeswould be yellow The Polish Nalryuniform varied according to climate.In summer, a white square rig or evenBritish Royal Naly tropical dresswould tre worn, while officers andpetty officers would wear a single-breasted white tunic with a standcollar. This style was maintained inblue for officers and petty officersthroughout the rest of the year.

PORTUGAL RHODESIA

Corporol Privote

Portuguese Rhodesion AfriconPorochute Regiment Rifles

Mozombique 1970 Rhodesio 1976

fhe Rhodesian African RiflesI proved itself as one of the

best counter-insurgency forcesin post-war African history.

tfrhe post-war period signalled anI intense struggle for Portugal to

retain its African possessions, astruggle which lasted well into the1970s in places such as Guinea-Bissau,Angola and Mozambique. ThusPortugal's armed forces gained ahuge wealth of experience in counter-insurgency warfare. This is a corporalof the Portuguese ParachuteRegiment, a unit typical of the 6liteforces usually used in Portugal'scolonial conflicts. He wears a 1950French pattern of camouflage in adistinctive green, brown and olive-

green colour scheme. On apractical combat uniform, there

is a minimum of insignia. The rank isdisplayed by the two che!'rons oneach shoulder slide; membership ofthe Pa.rachute Regiment is depictedthrough the para badge on the rightbreast. The beret badge is that of thePortuguese Air Force.

As is expedient given thebush terrain, this soldieris wearing a foliage-pattern ofcamouflage onhis shirt andtrousers. Healso wears amatchingpeaked field capwith earflaps, featuring the RARbadge centred on a green-and-blackfield. The webbing is the British 1958-pattern worn in battle order, with twoSouth African kidney pouches, andthe 7.62mm (0.3in) FN MAG was thestandard British Army general purposemachine gun. The South African bootshave buckled sections which imitateUS World War II patterns.

RHODESIA

Privote

Selous Scouts

South Rhodesio

1977tTrhough the Selous Scouts onlyI .*i"iea for six years. they have

gone down in history as one of theworld's best counter-insurgency andreconnaissance units, demonstratinghow small, 6lite units, trained toexceptionally high Ievels of expertise,could have an effect ufterlydisproportionate to their size (theentire unit was less than 1500 men). Astaggering 68 per cent of nationalistguerrilla fatalities can be laid at thedoor of the Selous Scouts. Onoperations, the Scouts travelledextraordinarily light and informally,taking only plenty of water andammunition. Their'uniforms' couldbe nothing more than a pair of shortsand boots. This soldier is dressedmore substantially, with a camouflageshirt, woollen hat, British 1958-pattern webbing and hockey boots,also known as'tackies'. He carries thestandard-issue FN FAL rifle.

Guerrillq FighterRhodesion

Potriotic Front

Rhodesio 1979tflhough frequently disorganizedI and under-equipped. the

l{hodesian Patriotic Front formed a

Persistent violent resi$tance againstlhe white Rhodesian Government.Constructed out of the merging of theZlmbatrwe African National Union(ZANID and the Zimbabwe Africanl'eople's Union (ZAPLD, they werehighly motivated for independence.As a guerrilla unit there was nostandard uniform, though this soldierls fairly representative. The greenberet and T-shirt are civilian, but thetrousens are the camouflage combattrousers of the Rhodesian Army. Hisrlfle is the excellent 7.62rnm (0.3in)l{eckler & Koch G3, and he carriesthe magazines for this in the series ofchest pouches. Ironically, this patternof load-carrying was used by theRPF's worst opponent, the SelousScouts; the packs' positioning allowsrnovement through dense foliage.

ilriri.Rhbdesian Patriotic Front

illRhodesian CivilWar

Roting

Donube Flotillo

Romonion NovyBlock Seo l94ltTlhis ratins's uniform has a familiarI naual upi....rr." about it. The

visible elements are a long, double-trreasted greatcoat featuring two rowsof gilt metal buttons, blue trousersand ankle boots, and a naval aap withthe legend 'Marina Regala' on theband. This cap would also have aribbon hanging from the back.Beneath the greatcoat, ratings wore ablue jumper with a blue jean collarwhich had the customary three whitestripes, over a blue-and-white stripedshirt accompanied by a black scarf(officers wore a similar uniform,though they tended to wear single-breasted blue tunics and peaked capswith black peaks and a yellow metalanchor badge). Rank markings tendedto be worn on the upper left sleeve onthe tunic - ratings had one to threered stripes - under a speciality badge.Officer rank was sited on theshoulder-straps and collar,

ROMANIA

Lieutenont

2nd ColorosciRegiment

Russio 1942his lieutenant is typical of theappearance of a Romanian Army

officer in the post-I931 period, thedate after which the uniform baseditself around British patterns. Hewears a single-breasted khaki tunicfeaturing two breast pockets and twolarge side pockets, plus in thisinstance a regimental lanyardrunning over his left shoulder. Rank isconventionally depicted on theshoulder-straps, while the collarpatches denote arm-of-service. Thesmall ribbon beneath his top jacketbutton is actually that of the GermanIron Cross, 2nd Class. Accompanyingthe tunic is a light khaki shirt andkhaki tie and, in this case, cavalry-type pantaloons and riding boots,though more typically the pantaloonswould be worn with puttees and ankleboots. The large cap has a Rornaniancrest, while the cap band is a furtherindicator of armof-service.

ROMANIA

Privote Privote

lnfontry Division lnfontry DivisionRomonion Army Romonion ArmyOdesso 1942 Austrio 1945Domanian Armv uniforms followedIIL horiton-blue colouration until1916, from when a khaki pattern wasadopted. This soldier is wearing thestandard pattern for 1942 on theEastern Front. The blanket across hischest would give adequate warmthduring the summer and autumnmonths, but this uniform wouldremain during the Russian winters,when thousands of Romanian soldiersdied from frostbite and hypotherrnia.The basic uniform in surnmer was akhaki tunic, pantaloons or longtrousers (these being worn withputtees or anklets and ankle bootsrespectively), a lambswool cap, andthe Dutch M1928 steel helmet made inRomania under licence. Theunpadded greatcoat issued in thewinter gave scant protection. Thewebbing and entrenching tool hereare Romanian, whereas the rifle is theGerman Mauser M1924.

fhis Romanian soldier shows someI of the variations in dress of a field

solider from the private seen earlier.He still retains the blanket over hisshoulder; in fact, this became acommon way of wearing a blanketafter Axis troops witnessed Russianforces doing the same on the EasternFront. His uniform is also the standardkhaki combat dress, though here thetrousers are worn with knee-highputtees. Instead of the M1928 steelhelmet, he wears an unadornedkhaki field cap. Other units couldhave their own dedicated colourschemes; Romanian mountain troopswore a green beret, and armouredpersonnel a black one. This privatecarries the Romanian MannlicherCarbine M1893, a rifle which gavegood service in both world warc. Healso carries a box of ammunition; notethe offset handle which enabled twoboxes to be carried in one hand.

ROMANIA

tl

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA

Privote LieutenontKimberely Regiment Royol South AfriconSouth Africon Army Air Force

North Africo 1940 North Africo 1942Ioughly 140.000 South AfricanI\troops contributed themselves tothe Allied forces in World War II,mainly fighting in the African theatresand also up into Italy. As BritishEmpire forces, their uniformsand kitwere in sympathy with that of theBritish Army. The notable exceptionhere is the sun helmet, chosen inpreference to the British steel helmetin A{rica, khaki in colour, with amatching puggaree on which featureda cloth patch with regimental or corpscolours, and a metal cap badge at thefront (this soldier's hat is the 'polopattern' version). The rest of theuniform consists of a khaki drilljacketwith fold'up sleeves, and longtrousers worn with the short anklets,these issued from 1940 after Germanydeclared war on South Africa on 9September of that year. The .303in LeeEnfield SMLE No.l Mk III rifle and the1937-pattern webbing are both British.

frorrth Africa fielded a small butJcompetent air tbrce which had asignificant impact in some Africantheatres, particularly in Abyssinia,where it destroyed around 95 Italianaircraft. South Africa also providedthe RAF with some of its most notableaces, including 'Sailor' Malan whoaccounted for some 27 aircraft duringthe Battle of Britain. The flying officerhere looks in most regards like anarmy soldier. This was due to the airforce actually treing formed under theauspices of the army in 1920, and thusarmy uniforms were adopted. Thedifference from the army lies purelyin the insignia: air force wings on theleft breast, with an air force badgesurmounting the sun helmet and ablue arm-of-service patch on thepuggaree. The orange-red flash on theshoulder-straps are a further air forceindicator, these sharing the strapswith the officer's rank.

rii October 1942

Royal South AfricanAii Force

r iir Liii,iptipili, : North Af rica

iili,i,::-r11

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA

Privote Sergeont

South Africon Army SA Recon Commondo

Nomibio l9B0 South Africon Bush

outh Africa fought a long and I 990s'bitter counter-insurgency confl ict

within Namibia from the late lg60s to1988, the date on which Namibia

achieved full independence fromSouth Africa, even though it had

been granted this in theory bvthe UN in 1966. Combat against

the South West African People'sOrganization (SWAPO), mainly basedin Angola, was a hot affair, souniforms tended towards simplicityand Iight materials. This soldier wearsa cotton two-piece khaki uniforrn, theshirt and trousers having theadditional feature of covered pocketbuttons to stop the buttons snaggingon foliage when on patrol. Hiswebbing system priorities are foodand water. Around the back would bea water bottle centred on the belt andflanked by two kidney pouches forrations, survival gear and personaleffects. To the fTont are two largeammunition pouches, each holdingtwo magazines for his FN FAL rifle.

tTlhe South African ReconI C.r--^rrd.r* are South Africa's

counter-insurgency 6lite, specializingln deep-penetration into the Africanbush as well as urban combat andspecialist parachute techniques. Onlyabout 8 per cent of people who beginRecon training pass the course. Here aheavily armed 'Recce' is on a patrol,his uniforrn the standard khaki shirt,trousers and slouch hat worn by allSouth African soldiers. However,Recces are also seen in severalfoliage-pattern carnouflages, includingvarieties which mix vivid blues andmustards. His load-carrying equip-ment is South African; the Recces hada double-sided rucksack made forthem which sat a parachute in themiddle so that packs could bestandardized across airborne andground operations. His rifle, theIsraeli 5.56mm (0.22in) Galil, is supp-Iemented by two IMI rifle-grenades.

lnfontrymonSponish

Blue DivisionUkroine 1942

hough Franco's Spain wasessentially proAxis during World

War II, the catastrophe of the SpanishCivil War ensured that it wouldremain neutral throughout theconflict. However, the Spanis[r BlueDivision - later the 250th InfantryDivision - of some 18,000 volunteerswas sent to Germany's aid on theEastern Front. Deployed to Russia inJuly 1941, it suffered 60 per centcasualties in the fighting, and thesurvivors came home in October1943. Here we see a Spanishinfantryman in standard Germanfield-grey infantry uniform and kit,including an MP40 submachine gun.A badge on the right sleeve displaysthe national colours on a shield patch,this also being repeated up on thehelmet. The name'BIue Division'came frorn the Falangist Party(Spanish fascist) blue shirts, wornunder the German uniforms.

LegionnoireSponish

Foreign Legion

Conory lslonds 1987fithe Spanish Foreign Legion is aI national unit which does not

accept foreigners. It is a crackforce with a training anddiscipline similar to theFrench Foreign Legion.Soldiers wear the grey shirtand trousers of the regularSpanish Army, though withdistinguishing featuresunique to the unit. Theffrst of these is the blackhoots with three bucklesdown the side. The second is theside cap with red tassel. However,soldiers also wear a green beretregistered to the left. This soldierwears the Spanish Army fatigues, butLegion soldiers also wear camouflagewhen necessary, with modern steel-or ballistic nylon helmets. He carriesthe 7.62mm (0.3in) CETME rifle,whose calibre became 5.56mrn(0.22in) NATO standard in the.l980s.

Foreign Legion

;i ';.,,, 947

:i€{.nhrtJstands

Officer Privote

Sponish GEO Syrion ArmyModrid

.l990sGolon Heights 1973

7fll'e Grupo Especia I de Ope mcionesI 1CfO1 was tormed in the lg70s as

Spain's answer to an increase interrorism within its borders andexternal interests, particularly fromthe Basque-separatist organization,ETA, in the north. Its members aretrained in surveillance, hostage-rescue and VIP protection. The officer

here cannot be said to weartypical GEO dress, as the unilselects weaponry andequipment to suit eachindividual role. However. theSpanish-made leaf-patterncamouflage is commonly used.Here, it is imposed on a one-piece combat overall with

minimal insignia, but a unit badgeon the right sleeve. This probablyindicates that this officer is ontraining, when insignia is left off forsecurity purposes, while the ba.laclavaobscures his features, He carries aHeckler & Koch MP5A2, and a H & K9mm P-9S automatic on his belt.

rl evitalized bv qreater investment.[f.in training ani rearmament withmodern Soviet weapons, in 1973 theSyrian Army launched a powerfulassault upon Israeli positions on theGolan Heights as part of the Arabonslaught known as the Yom KippurWar. However, the Israeli positionswere too entrenched and the S''aiansinadvisably relied on armour in themountainous terrain and were againdefeated. This private on the GolanHeights is dressed in uniform andequipment which is almost entirely ofSoviet- or communist-Europe issue. Heholds an AK-47 assault rifle, which isan excellent closequarters weapon.Indeed, it had such an impact duringthe Yom Kippur War that it forced theIsraelis to redevelop and improvetheir own small arms. The private'scamouflage shirt and trousers are ofEa-st German origin, although theyhave a French style of camouflage,and the helmet is the standard issueSoviet infantry headgear.

Date: 1973

tJnir: Svrian Armv

Rank: Private

A loipti"n, Golan Heights

; conflict Yom KippurWar

TURKEY

Corporol PrivoteSyrion Army Turkish ArmyBeirut 1982 Gollipoli 1916fhe cit_v of Beirut was a hideousI cauldron for manv forces in the

early 1980s, not Ieast the SyrianArmy. Having suffered terrible lossesin Israel's 1982 'Peace for Galilee'

invasion of the Lebanon, largeelements ofthe Syrian forces

then had to face vicious inter-faction warfare within

the confines ofLebanon itself. Thissoldier's green beretindicates that he is

probably a special forces soldier,though many units' dress becamesomewhat unorthodox during theconflict in Beirut. His uniform is plainolive.drab trousers and shirt in aSoviet pattern (Syrian commandoscould also be seen in a'Iizard-pattern'camouflage). As these items are fairlycommonplace, it is the webbing thatcaptures the attention: Communist inorigin, it shows the Chinese practiceof placing AK magazines in curvedpouches on the chest.

,Trhe Turkish defence of Gallipoli isI seen historically as one of the

great Turkish victories of World War I.In this action, the Turkish Armyrepelled the Allied invasion force,even though it suffered the loss ofhundreds of thousands of its soldiers.This private here is seen at Gallipoliwearing the standard olivedrabuniform of the Turkish Army. The,shirt, trousers, puttees and shoes areall internationally conventional: theheadgear is not. For headgear,Turkish soldiers wore either thetraditional fez or the cloth-coveredsolar topi, as shown here. Theabsence of brim on both of theseitems was intentional, as it followedthe Islamic belief that it is wrong toshield your eyes from the sun. Overhis tunic this soldier wears a cartridgebelt, and the rounds are exposedunder the leather flaps of thepouches. He carries the 7.65mm(0.301in) Rifle M1890, a Turkishversion of the German Manser.

TURKEY

Privote

Turkish ArmyCyprus 1974

fhis Turkish soldier involved in theI invasion of Cyprus in 1974

illustrates some of the anornalies inuniform and kit that were common inthe Turkish forces at the time. Hisshirt and trousers are simple olive-drab fatigues ofTurkish origin,probably made in cotton, tlrcsebeing worn with a matching beret@PM camouflage was notintroduced until the 1980s inTurkey). His helmet, however, isthe US Ml carrying the camouflage

scheme used by US Marines andother units during the Pacificcampaign of World WarII. In keepingwith the World War II theme, he alsocarries a.45in M3 submachine gun, acrude weapon even in the days ofWorld War II but positively archaicby the 1970s (production finished in1944). The webbing straps belong to

the US M1943 pattern, though herethey are fitted with Turkishammunition pouches which are tooshort to take the M3's magazines.

UNITED KINGDOM

SergeontBritish Royol

Horse A*illeryFronce 1914A s war broke out in l9l.l, the

As.i,i"h ar-y was tasked withfinding uniforms not only for itsregular soldiers, but also for millionsof conscripts. Thus it was common forsoldiers in the first years of the war tobe wearing older patterns of clothingand equipment. This sergeant iswearing the standard British Armyuniform in the tunic, trousers andputtees, the peaked service cap alsobeing standard dress until anunacceptably high percentage of headcasualties on the Western Front led tothe introduction of the Mk I steelhelmet in 1916. On this cap is thestandard cap badge of the RoyalRegiment of Artillery, a cannonsurmounted by a crown, and themotto'Ubique' @verywhere). Theammunition bandolier is the outdated1903-pattern, with 50 rounds for a LeeEnfield rifle, replaced in 1908 by asuperior load<arrying system.

213

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Privote Lieutenont

Royol Morines Royol NouyAntwerp 1914 Jutlond 1916f, ntwerp was the firrst operational

Adestination for lhe Royal Marinesin World War I. A Royal Marinebrigade was formed in August 1914and then deployed at very shortnotice to Antwerp in a futile attemptto stop German capture of this vitalport. Such was the speed of theirdeployment that many soldiersarrived at Ostend prior to the missionin their fulldress uniforms - combatoutfits had not been issued. However,this soldier presents a typical view ofan RM soldier in 1914. He is wearingthe standard British Army khaki sergeuniform instead of the blue uniformworn by pre-war RM units. His webgaiters, however, are actually RoyalNaly issue. The only designations ofhis RM status are the'RMLI'(RoyalMarine Light Infantry) badges set onthe shoulder straps and the RM badgecentred on the field cap. His webbingis the 1908 pattern, featuring multipleammunition pouches for his .303in(7.7mm) SMLE rifle.

tTrhe uniform of the Royal NaryI settled into an established partern

in the nineteenth century, and it wasthis paftern (with minor variations)which took naval officers and ratingthrough the two world wars of thetwentieth century. Here we see aIieutenant wearing a mix of his navalwhites and his standard servicejacketand cap. Thejacket was a double-breasted 'reefer'Q4re. It had two rowsof gold buttons running down thefront, while rank was kept simply togold lace around the cuffs, the upperrow always featuring a loop. Thisjacket was generally worn with awhite shirt and black tie, though herethis officer wears a white cravat toprotect against the cold of the NorthSea. His cap is peaked, with a mohairband 44.5mm (l.75in) deep and theRoyal Navy tradge consisting of asilver anchor and royal crownsurrounded by gold laurel leaves. Thetrattle of Jutland was an indecisiveaffair, both sides claiming victory.

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Privote 2nd Lieutenont

British Army Artist's Rifles

Combroi 1916 Fronce 1916tflhis British Army private offers aI representative view of the British

soldier who fought in the trenches ofthe Western Front. The UK militaryintroduced a khaki service dress forpersonnel in India in 1885, but in1902 khaki became the standardcolour of military batiledressthroughout the British Army Gtshould be noted that some soldiersarrived in France in blue serge outfitsbecause of uniform shortages; theseoutfits were later used to clotheBritish POWs in Germany). The Mk Isteel helmet formed the basicheadgear fntroduced in 1916), whileall ranks wore a khaki tunic with fourpatch pockets, matching trousers,puttees wound up to the knee, andblack boots or shoes. Equipment iscarried with the l90&patternwebbing, an '08 gas.mask pack at theready on this soldier's chest, and therifle he carries on his left side is the.303in (7.7mm) Lee-Enfield Mk IIISMLE.

fhis lieutenant of the Artist's RiflesI gives an especially clear view of

the 1gO8-pattern webbing worn byalmost all British soldiers during.World War I. Though he is actuallywearing the officer's version (byvirtue of the Webley revolver in theholster on his hip), most of the otheritems are in their standard infantryconfi guration. The I 9O&patternwebbing was designed to replace andexpand the 1903 BandolierEquipment, which had no knapsack orpack and featured a bandolier and awaistbelt with a total of l0ammunition pouches each holdingl0 rounds. Tests in 1906 and 1907produced an alternative l0 sets ofwebbing, which distilled into the1908-pattern in January of that year.The new webbing consisted of awaistbelt and braces, l0 ammunitionpockets holding 15 rounds each,bayonet frog, water-bottle carrier,haversack and pack, entrenching-toolcarrier for haft (seen here) and head.

UNITED KINGDOM

Coptoin Pilot

Royol Flying Corps Royol Flying CorpsFronce 1917 Fronce 1917

Qhy and introspective. CaptainrJAlbert Ball nevertheless becameone of Britain's greatest (and mostreluctant) war heroes. In total he wasresponsible for downing 44 Gerrnanaircraft, and he went on to receive theVictoria Cross for his efforts. Here wesee him in a typical pose for theBritish newspapers, holding thepropeller and spinner of his Nieuportl7 Scout aircraft. However, it was on 7

May 1917, while flying a British SE.5aircraft - which he disliked - that hemet his fate, and was killed in adogfight in stormy weather. Officersof the Royal Flying Corps generallywore the uniforms of the regiments towhich they had originally beenattached; Thus Captain Ball is seenhere wearing standard British Armyfield dress with service cap, with theRoyal Flying Corps badge in itscustomary position, on the left of thecap. Rank is displayed on the cuffs,and the collar features the RoyalRying Corps badge.

f) oyal Flying Corps pilots on the.[\ ground wore either standardBritish Army service dress with RoyalFlying Corps insignia or the 1903-

pattern dress with a lancer-typejacketwhich was tommonly known as the'maternity jacket'. However, onceairborne, it was necessary to wearclothing that would protect the pilotfrom the biting winds of an opencockpit at high altitudes. Here we see

a downed British pilot wearing tlpicalRoyal Flying Corps flying gear. A longleather coat and silk scarf provide themain elements of the outfit, while fur-lined boots and flying helmetshielded the feet and the headrespectively. Long gauntlet-typegloves would also be furlined forwarmth. The pilot shown here ismaking a defiant gesture to hisadversary by shooting off a fewrounds from his Webley Mk IVrevolver; Webley revolvers were thestandard side-arm of RFC pilotsthroughout the war.

218

UNITED KINGDOM

Lieutenont

Tonk CorpsFronce l9l B

fhis soldier of the Tank Corps is. onI the whole. wearing the standard

British Army service dress, thoughwith some notable variations. Mostconspicuous of these is the chain-mailface mask. This was designed toprotect the face from steel splinterscaused by enemy small'arms fire, asthe armour of the early British tankscould be quite insubstantial. Shortsare also worn instead of the issuetrousers. These were advisable itemsof clothing inside the tanks, whichhad notoriously bad ventilation and,in combat, produced internaltemperatures which made many acrew pass out through heatexhaustion. A respirator is carried ina bag over the right shoulder, as muchto save the crewman from internalfumes as frorn the dangers of anenemy gas attack. By l9l8 the TankCorps had been armed with Mk AMedium Tanks (Whippet) whichcould travel at a top speed ofl2.8km/h (8mph).

UNITED KINGDOM

AirmonBomber CommondRoyol Air Force

Englond 1939fiihe early years of Wbrld Whr III *"t* a testing time for RAF

Bomber Command, as both its light-and hear.y bombers were intenselyvulnerable to German fightersuperiority. However, with the laterintroduction of the Avro Lancaster'strategic bombing began to make animpact, particularly in Germany'sindustrial heartland and in support ofAllied D-Day landings. Bombing raidswere freezing, uncomfortatrleexperiences for the crew; this pilotwears a thermally insulated jacketmade from glazed sheepskin by theIrvin Parachute Co. (whose parachuteharness he wears). The leggings havelarge patch pockets for mapwork.Boots and helmet are thicklypadded. A welcome innovationwas electrically heated glovesand boots, supplied with powerby a cable that ran down throughthe jacket sleeves and legs.

I l"ocalion:

llfri-1 ,'. "' '

England

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Privote CoptoinThe Eost Yorkshire Home Fleet

Regiment Royol NoyfMoginot Line 1940 Greot Britoin 1940tfrhis soldier presents a uniformI which was not typically seen on

British soldiers in World War II. Overhis khaki service dress he wears alarge snowsuit made from paddedmaterial. Thejacket is double-breasted to provide better windresistance, while the Mk I steelhelmet is covered in a white snow-cover foir additional camouflage.Snowsuits were not a large.scalestandard-issue item of clothing for theBritish forces during the war, and thissuit was issued to this soldierespecially for his chilly guard duty atthe French Maginot Line in the deepwinter of 1940. Over the front of hisuniform he wears a cottonammunition bandolier, issued as partof the 1937-pattern webbing. Thebandolier had five pockets, each ofthese holding two five-round clips of.303in (7.7mm) ammunition forthe LeeEnfield No.l Mk III rifle, seen here.

,frhis Caplain of the Home FleetI illustrates perfectly the standard

uniform worn by Royal Navy officersduring World War II. Working fromthe top down. we have a blue. navycloth peaked cap with a black mohairband and a black, patent calf-leatherpeak and chin-strap. The badge in thecentre of the cap has a silver anchorat its centre, surrounded by goldlaurel leaves and surmounted by agold-and-silver crown on a redbacking. As a senior officer, thiscaptain also has gold leaves on thepeak, stitched onto a blue cloth peak-cover. The rest of the uniform consistsof a double-breasted'reefer' jacketwith double-row gold buttons, wornwith a white shirt and black tie, bluetrousers and black shoes. In additionto the leaves on his cap peak, his rankis indicated by the gold rings aroundthe sleeve. The purple rings betweenthese refer to the arm-of-service,

UNITED KINGDOM

Privote

49lh lnfontry Division

Norvik 1940Decause of his lons. voluminousDcoat, this soldier"can at first beconfused with a naval rating, thoughhe is actually a private of the 49thInfantry Division seen during theNorwegian campaign of 1940. Thecoat was termed the 'tropal' coat andwas lined with kapok, a cotton-likesubstance used to pad clothes andalso to stuff items like cushions. Thispadding made the coat very warm,but it also made it bulky andinhibiting to movement. It wasfastened with metal clips and had twodeep, flapped pockets. Beneath thecoat, the soldier is wearing standardkhaki service dress, and ankleG arevisible. The webbing is the 1937-pattern. The pouches at either sideare ammunition pouches which weredesigned to take either two Bren gunmagazines (he holds one in his hand)or cotton bandoliers of Lee Enfieldammunition. In the centre is the 1937havensack, turned around and wornas a pack, a common technique.

.):,',r,11,;'14916 lnfantry Division

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Lonce-Corporol4th lnfontry DivisionFronce P4A

e see here a lance-corporal ofthe Scottish Black Watch

Regiment, a regiment which, like mostnorth of the Scottish border, adaptedstandard British Army dress to give ita local and national flavour. Instead ofthe standard British Army khaki-sergetunic, he wears a cutaway versionknown as a doublet, the matchingkhaki trousers being omitted infavour of a regimental kilt. Inaddition, the Mk I steel helmet isreplaced with a'Tam o'shanter' beretfeaturing a khaki pom-pbm on top anda red regimental hackle at the side,though in combat the steel helmetwould naturally make areappearance. The tunic is heavilydecorated with various badges andinsignia. The single chewon denotesrank, while the circular red badge is aformation sign of the 4th Division.The crossed rifles indicatemarksmanship proficiency, and thewheel above is a driver'squalification.

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOMSergeont Sergeont1l Group Welsh GuordsRoyol Air Force Household DivisionHome Counties 1940 Englond 1940

is sergeant's steel helmet alludesto the likelihood of Luftwaffe

attack against British airfields during1940, as usually the RAF personnelwore a field service cap or, forofficers, the peaked cap with a metalbadge. The rest of the uniform issimilar in cut to the British Armyservice dress, except that it isrender/ed in the Royal Air Force blue.It is made from serge, and featured asingle-breasted tunic with two breast-and two side patch pockets, long, bluetrousers and black shoes, The tunicwas worn over a white shirt and blacktie. Rank was given in theconventional pattern - here threechevrons on each sleeve in worstedon a black background - though ifwearing overalls or shirt sleeves,armlets would often be used. Thissergeant also carries a Webley pistolin a holster, the ammunition beingcarried in the pouch on the right hip.

Dv 1940 a new battledress forllbtti"n at-y soldiers had beenestablished. Introduced in 1937, thisconsisted of khaki blouse and longtrousens, both roomy in the cut, withthe trousers gathered at the ankle andfltted into the boots. This sergeant'skhaki service dress pre'dates thisuniform, and harks back to the WorldWar I British Army uniform, elementsof which were still worn in the earlyyears of World War II. The mostanachronistic items are the longputtees wrapped around the calvesand the Ieatherjerkin overcoat lined .

with khaki material. His webbing,however, is up-todate; the 1937-pattern in olive-drab with a backpackand two large ammunition pouchesfastened to the front of the belt (healso carries a khaki pack for personaleffects). He carries the standard rifleof the British Army in 1940: the .303in(7.7rnm) No. r SMLE.

KINGDOMUNITED

Corporol6th Royol

Tonk Regiment

North Africo 1941fl enerallv. British Armv tank crews(J*o.e

"tandard British Army

uniforms with insignia and headgearvariations. There was more variationin the northern theatres, where tankcrews were seen wearing a blackdenirn overall over their servicedress, but even this becameconsigned to training crews as thewar progressed. For the North Africantheatre, fi{htness of dress wasessential, and so tank crews took thearmy khaki shirt and shorts, hereworn with woollen socks, puttees andankle boots. The tunic bears the rankon the right sleeve, while theshoulder-straps display the colours ofthe 6th Tank Regiment. He also has aregimental lanyard running under theleft shoulder. The hat is the blackberet of the Royal Tank Regiment,complete with silver regimental capbadge. Inside the tank, a black fibrehelmet would probably be worn.

-,PEt.ei January 1941

6th Royal Tank Regiment

ljt l[otaijsn:

Sergeant

;

North Africa

UNITED KINGDOM

Roting

HMS WorspifeRoyol NoryCrete 1941

eing a gun crewmember was oneof the most physically demanding

tasks aboard a warship, as issuggested by the size of this shell forone ot Warspite's eight 6in (l52mm)grns (Warspite also had 8 lSin(38lmm) and 8 4in (l02mm) guns).This rating is seen during theferocious naval battles which tookplace off Crete, the site of possibly theworst Royal Naly action of the war,with over 2000 men Iost and l8warships sunk or badly damaged. Theuniform is designed to be hard-wearingand protective. Over his naval dresshe has a heary toggle'fastened duffelcoat and life-jacket. His trousers arebell-bottomed and tucked into rubberboots with healy socks. Under hisstandard British steel helmet he alsowears an asbestos anti-flash hooddesigned to protect the wearer duringfiring and also from the flash ignitionof the cordite propellants.

Rank: Ratinq

llThe*rer Mediterranean

.illLotation: Off Crete

ill

UNITED KINGDOM

Coptoin Pilot

3rd King's No. I 12 SquodronOwn Hussors Royol Air Force

North Africo 1941 North Africo 1941f, part from the cap. this cavalry

Aofficer wears the standardtropical version of the khaki servicedress (though officers usually had auniform of better tailoring than lowerranks). This was a lightweightuniform made from gabardine,barathea or khaki drill, seen here as ir

shirt and long trousers, though a tuni(and shorts were also part of the dress.The rubber-soled suede 'chukka'boots were actually not official issue(the service dress uniform came withkhaki field boots or shoes), but theywere popular amongst officers fortheir comfort in desert conditions.Webbing is the officer's version of the1937-pattern, this having a holster fora Webley pistol (here seen with apouch for ammunition), while on theopposite hip is a compass holder. Thedistinct cavalry item is the bright- redcap, with the badge of the Srd King'sOwn Hussars offset to the left.

frluring World War ll. No. I l2Lf Squadron undertook operationsin more theatres than many RAFunits, first in North Africa, then inItaly and Sicily, finally coming to thenorthern European theatre for theAllied D-Day landings and beyond.They flew primarily in ground-attackroles, first in the outdated GlosterGladiator biplanes, but progressing toCurtiss Tomahawks then P-51

Mustangs. This pilot here is seen inNorth Africa in late 1941, wearing alightweight khaki overali issued topilots in tropical zones. His headgearis the leather flying helmet Type B,

which was able to accept externalcommunications wires. Slung lowbehind his knees is his lrvinparachute. The harness features aquick-release mechanism to releaseall harness straps with a single turn.The actual parachute release handleis sited just under the left forearm.

iN.oiember 1941

'r:-hfediterranean

1l

I:::uil'f;'

UNITED KINGDOM

tsrd King's Own Hussars :1.N9..1.12 Squadron

230

North Africa

Sergeont Wing CommonderNo.l Commondo No. 6'l Z SquodronHMS Compbeltown Royol Air Force

St Nozoire I 942 Englond 1943f, n early morale.lifter for the

f"ilBritish during Wbrld War II wasthe Royal Naly and Commando raidon the German dry dock at St Nazairein March 1942. Though nearly 400soldiers did not come home, including197 killed, the raid destroyed the dockand severely prohibited Germany'suse of capital ships in Atlanticoperations. A commando solider isseen here checking two magazines fora Sten submachine gun, He wears akhaki battledress, the trousers beingfastened into light khaki anklets andover the top of the boots. Thesecommonly worn boots, with thicklytreaded rubber soles, were known as'ammunition' boots. As a rnember ofthe demolition part of the raid, he hasplentiful hand-grenades in his frontpouches and a Browning automaticpistol. A definitive commando item isthe Fairburn-Sykes combat knife in adedicated slot in the trousers.

pictured here is the infamous WingI Commander Guy Gibson. leaderof the 'Dambuster' No. 617 squadron.His uncomprornising and skilledleadership led to the smashing oftheRuhr darns and his award of theVictoria Cross. His uniform is thestandard bluegrey battledress issuedto RAF personnel, with additions foroperational status, Over the uniformhe wears the yellow Type LS

inflatable life-jacket, while clutched inhis right hand is the Type C leatherflying helmet. His headgear in thiscase is his officer's service cap, with ablack band and the RAF eagle andbadge. Rank is displayed on theshoulder-straps. One item of interestis his fleeceJined flying boots, whichprovided good heat retention for thepilot, even at high altitudes. However,if he was shot down, he could cutaway the top of the boots and leave afunctional pair of ground boots.

May 194328 March 1942

Admirol LieutenontMediterroneon Fleet I st GliderRoyol Nory Pilot RegimentEgypf 1943 Normondy

.l944

fJe we see Admiral Sir JohnI lCunningham, the NavalCommander-in-Chief Levant, wearingthe regulation Royal Nary whitesworn by officers on ceremonial ortropical operational duties. The capcould be made with a white top, butan equal option was to fit a white,washable cover over the standardnaval blue cap. His rank is indicatedby the leaves embroidered along thecappeak and also on the shoulder-straps: a crown, crossed sword andthree eight-pointed stars. Arm-of-service was indicated by the borderof the shoulder-straps. mostprofessions displalng a blue border.Ceremonial features of Cunningham'sdress include the Ml89l navalofficer's sword, while the threemedals on his tunic are the Order ofBath (top), the Norwegian RoyalOrder of St Olaf, and the Royal GreekOrder of George I.

rTrhis soldier - Lieutenant J.F,

I uunnte of the lst Glider PilotRegiment - is here seen just after theairlanding of British troops which wasundertaken as part of the initialwaves of the D-Day invasion force.The treacherous nature of gliderlandings is suggested by the fibrecrash-helmet worn over the Type Cflying helmet, while a Type F oxygenmask speaks of the lack ofpressurization in the basic Horsagliders. Though a pilot, Lt Hubble'suniform shows his allegiance to theairborne forces of the British Army.His camouflage overcoat is theparatrooper's Denison smock, whilein his right hand he holds the paras'red beret. To signify that he is a gliderpilot, he wears glider wings over hisleft breast. Glider pilots who weren'tmembers of the army also wore whiteparachutes or gliders embroidered onthe left sleeve in a pale-blue thread.

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

-.- ,..,i;&u,

",,{"

Heod Officer GroundcrewRoyol Observer Fire-Fighting Unit

Corps, RAF Royol Air Force

Englond 1944 Moloyo 1945fhough in military dress, thisI officer is actually part of the

civilian Observer Corps. TheObserver Corps was established in1918, fell under the jurisdiction of theRoyal Air Force in 1929, and becameknolvn as the Royal Observer Corpsafter the award of a royal warrant in1941. It was during this year that theCorps finally moved from civilian- tomilitary dress. This new uniform wasthe RAF grey-serge battledress. Thetunic featured the badge of the ROCsurmounted by a crown, this badgebeing repeated up on the cap (thebadge featured an Elizabethan coastalwatcher and the motto 'Forewarned isForearmed). The cap was black,though a black steel helmet was alsoworn. This officer has a 'HeadObserver'panel over his left breastwhile the Spitfire badge sewn on thesleeve indicates his status as a'Master Spotter'.

fAre-fighting was a tremendouslyI dangerous job for RAF personnel.as airfields and aircraft usually havecopious amounts of amrnunition,aviation fuel. kerosene and otherflammatrle substances present.

$

This groundcrew wears the full ,'fprotective suit designed for ffitackling chronic fires, made from ffiasbestos and with full-body i-;coverage and the minimum of Wjoints that might be wrenched ilopen by blast. The asbestosjacketis double-breasted and securedwith a metal clasp and a chain. Thetrouser:s cover the entire foot and aremtrtrer soled at the bottom. Elbow-length gloves give substantialprotection to the hands. Headgear is alarge hood zipped into place, andvision is provided through a tintedand reinforced glass plate at the front.This fire-fighting clothing was issuedto RAF units at home and abroad.

Ddtel i' :r' r .' June 1 945

Observer Corps

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

MqrineRoyol MorinesChosin

.l950

fihough this soldier is a RoyalI Mu.itt" Commando, his uniform

and kit are US supplied, issued to theMarines in Japan prior to theirdeployment to the Korean conflict,The M1943 combat dress was aseminal advance in post-war uniformdesign, working on a modern layeredprinciple which recognized the factthat many thinner layers of clothinggive the wearer more control overwarmth than few thick layers. Visiblehere are the top layers fthakibattledress is worn underneath), awindproof and waterproof jacket andtrousers of heavyduty cotton sateenmaterial. Over the jacket is the USM1943 web belt. This features fourammunition pouches for his MlGarand rifle, and a small medicalpouch which hangs beneath the beltfrom cords on the right hip (apenknife also hangs from the belt).The M1943 formed the basis of futureBritish uniform design, Ieading to theI 95O-pattern combat dress.

CorporolGloucestershireRegiment

South Koreo I 95.|,Tlhis soldier is kitted out in theI eri i"l, 1950-pattern battledress,

based on the US M1943 layereduniform system which provedreasonably successful in coping withthe full climate range of Korea. Herethe soldier is wearing the basic sergeshirt and trousers, though there wasalso a weather-proof smock whichcould be worn as an outer layer.Further environmental protectioncame with the issue of a special parkacoat and sleeping bag which, alongwith the large-toed boots, became theBritish Army's 'ColdAVet Weather'uniform for Korean service. The cap,however, is US Army arctic-environment issue, Markings areminimal: just two chevrons denotingthe rank on the sleeve, while theGloucestershire's name is worn on theupper sleeve atrove the circular badgeindicating the 29th BritishIndependent Infantry Brigade.

UNITED KINGDOM

MorineRoyol MorinesMoloyo 1952Detween 1948 and 1960 the Brilish.DArmy was locked in a substantialcounter-insurgency war with theCommunist Malayan Races LiberationArmy (MRI-A), a guerrilla movementfighting for independence. Britishtroops developed their jungle combattactics to a fine degree in Malaya, somuch so that US special forces utilizedtheir tactical manuals during theVietnam conflict. This Marine wears acombination of items ideally suitedfor manoeuvres in the hot and humidSouth-east Asian jungles. An olive-drab fatigue shirt is worn withMarine-issue trousers, these beingtucked tightly into boots to stop thetrousers snagging on foliage and alsoto keep out insects, The boots arecanvas and leather, hardier than all'leather boots. Equipment is held in1944-pattern webbing, and theweapon is the exceptionally durableAustralian 9mm Owen submachinegun. The white marking on his capacts as a unit identifier on patrols.

UNITED KINGDOM

Privote

3rd BottolionPorochute Regiment

Suez 1956

wffi;il:ffi.'ll,British paras often wore theDenison smock, consisting of athighJength waterproof andwindproof jacket. It came in acamouflage mix of olive-green'ochre and yellows. On the sleeve

of his smock this para wears theregiment's wings in white on a

khaki field. Beneath that a greenflash signifies his droP zone andmembership of 3 Para. He wearsI 9s0-pattern khaki battledressand a sand-coloured helmet'and commando-type boots withthick, heavily treaded rubtrer soles.

Like most paras on operations, hecarries large amounts of kit in the1944-pattern webbing sYstem: abackpack and bedding roll, an oilskinfor wrapping weaPons in, a waterbottle, a first-aid pack, andammunition pouches at the front.

,riil

"i,r'r ffi

:il:iorrlfhn: Gamil Airfield

li.,.ffirltn.,t Suez lnvasion

UNITED KINGDOM

lTthis soldier is seen here at theI .l"n"t arura*, a mountainous

plateau in Oman which was thestronghold for anti-government

rebels in Oman's civil war. Thiswar erupted in 1957 and the SAS

was brought in at the request ofSultan Said bin Taimur for assistancein counter-insurgency. As the attackagainst Jebel Akhdar began at night,this trooper's uniform is designedaround warmth rather thanprotection from the daytime heat of0man's deserts. His jacket is theBritish paratrooper's standardDenison smock, zipper-fastened at thccollar and camouflaged in naturalfoliage shades, and providing a goodmeasure of protection against thewind-chill factor. He wears standardBritish Arrny battledress trousers andgaiters, and the 194,1-pattern webbelt. The hobnailed leather bootsproved a genuine problem: the JebelAkhdar is mostly metallic rock, whert'the boots split apart or slipped.

fhis Gurkha soldier is carryingI the us IvIlGAl ri{le on this

UNITED KINGDOM

Riflemon22 SAS Regiment 7th Gurkho Rifles

Omon 1959 Borneo 1966

jungle patrol in 1966, instead ofthe standard British Armyrifle, the LlAl SLR. The ;iGurkhas chose the lighterand shorter IVI 16 becausetheir smaller frames couldbetter handle it; it also hadconsiderably less recoil thanthe SLR. Otherwise he isdressed and equipped in thestandard British Arrnytropical combat dress: a plainolive-drab shirt and trousers, andmatching slouch hat. Note thecircular mark on this cap; the samemark on the back providedidentification markings for theother soldiers in a patrol. Around hisneck is a sweat-rag, and he wearsup-tG.date canvas and rubberjungle booG. The 194,1-typewebbing pattern was madespecifically for the Far Easttheatre in World War II.

Gurkha Rifles

,Rifleman

:ir, r',ldbel Akhdar, oman

trll

illli.Wmlii ,itr,:rl'i1iltiffi+ll'l*arik :,lilr:.:

:llli**+qLtiii,r-r+4lun1:iriri;illi.:l;;'rtrl'

Eotnean Jungle

.lhdonesianl'fonfrontation'

243

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Trooper Lonce-Corporol22 SAS Regiment Porochute RegimentOmon 1973 Londond erry I 980tTrhe SAS often has considerableI informality in its dress. This

soldier in Oman in the 1970s hascomposed a uniform ideal for the hotand dry climate. He wears a khaki zipfastened top with hood over a woollenjumper for warmth during the chilly

desert nights, while the trousers ar€of an anonymous olivedrab

battledress.His cap is a

standardBritish Army jungle

pack. Shoes have been sensiblyselected from civilian sources, these

being suede and much better adaptedto hot climates than.leather. Hisweapon is the powerful 7,62mm(0.3in) General Purpose Machine Gunmade by the FI\l Herstal concern. Oneitem that is worth reflection is thewebbing, This is the SASdesignedLightweight Combat Pack made fromthree packs hung by nylon meshshoulder pieces. which gave

'breathability' in hot climates.

f, soldier pauses on the streets ofl-l,Londonderry during a patrol inthe early 1980s, a time when ambushand bomb detonations were everydaythreats. Despite the enmity withwhich nationalist organizations heldthe Parachute Regiment, this soldierstill wears the famous red beret,though note that the winged parabadge is blacked out to preventsnipers using it as an aiming point.The rest of his uniform is typical ofBritish Army soldiers at this time. Heis wearing a DPM camouflage shirtwith a pair of olive'green fatigues andleather, ankle-high para boots. Hiswebbing is the 1958-pattern, thoughthe 1980s saw an updated webbingintroduced as the new SA80 riflebegan to be issued. For this patrol hecarries only ammunition for his LlAlrifle and water. The final, andessential, items of this soldier's kit arethe kevlar body armour and the two-way radio with the microphoneattached to the flak-jacket collar.

,i];,.,:i liiiiiF4tsi

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Trooper

SAS soldier, in action duringthe hostage-rescue mission at the

Iranian Embassy in May1980, is wearing the most

advanced urban-combatgear of the time. To reduce

his visual signature inside abuilding he is dressed in ablack, flame resistant combat

overall; his head is covered by anSG respirator for breathing in roomschoked by CS gas, smoke andmunitions fumes. From beneath hissmock comes his Armourshield GPV25 body armour with groin protector.No kit is carried except weaponry. Hismain firearm is the 9mm Heckler &Koch MP5 submachine gun, which isnoted for its reliability and accuracy,the two essentials of a hostage-rescueweapon. However, should the gunjarn, he can rely on one of the twoBrowning Hi-Po\fler gmm pistolsstrapped to his thighs.

Privote

lntelligence Corps

r 980tfrhis soldier of the IntelligenceI Corps shows us the newpattern

uniforrns which took the British Armysoldier away from the olivedrabcombat dress of the 1960s. He iswearing the 196&pattern CornbatDress rendered in the No. 8Temperate Disruptive PatternMaterial @PM) camouflage, which hasbecome the British Army standard(DPM was introduced in f 97). Theactual style of the uniforrn is the sameas the earlier 1960-pattern and of thesame fabric (sateen cotton gabardinedrill, or cotton model fabrics) but as

well as the DPM, it was lighter inconstruction, featured a pen pocketon the left sleeve, omitted the elbowreinforcements of the 1960 pattern,and had a standard shirt collarinstead of the heavily stitched 'storm'collar. This soldier is wearing the1958-pattern webbing and also thegreen beret of the Intelligence Corps.

22 SAS

lronion Embossy United KingdomLondon 1980

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Morine Squodron Leoder

Royol Morines No. I Squodron, RAF

Eost Folklond 1982 HMS lnvincible 1982tTlhe arctic climate encountered byI B"iti"h t.oops during the

Falklands War tested British Army kilto the limit and revealed some

:t[tqFe$& waterproof boot-coversj to increase the comfort)"

deficiencies. Worst amongst these wilsthe DMS (Directly Moulded Sole) bool.which had poor performance inconstantly wet conditions andcontributed to a high incidence of

trench foot (this soldier wears

fJarrier GR3 aircraft deployedI lfrom Royal Navy aircraft carriersmade a seminal contribution to theFalklands War, launching ground'attack missions against Argentinepositions and protecting the BritishTask Force fleet against anti-shipattacks. Here this RAF officer is seenin full flying gear. On the surface hewears an olive, one-piece flyingoverall which features clear plasticmap pockets on the knees. Beneath isa Mk l0 immersion suit, which wouldincrease survivability should he haveto ditch in the freezing South Atlantic,as would the Mk 22 inflatable life-preserver, and also a compressionsuit to help cope with G-forces (the airsupply to this is via the hose over theleft hip). The blue straps around hislegs would pin his legs tight during anejection, and once landed thePersonal Locator Beacon over his leftbreast would give rescue forces anexact location which they might treable to work towards.

,ir:iDatei 1 982

No.1 Squadron, RAF

jfiinqnki Squadron Leader

Howeven the other elements ofthis soldier's dress would have

served him fairly well. The unifornris the 'Arctic Windproof CombatSmock and Trousers' rendered inTemperate Disruptive PatternMaterial camouflage, the standardcamouflage of the British Army. Tht:smock had a large hood; when thisincluded a wire stiffener, it was an'RM pattern'; otherwise it was an 'SASpattern'. The webbing is 19S8-patterrr,and his weapon is the L4A2, a 7.62mur(0.3in) version of the esteemed Bren.

Royal Marine

East Falkland 196a11on: HMSlnvlnclb/e,:|f . ' southAtlantic

Date;,, 1982

riitirdohJ.iirtl FalklandsWarrilirl l,i.t I : '

Falklands War

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED KINGDOM

Riflemon PrivoteGurkho Rifles Porochute Regiment

Western Europe Western Europe

I 9B0s I 990s

fhis Gurkha soldier is interestingI for illustrating standard British

Army dress as it generally existstoday, rather than any distinctlyGurkha features. Though there hasbeen an update in both uniform antlwebbing since the 1980s with theCombat 95 system, the format is stillessentially the sarne as seen here.This Gurkha wears a 1984-patternDPM camouflage combat uniformwith l9S&pattern webbing(distinguished by the metal buckleinstead of the pldstic fittings of themodern Personal Load-CarryingEquipment). His helm€t is the GSCombat Helmet Mk 6, made ofballistic nylon and featuring spaceover the ears to wear a communic-ations headset beneath, and able tobe worn with a respirator. His firearluis the 5.56mm (0.22in) L86 LightSupport Weapon, a heavy-barrelledversion of the standard SA80 rifle.

fJere we see a private of theI lParachute Regiment dressed inthe modern British Army uniform:the British Army Combat Soldier1995 (CS95) system. CS95 works on alayering principle like most modernmilitary uniforms and provides a

range of different clothing items: aT-shirt, a lightweight combat shirt;a Norwegian pattern roll-neckovershirt; camoufl aged fl eecejacket; ripstop, weatherproofcombat jacket and a fully waterproof,Gore-Tex outerjacket. The uniformhad a new CS95 webbing system withmore comfortable mesh strap systems

and pouches made from healY-dutY,pressurized waterproof nylon. Thissoldier is carrying marching-orderpack, including a heavy Bergenrucksack. He wears the famous redberet and ca.rries the 5.56rnm (0.22in)SA80 with a standard Sight Unit SmallArms Trilux (SUS$ sigbt.

UNITED KINGDOM UNITED STATES

Mounfoin Leoder Privote

M&AW Codre US ArmyNorwoy

,l990sCubo 1902

tTrhe lVlountain & Arctic WarfareI Cadre 6nAnW) is an 6lite unit

within the Royal Marines which, as ilsname implies, specializes in cornbatand survival in mountainous or sub-zero environments. The demands onclothing in these climes is severe, anrlthis soldier shows the typical survivalgear (most of the M&AW trainingtakes place in Norway, as the RoyalMarines have a protective role inrelation to NATO's northern flank).

He is wearing a white,waterproof smock and

trousers made from a'breathable' fatrric

such as Gore-Texover a windproof uniform. Thermalunderwear forms the base layer of hlBclothing. Because exposed body-partrfreeze in seconds in an arcticenvironment, body cover is almosttotal, and with a camouflaged Ml6Alrifle, he would be hard to spot again*tsnow. The gloves are speciallydesigned for operation of the ffreann.

urhe LrS occupation of Cuba fromI t899 *u* a khaki tropical dress

introduced as standard unlform forlower ranks, yet most soldiers in thetheatre wore a variation on the 1880

field dress. This consisted of a drabwide-brimmed hat worn with a blueshirt, blue grey trousers and brownleggings, the shoes being black, Kitwas carried across the body in ablanket roll, This soldier conforms onthe whole to the description, thoughthere was much personalization ofdress amongst the mainly volunteerunits. The brown canvas trousers hereare more in Iine with those worn byUS cavalary troops. In 1902 auniversal olivedrab uniform wasissued throughout the US Army, by1903 accompanied by a new forrn ofwebbing equipment which let thehaversack, bayonet and entrenchingtool hang ftom the belt. This soldier'srifle is the Springfield 1903, theoriginal weapon which began fourdecades of Springfield production.

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Lieutenont-Colonel CoptoinI st Covolry Division US Morine Corps

Morocco 1942 lcelond 1942

flecause of the rapidity with whir l,

I-lthe US was launched into WorklWar II, many of its soldiers went inlothe early actions in quite dateduniforms (though from 1943 the I lS

Army began to receive uniforms ol l;'greater sophistication than theirallies' equivalent). Here a lieutcnlrrtcolonel ofthe lst Cavalry Division iu

wearing one such older style. Hisshirt and breeches are part of the'Class C'uniform, this being thcstandard issue for troops operating inhot climates. They are made frorrrkhaki drill, or'chino' as it was l(.rnr..lin the US, and are worn with amatching belt and distinctive fi('l(lboots with buckled calf sections.These boots must have been an (xhlll lby late 1942, as most were phan'rl orrt

before the US entered the war inDecember 1941. Forheadgear, thlrofficer wears the classic broarl-brimmed campaign hat, hert:featuring yellow cords to incli< illr. llrcavalry branch of the US Armv.

tTrhe uniform seen here began to beI i""u"d amongst the US Marines in

1929, finally settling the style ofMarine Corps uniforms after about l7years of redesign and adaptations. Itconsists of a single-breasted khaki-green jacket and matchingpantaloons, here worn with the lesscommon high lace-up boots. Insigniaupon the jacket is simple: rank uponthe shoulder straps (a officer'slanyard runs around the leftshoulder), brass Marine Corps badgeson the collar; a polar bear badge onthe left sleeve to indicate the chillyIcelandic posting (guarding againstany German invasion attempt), and,on a personal note, a French Croix deGuerre tneda|. This latter additionwas a unit award to the Sth and 6thMarines for service in the Frenchtheatre in 1917-18. Prior to the early1940s, webbing for the Marinestended to be leather, yet in 1942 thiswas changed to a cloth system. Thehelmet is the lVIl9lT model.

UNITED STATES

US MorineI st MorineDefense BotfolionWoke lslond 1941

fhe Marine Defense battalionsI were tasked with defending US

Pacific interesb, and this soldier isone of the 450 men who fought anincredibly brave action againstJapanese invasion forces on WakeIsland during December 1941. Soearly in the US entry into the war,the Marines uniform wasconspicuously dated (Marines

often lagged behind the uniformissue of other arms.of-service

anyway). Here this Marine is wearinga World War I-pattern khaki shirt andtrousers, with long, lace-up gaitersand a pair of brown leather shoes. Hishelmet is the Ml9l7 helmet, modelledon that of the British Army. The largesack hanging over his left shouldercontains a gas mask. Though by thistime production of the Ml Garandautomatic rifle had begun, this soldit'r'is still armed with the bolt-actionM1903 Springffeld rifle.

Gunnery Sergeont

US Morine Corps

Woshington, USA

1941rFhe full dress uniform of the US

I Marines in World War tI is shown

here on this gunnery sergeant duringduties in Washington. He wears a

'Dress Blue' tunic with standingcollar, lighter blue trouser with a redstripe running down the outside edge

of each leg, and whiteand-blue dresspeaked cap bearing the USMC crest (a

US eagle and globe on toP of a fouledanchor) in a brass badge' Rank on the

Dress Blue uniform was rendered ingold on a red background on bothsleeves until September 1942' afterwhich it featured on the left arm only.

The diagonal stripes below the rankare service stripes indicating 12 years

of service (one stripe for each fouryears). The importance ofmarksmanship in the Marine Corps is

suggested by the badges under themedal ribbon on the chest, the one on

the left denoting an expert rifleman'and the other pistol ProflciencY.

',d.-1:"'

UNITED STATES

1i'.. I'.tir''

257

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Lieufenont Stoff-SergeontUS Novy Aviotor I st Infontry DivisionUSS Enferprise Oron 1942Centrol Pocific 1941 fJeavily burdened with equipment

I lfor the amphibious landings inAlgeria, this staff-sergeant wears theolivedrab uniform donned by mostUS Arrny soldiers in theMediterranean and North European(spring and summer) theatres. Onhis torso he has three layers. The | ,,i

base layer is an olivedrab woolshirt, this being covered by aIightweight field jacket which waswaterproof, sand-coloured as opposedto olive-drab, and had a zip fasteningwith a buttoned fly front. On this hewears his rank on the right sleeve andthe national flag on the left. Though itcannot be easily seen, this soldier isalso wearing a life-jacket in case hislanding craft is sunk. To match hisupper half, the soldier has olivedrabtrousers, the ankles being drawn in byIong, elasticated anklets, The steelhelmet is the US Ml and he wears theM1923 cartridge belt around his waistwith two cotton ammunitionbandoliers around his shoulders.

i::; ::l: :

.tir:tlaib: December 1941 Ncvember 1942

/^rarrier pilots in the US Nara had :r\rg."y-g.""tt service dressconsisting of tunic with four patchpockets, matching trousers, andbrown shoes, and they also had akhaki drill shirt and black tie. Suchstandard uniform is worn here by thi:,lieutenant pilot aboard the USS

Enterprise inlhe central PacificOcean. His rank is displayed by tht:black lace stripes and stars on histunic sleeve, and also on the collartips of the shirt (the climate of thePacific demanded shirt sleeves formuch of the day). The only otheradornment on his tunic is the l9l9-pattern Naval Aviator wings over hisleft breast. The peaked officer capswould match the uniforrn, and a whiltcover was available for full dressuniform. The peak is black, as is thebadge background. Before May 1.94 I

the badge eagle faced left; after thisdate, it faced right.

Thpetrc' Parifir

.,i:tOqattiin r ': Central Pacific Ocean.:r .i:11 ri:". : . ,,

i. lll'r' :ll. 'r..t. I

U55 Enterprlsei,i-jt,9f1i:,,.:., , l:t lnfantrv oivision

l:iiBlqkri.: Sta{f-sergeant

..1 ishijtiel: ;rr Mediterranean

258

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

CorporolTonk BottolionMorocco 1942

fhe standard of uniform for US

I armoured crews was consistentlyhigh, as is demonstrated by thiscorporal in the North African theatrcin 1942. The basic uniform was a onr-piece olive-drab overall made fromherringbone twill. This featured fourlarge utility pockets and a matchingcloth belt to bring the overall in at thewaist. Yet it was the additional itemsof the clothing which added comfort.This corporal wears the popularcrewman's jacket. It was lightweightwith a zip fastener, had'two largewaist slash pockets, an elasticatedwaistband and a knifted collar. Rankwas displayed on thejacket via thesleeve. The helrnet was anotherwelcome US innovation. Made offibre, it was incredibly tough andlight, but holes bored through thedome gave welcome ventilation in thchot tank interior. On this soldier'sright hip is a Ml9l I pistol andmedical pouch, while on the right hlpis an ammunition pouch.

P"tl'y Officer I st Closs

Tosk Force 34Atlontic Oceon 1942tTlhis Task Force 34 sailor is seenI auring *re allied landings in

North Africa (named OperationTorch) which began on 8 November1942. As a rating, he can be seenwearing the standard nalry-bluesquare rig uniform which consisted ofblue pullover with white-striped flapcollar, black knotted scarf, matchingblue trousers, black shoes and whitecap. His rank is displayed through thered chevrons on his left sleeve, abovewhich is worn a radio specialitybadge. The cuffs do not refer to rank,but to seaman grades, and the threestripes (l20mrn (4.7in) long with eachstripe 5mm (0.2in) wide). joinedtogether by vertical edge stripes,correspond with Seaman 3rd Cla.ss.

The rest of the uniform remainsunadorned. For cold-weather duties,US seaman were issued with a thickpea-coat, which was double-breastedwith two rows of metal or plasticbuttons with the US eagle displayedon them.

'-:;i:rF",+

UNITED STATES

Corporol Pilot

US Army US Morine Corps

Militory Police Bougoinville

Englond 1942 1943

f, corporal of the Military Policela.directs personnel at a base inEngland in 1942. The uniform he isweadng is a standard khaki US Arnrvuniform of the 1940s, though here il is

worn with MP additions. The basicuniform is a khaki, single-breastedtunic with an open fall collar and twobreast- and two side patch pocketswith matching trousers. Beneath thctunic is a khaki shirt with lighterolive-drab tie, this replacing theearlier black version in February1942. Military Police were nicknanxrl'snow drops' by regular troops onaccount of their white additions to lh('standard uniform, including theanklets, web belt, gloves, lanyard arrrlhelmet, and the letters 'MP' featurerlin white on the left sleeve. Rank isindicated on the upper sleeves by80mm @.2in) wide chevronsrendered in khaki silk or stitched irryellow onto a blue gabardine patch.

tfrhe lVlarine Corps contributedI over l0.000aviatorsin 128

squadrons to Allied forces inWorld War II, the majority ofthem operating in support of theUS push through the islands of thePacific against the Japanese. Thescorching and hurnid Pacificclimate is reflected in this pilot'sdress. He wears a one-piecetropical flight overall made in alight khaki cotton with a zipfastener. As a Marine Corps pilot hewears a matching infantry M1943

*i'eb belt. The equipment hangingfrom this belt is, from left hip to righthip, a water bottle in its button cover,a pouch containing two magazines fora Colt .45in M1911 pistol and finally apouch containing some basic fielddressings. Functional clothing is wornin the shape of a yelloq inflatablelife-jacket, a leather flying helmet, andflying goggles with tinted glass.

June 1943

Unil: US Marine Corpstls Army Milltary Police

Thirrt.*, Pacific

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Morine PetV Officer2nd Morine Division 3rd Closs

Torowo 1943 USS Sorotogo

fhe battle of Tarawawasone o[lh,'I bloodiest episodes in the historv

of the Marine Corps, which saw a tot:rlof nearly 1000 Marines killed on a

The Solomons 1943

central island less than 4km (2.5miles) long. By contrast,however, of the 4500 Japanesr^defenders, only 17 were leftalive. This soldier is wearing th,

two-piece herringbone-twilluniform which became the dominantdress code of US Marines in thePacific theatre, along with the coarsr.r'dungaree' uniform. Both these styk'of uniforms featured a single patchpocket over the left breast, and thishad the letters'USMC'and theMarines crest stencilled in black on ltrsurface. His Ml helmet iscamouflaged with a'beach' patterncover, and this pattern evolved intobeing a fulI uniform by 1945. TheM1943 web belt supports sixammunition pouches for his MlGarand rifle, each pouch holding twofive-round clips.

Pacific

fhis sailor presents an interestingI counterpoint to the usual

appearance of personnel aboard US

ships during the war. The awesomelogistical demands on the US Navyduring the Pacific conflict meant thattens of thousands of foreign shipcrewwere recruited into the service toprovide functions such as cooking,cleaning, and administration. Thesailor shown here, Samoan by origin,is employed on the USS Sarafoga as acook, thisjob being identified by theUS eagle badge with a'C'underneath

I on his lava-lava (the wrapped skirtaround his waist). Apart from this, hebears little resemblance to US shippersonnel, his uniform furtherconsisting of a red waist-sash, whiteT-shirt and red turban. Auxiliary crewwere known to contribute to theAllied cause with extreme bravery, asshown by the Purple Heart ribbon onthis sailor's left breast.

tli.::Ditsj:.lr ,, November 1943

USS 5aratoga

;PettyOfficer 3rd CIass

f:tbatrEr r.: ;Pacific

l.Tarawaii'llai:a.tioiir

ijii';i: ,ll |il, ll!iirlio$.:,1r','

ft e so lo m o ns

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Sergeont Grode 4l0l st AirborneDivision

Normondy 1944tTrhe US Army originally had twoI NCO ranks - corporal and

sergeant - but a few years into WorldWar II and the sergeant rank had fivesubdivisions. It was not alwayspossibly to tell the rank ofsergeant bythe chevrons, though technician NCOsoften had a small 'T' within thechevrons. This soldier is a sergeant,grade 4, and he is dressed in thespecially designed para uniformintroduced into airborne forces in theearly 1940s. The standardjumpuniform was a two-piece, olive'greentunic and trouserc, the latter featuringreinforced sections on the knees.Instead of a dedicated para helmet, hewears the standard Ml, introduced inl94l to replace the British-patternhelmet. All his webbing is worn overthe uniform, with loose equipmentbound in with webbing tape, and heholds the folding-stock para versionof the .30 calibre MlAl carbine.

Coptoinnh Air Force

USAAFHowqii 1944fiihe Pacific theatre presented harshI climactic challenges for bomber

crews, from tropicaltemperatures at

ground level t0freezing temperatures al

high altitudes. This was mort'so once Pacific islands close to Japurr

were captured and long-range, high-altitude area bombing of the

Japanese mainland began. Visiblcat the ankle here is the beigetrousers of the air-force drilldress, worn on ground duties or

beneath operational clothing.Over this is the Shearling flying

suit a B-3 turJined jacket and A-iJ

fur-lined trousers, both items beingzip-fastened with long zips forconvenience of removal and toprovide selected ventilation atvarying altitudes. The headgear is lh(.

B2 flying cap with flaps andmore fur lining.

":'lOlst Airborne Division

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Lieutenont Moior-GenerolUS ,Army B2nd AirborneEnglond 1944 Division

I US Army lieutenant takes a drink.-Ijust prior to embarking for the D-

Day landings on Omaha and Utah

Europe 1944

beaches. It was common practicein the US Army to paint officer'srank rnarkings on the front of thc-helmet, despite the threat from

snipers. Over his Ml94l combatjacket and olive fatigues he wears amass of equipment for theamphibious landings. The half-inflated pouch centred over his chestis a flotation bag, intended to provldr.some protection from drowningduring the landings. Beneath the bagis an officer's dispatch casecontaining maps of his objectives. Thcmain priority in equipment apartfrom these two items is ammunitlon.He wears a special combat waistcortwith integral afnmunition pockets lnaddition to his standard belt'hungpouches. His armament is the Mlcarbine - here seen slung over theshoulder - and a Colt .45 Ml9l l plalolin a Ieather holster on the right hlp.

fiihe major-general seen here isI wearing the M I 944 field jacket.

popularly known as the 'Ike'jacket,after General Eisenhower, the Alliedinvasion commander. His member-ship of the 82nd Airborne ii denotedby several elements of insignia on thisjacket, most distinctly the armyparatrooper badge on the left trreast,mirrored by a further para badge upon the cap (white set on a navy-bluebackground). Also featured on thejacket are an infantry combat badgeQeft breast, beneath the decorationribbons), a unit citation badge on the]iight trreast, this being made of blueand silver enamel and issued after 15November 1943, and the double-Abadge of the 82nd on the Ieft sleeve.Rank is indicated by the stripes on thecuff and the stars on the shoulderstraps and cap. The cap, a specialoverseas version, also has gold pipingto indicate his general status.

UNITED STATES UNITED STATES

Ensign OfficerUS Atlontic Fleet US Women'sWoshington

,l944Army Corps

tTlhe IJS saw much naval action inI the Pacific, but it also had a major

commitment to the Atlantic theatre inconvoy protection and U-boathunting, Here we see a US navalensign (the lowest commissionedrank). The solider is dated by thelength of the rank stripes on the cuff:before I January 1944,'they loopedaround the entire cuff; after this theyextended across only the outside hallof the sleeve. The star on the cuffindicates lineofficer status. An enslglrmight also have rank displayed onshoulder-straps (one gold lace ring) orshirt collar and side cap (one metalbar). The genbral uniform here is thestandard navy-blue officer's servict:dress with doublebreasted jacket anrltwo rows of gill buttons, white shirtand black tie, and white-coveredservice cap with the nary badge,blacli strap and gold band, and ablack leather peak. The aiguilletteand braid on the shoulder was worlrby presidential aides.

Peorl Horbor 1944fhis US servicewoman is wearingI the cotton summer uniform issued

to personnel of the US Women's ArmyCorps during World War Il. Itconsisted of a dark-olive tunic withopen collar, broad lapels, and giltbuttons with a matching peaked cap.Underneath the tunic was worn a lightkhaki blouse and tie. A khaki skirtand a pair of brown leather shoescompleted the uniform. The WAC hadtheir own system of insignia. The capbadge was an American eagle, usuallyless adorned than the standard USArrny cap badge, though this officeractually has the regular cap badgewith the scroll and motto 'E PluribusUnum'. WACs had the lettdrs'US'onthe upper collar and the head of theGreek goddess Pallas Athene(goddess of war) beneath. Rank wouldbe shown on the shoulder-straps and,for officers, through the constrastingolive ribbon around the cuff.

riri!:liil 't*ne J 9rt4

270

CoptoinBth Army Air Force

Englond 1944I)v mid-1944 the Allied bombingll..-puigo against the Germanheartland had round-trip escort in theform of US Mustang fighter aircraftequipped with long-range drop tanks.This took away German fightersuperiority at the target of a missionand thus increased the effectivenessof Allied bombing runs. The captain'here is the pilot of one such P-SIBMustang, seen here at the fighter baseback in East Anglia. He is wearingtypically informal USAAF fighter pilotuniform. Standard drill uniform wasolive-drab trousers, with light khakitunic and matching shirt and tie,though for flying a fleece.linedleatherjacket was worn over the shirtwith matching leather trousers. Hereonly the leather jacket is worn, with ayellow life-jacket over the top and akhaki field cap instead of the fleece-lined flying helmet. The boots are theA.-6 pattern fur-lined overboots whichwere zipped over the standard brownshoes of USAAF personnel.

tilr ibd1ner.r,,r: .,, rjulV 1944iiiiit*-i1i."ri.#

i:riilniirllrl, lrilgrh Army Air Force

UNITED STATES

AircrewmonBth Army Air Force

Eost Anglio 1944fhis aircrewman is fitting himselfI with the 'flak suit' designed by

Brigadier-General Grow andmanufactured by the WilkinsonSword company. The flak suit wasintroduced from 1943 in an attempt todeal with the shrapnel injuries tobomber crews resulting fromexploding anti-aircraft shells. It camein two pieces, one to provide torsoprotection, the other to shield thewearer's groin and abdomen, Theactual armour weighed some 9kg

@Olb) and consisted of cloth-wrappedmanganese steel plates which couldfirmly stop all but the largest pieces ofhigh-velocity shrapnel (they weretested with .zlsin pistol rounds atalmost point-blank range). Thoughbulky, the reassurance provided bythe armour made it popular amongstcrews. Apart from the armour, thisaircrewman is wearing olive-greenflying overalls - the alternative to thekhaki shirt, trouser and tunic - with apeaked USAAFcap.

Nglth-west Europe

,ili.)rr,lilii t, I

East Anglia

UNITED STATES UNITED STAIES

Privote

l0l st AirborneDivisionBelgium 1944f fS soldiers facing the winter inlL,/ northern Europe in 194415 werelucky that the issue of M1943 combat

uniforrns had begun. This uniformutilized an advanced (for the time)layering principle, whereby thesoldier could combine awaterproof and windproof jacketand overtrousers with additionallayers ofwarm clothing. However,by November 1944 the issue of thisuniform was not complete, as isevident for this soldier with the

M1943 jacket (distinguished fromthe older M1941 jacket by chest patchpockets) trut also older khaki woollenservice trousers. He has rubberwaterproof covers for his leathercombat boots, these having snapfastenings, and carries a variety ofequipment and acquisitions,including an Ml Garand rifle, acooking pot hung from his belt and anentrenching tool around the left hip.

Bomber CrewmonBth Army Air Force

Englond 1945

fhis aviator is a crewman aboard aI B-17 Flying Fortress. B-l7s were

the key US long-range strategicbombers in all theatres except thePacific, where the B-29 Superfortresswas responsible for most of thesignificant raids against the Japanesemainland. The B-l7s bore the bruntof the US policy of daylight bombingagainst Germany, this policy beingaltered after hideous losses on theSchweinturt raid (14 October 1943)but reinvigorated with theintroduction of long-range fighterescorts in 1944. This B-17 crewman ispreparing for take-off in early 1945.He is wearing a one.piece flying suitlined with wool and alpaca, over thisdonning an olive-drab flyingjacketwith a formation badge on the sleeve,Extra warmth is provided by fleece-lined gloves and zipon overboots.Headgear consists of an A-l I leatherhelmet, B8 flying goggles and an A-10oxygen mask to cope with altitudes ofmore than 8534m @8,000ft).

l$:ink; Bornber Crewman

thiatrq ,:, North'west Europe

r,'rl0lst Airborne Division

274

:rEast Anglia

STATESUNITED

Morine Privote

US Morine Corps US Airborne Forces

Inchon I 950 38th Porollel l95lheploved to Korea onlv five yearsLloit"."*r" end of World War tI. thisMarine at the Inchon amphibiouslandings in 1950 is kitted out in gearworn mainly by US servicemenduring the Pacific campaigns. Hismain uniform items are a set of olive-drab M1944 fatigues in a herringbone-twill material, these being defined bythe longitudinal pattern of the cloth,the two large patch pockets on thetrousers, and also the single patchpocket over the left breast with theUSMC letters and badge stencilled inblack. His helmet is the US Ml withthe'beach' camouflage cover, whichwas worn extensively during thePacific war. He is carryingammunition for his Ml .30in calibrerifle in his M1923 cartridge belt andalso in the cotton bandoliers acrosshis chest, around 200 rounds in total.Visible over his left shoulder is thehandle of his bayonet positioned foreasy access to use in hand-to-handcombat situations.

ough this soldier wears thewaterproof and windproof M1943

trousers, he has yet to be issued withthejacket and instead wears the olderpattern Ml94l jacket (this did nothave the patch pockets of the Ml94Q.His webbing and kit is arranged verymuch in battle order, and he appearcheavily armed. For his Ml Garandrifle he carries ammunition in a six-pouch rifleman's belt with a singlequick-release buckle. The small pouchwhich hangs beneath the belt on theleft hip is a ffrst-aid pouch, whileemergency dressings are taped to theIeft shoulder-strap for easy access incombat. He also has an M1943entrenching tool around the backalongside a kidney pouch. Additionalweaponry is seen in the form of a ColtM19ll pistol and fighting knife. Withhis Ml helmet he looks like mostother members of the US Army inKorea, though his'Corcoran'parachute boots are uniquelyairborne issue.

UNITED STAIES

Coptoin5th Speciol

Forces GroupVietnom 1965tfrhis Special Forces captain - part olI th" ciniliuo lrregular Defense

Group (CIDG) programme trainingSouth Vietnamese ethnic groups tofight the Viet Cong - is wearing thestandard olive-green fatigues worn bymost US soldiers in the early part ofthe Vietnam War. This initial patternhad slanting patch pockets on theshirt and exposed buttons, as opposedto later patterns which had horizontalpockets and covered buttons toprevent snagging on undergrowth.Howeven many SP personnel alsowore camouflage outfits, particularlythe 'Tigerstripe' pattern, which almostbecame a definer of 6lite units. Hisheadgear is a green beret with rankbars imposed on the badge (rank barsare also on the right collar). Thewebbing is the M1956 Load-CarryingEquipment, with an ammunition packfor his.30in M2 Carbine. His bootsare canvasand-leather jungle issue.

TrooperUS I st AirCovolry DivisionSouth Vietnom 1966I s was usual for US personnel in

la.Vietnam at this time. this soldieriswearing the standard greenfatigues. The pockets are of thelater horizonta-1, rather thandiagonal, format, though he isstill in the old leather boots, proneto rot in the jungle, rather than thejungle boots which were issued from1965. What is more interesting ishow this soldier illustrates thetypical gear of a soldier on search-and-destroy missions. He is veryheavily armed, with the three bagssuspended from his left shoulder,each carrying a Claymore directionalanti-personnel mine, The pouch to hisright on the M1956 web belt holdsmagazines for his Ml6Al rifle, whilethe belt also holds two fragmentationgrenades. Personal items include awater bottle on his right hip and theobligatory insect repellent stuck in hishat band.

UNITED STATES

f

UNITED STATES

Privqte I st Closs SergeontUS Morine Corps US Speciol Forces

Hue I 968 Combodiqn Border

fhe Tet Offensive of 1968. duringI which North Vietnam launched its

first fuIl-scale invasion of the South,introduced the US Marine Corps tomajor urban warfare during the epic

battle to reclaim the ancient city of

1968

Hue. This private lst class isarmed with an M60

machine gun andi heavilykittedi out, indicative of the fact that the

fighting in Hue went on fornearly a month. The basic'^ry, ;;#;oirvrJ"""i"vi"*o-

was the same as that of the Army,though with the letters'USMC' overthe left breast pocket. Though Marinestended towards older kit issues, thissoldier has modern equipment in hisM1956 webbing. His plastic waterbottles are the latest issue (previouslythe water bottles were black enamel),next to which a medical pouch is hungfrom the belt. At the top of his packare waterproofs, As a seasonal touch,he carries a miniature Christmas tree.

ilUnitl, US'Special Forces

riRahlrii.".'Sergeant

/\amouflage uniforms tended to be\rth" p.""".re of Special Forces oroperatives during the Vietnam War,especially those personnel makingdeeppenetration missions into enemyterritory or, as in this case, skirtingclose to the Carnbodian border.However, his mission is probably of anon-sensitive nature, as he wearsSpecial Forces insignia on his arm(such insignia would usually be leftoff in case of capture). The badgeconsists of a Fairborn commandoknife crossed by three lightningflashes, each flash indicatingspecialisms on land, at sea, and in anairborne capacity. The Woodlandcamouflage was issued to 6lite unitsfrom 1967; in the early years inVietnam many Special Forces soldierswould buy camouflage huntingclothes. He wears the nylon-and-leather jungle boots and an M1956webbing system.

ilj

tiriiihatioii:":. Carnbodian Border

1|11ry''str :, r v''nnam wa r

r,t,.,,r,r l

UNITED STATES

US 75th lnfantry{Ranger) Regiment

'ilant<r : lr 'rsergeant Ilotailon:r'. Poit Salines Ai r{ield

UNITED STATES

Corporol SergeontUS Mqrine Corps US Z5th InfontrySt George's

.l983(Ronger) Regiment

tflhis corporal, seen here during theI US invasion of Grenada in 1983, iswearing a mixture of the old and the

Grenodo l9B3

new. What is new for the time is thepattern of camouflage: M81

Woodland. As its numberingsuggests, the M8l began to beprinted on US uniforms fromthe early 1980s, and itprovided a good, general-purpose camouflage for

ir:{ temperate and tropicalenvironments. Of older

issue is the helmet, thesteel Ml. By 1983,

many US soldierswere equipped with

the new kevlarhelmet. His webbing is

the ALICE system - All'Purpose Lightweight Individual

Carrying Equipment - which wasintroduced duringthe 1970s. Hisweapon is the potent M60 machinegun, here with a box feed to enable ilto be operated easily by one man.

'Jrhe US Rangers were deployed onI

"o*" of the most dangerous

missions of the Grenadan invasion.We see this soldier at Port Salinesholding the 5.56mm (0.22in) M4Carbine with a collapsible stock. Hewears OD twill jungle fatigues with amatching field cap and nylon-and-leatherjungle boots. His field caphas luminous identifi cationpatches for low-Iightconditions. Rank is displayedby three metal bars on thecollar point. With his ALICEwebbing, he wears an LC-2

, ,equipment belt, on which arewater bottles, combat knife andammunition pouch.

US invasion of Grenada

283

UNITED STATES

Corporol Privofe I st Closs

US Morine Corps US B2ndQuontico 1985 Airborne Division

f, Marine corporal shovyn here on.tLparade in Quantico, the USMCheadquarterc, wears the Dress Blue Buniform which was donned mainlyfor ceremonial and offfclal functions.The uniform's primary item ls a dark-blue tunic which had a stand collarand is trimmed in red, worn with awhite belt, On the cuff are servicestripes - one stripe for every fouryears of servlce - while higher up thesleeve the rank is lndicated in yellowon a red ffeld. Metal USMC badges canbe seen on the collar, and this soldieralso has two meritorious unit citationsdisplayed in r"lbbons on the leftbreast, with rifle and plstolprofi ciency badges attachedunderneath.them. The trousens he iswearing are a lighter blue, and NCOranks and higher have a red stripedown each leg, The cap is known asthe Servlce Dress cap, wlth a whitetop, again featuring the USMC badgeand a black leather strap, as well as ablack peak.

United Stotes 1990s

fhis soldier of the 82nd AirborneI presents a modern view of the US

Army soldier. He is wearlng ltemscamouflaged ln the General Purpose(Woodland) pattern issued to most USsoldiers, this mixing foliage colour"swith sand colours for a greaterversatility of terrain applicadon, Thehelmet and the body armour belongto the Personal Armor System,Ground Troops @ASGT) which isbased on kevlar ballistic protectionand provides good protection againstsmall arms and shell splinters.Equipment here - supported by the

,. ALICE load<arrying system - includesan ammunition pouch, a smokegrenade, and radio communications.The 82nd Airborne is one of the USArmy's most pre$dgious units.Identification with this unit ori combatuniforms usually comes in the form ofan'AA' (AIl American) divisionalpatch on the sleeve.

244

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIA

Privote

Russion ArmyRussio 1916

fhe basic pattern of the World Whr I

I Russian Army uniform wasestablished in 1907 after clothingtrials following the RussoJapanesewar of 1904-05. The pattern chosenwas an olive-green uniform ofGimnastirka shirt (non-officer ranks)or Kitel tunic (officers) with a woollcrror cloth peaked cap and Shinelgreatcoat. While the double-breastedgreatcoat had a large fall collar, thetunic had a stand collar. Rank wasplaced on the shoulder-straps, andthe greatcoat collar was used toreceive coloured patches whichindicated arm-of-service andregiment. This pattern received somrvariation in 1913, particularly thetunic which was modified with a rearvent and a different buttonconfiguration, giving it the feature ofbeing able to act as both service anddress uniform. Service dress wasachieved by buttoning a colouredplastron on the front of the tunic anrlaltering cuff- and collar insignia.

Seomon

Northern Fleet

Red NovyArchongel

.l939

fhe rating pictured here is wearingI the standard uniform for a

Russian seaman operating in the sub-zero climes of the Arctic Circle. Overa square rig outfit (dark- bluejumperand black, bell-boftomed trousers; theRussians were the only naly to mixblack and blue) he dons a long, bluegreatcoat issued for winter use, thisultimately replacing the pea<oat. Thisgreatcoat was single-breasted with sixyeilow metal buttons, tied at the waistwith a naval belt with anchor and starbuckle, while the red star on the cuffindicates the rank of rating. The capbadge also features a red star with-yellow

hammer-andsickle centred,and a yellow-and-black border, thisbeing the rank display for rating topetty officer. Further cap detailsinclude the name of the ship's crew ofNorthern Fleet on the tally GnCyrillic). The boots are winter issue,made from felt.

ColonelArmoured DivisionRed ArmyKiev 1940fiihe steel-grey uniform here, theI standard-issue service dress for

Soviet armoured soldiers {rom 1935,replaced the khaki service dressworn by the rest of the infantry. It is asimple uniform of tunic and matchingtrousert, a peaked service cap, and a

.

white shirt and black tie wornunderneath, On the tunic shown here,there is very litfle in the way ofinsignia or badges. The rank isdisplayed in the chevrons on the cuffs

- red with gold edging - and also onthe metal and enamel badges on thecollar patches, This system ofrankwas formed by the Revolutionarygovernment, and all rank units weremade up of a combination of redsquares, triangles and diamonds.Colour was also used to representmilitary units; there were noreglmental badges. The finalCommunist touch is the hammer-and-sickle badge on the peaked cap,

USSR/RUSSIA

Morshol of the

Soviet UnionRed ArmyMoscow 1940

aving risen rapidly through themilitary ranks, Marchal

Timoshenko was awarded a Hero ofthe Soviet Union award and then roseto the status of Commander-in-Chief ofthe Soviet Armed Forces. Here we seehim wearing the grey parade uniformof senior officers issued from 1940: asteel-grey tunic with red piping and astand-and-fall collar, naly-bluepantaloons with the red piping ofmarshals and generals, knee-highriding boots and a peaked service capin grey with a red band, two goldcords (marshals and generals) andblack leather peak. As was customaryfor officers, rank is displayed on thesleeves and collar: a gold starsurmounting a laurel wreath.Timonshenko's decorations are (top tobottom): Gold Star of a Hero of theSoviet Union, two Orders of Lenin,three Orders of the Red Banner, RedArmy 20th Anniversary medal.

.Marshal of theSoviet Union

Kiev Military District

Eastern Front

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIAMoiorRed AKiev I

rmy Air Force

940I s part of the Red Army. the

.{-LRussian Air Force during WorldWar II was basically dressed as armypersonnel, though with some keydifferences of colouration. The air-force colour was blue, and this colouralso featured on the cap band, thecollar patches and the piping on thecuffs and trousers. Before the war, theair force's entire uniform was issuedin a blue colour fintroduced inDecember 1924), but as the yearswent on, this uniform becamewalking-out dress and the army'skhaki tunic and breeches took over(this officer is mixing elements of thetwo styles). Rank in the air force wasvia gold and red chevrons on thesleeve (a system introduced in 1935).The two red enamelled rectangles onthe collar patches also show rank,while the gold propeller naturallyindicates the air force. The capbadges were a hammer-and-sickle setin a Iaurel wreath, above which was a.wing and star symbol.

SergeontI

-. . .

Lovolry lJrvrsron

Kiev 1941

w*iff"".Hl;'.ilJ".;'*''"any other Red Army infantrymanduring the early years of the war, theblue pantaloons and black ridingboots set him apart as a cavalryman.Another item which distinguishes himis the ceremonial cavalry satrre slungfrom his belt. The tunic and peakedservice cap are standard Soviet Armyissue, though the collar on the tunic isa stand collar, whereas the usual formwas a stand-and-fall collar. Cuffs onthis pattern of tunic featured twosmall buttons. The collar here has therank depicted on a blue field, thecolour of the cavalry units. This bluecolour is repeated up on the cap band,

'li on which is sited the Communist Starwith hammer-and-sickle imposed inthe middle in gold. This sergeant hasminimal equipment, including a smallammunition poueh for a Nagant pistolwhich sits over his right hip, whilebehind his left hip can be seen aleather map case.

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIA

Corporol Trooperlnfontry Division Covolry RegimentUkroine 1941 Leningro d 1941tfihough the Soviets coped betterI with the harsh Russian winters

than their German adversaries, theystill suffered from problems ofsubstandard clothing. The Russianinfantry uniform was extremely basic,as seen on the corporal here on theUkrainian Front in the early monthsof Barbarossa. Over a khaki tunic andtrousers, this soldier wears thestandard infantry greatcoat. It wasmade of cheap cloth with variableproduction quality; the colour oftenvaries between, and even within,garments from brown and grey.Officer greatcoats often had arm-of-service piping. The coat was fly-fronted and had a large fall collar onwhich were sited the rank patches;the black stripe indicates the rank ofcorporal, while the red backgroundshows arm-of-service. His wetrbingsystem is made ofleather, and theammunition pouches are for one ofhistory's earliest effective assaultrifles: the Tokarev M1940.

,Jlhis outlandish fi gure illuslratesI one of the more bizarre uniform

configurations of World War II. TheSoviet Union - particularly around theLeningrad Front, where this soldier ispictured - has many areas Iaced withwaterways. These made mobility forboth sides difficult, but a special kitwas issued to some Russiansoldiers to enable them tonegotiate streams andrivers. As seen here, theoutfit consisted of a large,inflatable rubber ring strappedaround the waist, complete withharness straps, this having a set ofwaders attached through an integralfitting. Once the soldier was floating,he would use the small oars to propelhimself, while the long rod he carriesin his right hand was used to fathomout the depth of the water. Thepracticality of such gear isquestionable, and even a moderatecurrent could easily lead to thesoldier being washed away.

l: "'|Datej October'1941

ilui,iitr Cavalry Regiment

iFank. .. , Trooper

fheeti€r Eastern Front

1;i.Ju!y 1941

li,liirlii Infantry Divis ion

::licoiparal

ir,,lEastern Front

lopation; Leningradillr,.rukiaine

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIA

tcer Petty OfficerInfontry Division 2nd Closs

Red Army Cospion Flotillo

Moscow 1941 Block Seo I 943fhis soldier is pictured during theI Red Army's dramatic push againsl

the German forces around Moscowduring the bifter winter of l94l/2.While the German forces ground to ahalt, with many soldiers still wearingsummer-issue uniforns, the Russiansgenerally possessed clothing adaptedfrom cenluries of enduring suchweather. This officer is kitted out insuperb winter clothing of the typeissued from l94l (though it must beacknowledged that not all Russianinfantry were as well dressed). Thejacket and trousers - known togetheras the telogreika uniform - are madefrom a double layer of khaki materialwith cotton wool stitched in stripsinside to provide a warming quiltedeffect. The valenki felt boots werealso excellent winter wear, as they ditlnot crack and avoided the problem ofleather, which conducts heat awayfrom the body.

tTlhis petty officer of the CaspianI fleet wears the black-and-blue

square rig uniform of the Red Nar,y. Itis typical naly clothing: a blackjumper with blue jean collar (aforminka) white striped, over a blue.and-white T-shirt, naval belt, black,bell-bottomed trousers and blackshoes (petty officers of more than fiveyears' service could also wear thenary peaked cap). This petty officerhas a black-and- orange guard tally,awarded for a good service record,which extends down the back of hisneck and features a foul anchor,Further evidence of solid service is inthe campaign medal on his left breast.Gone are the rank markings on thesleeve, these being relocated up to theshoulder-straps in 1943. Petty officerbadges featured one to three bars forlst to 3rd class respectively, with aCyrillic abbreviation abovedesignating the fleet.

USSR/RUSSIA

Tonkmon

ll GuordsTonk CorpsKursk 1943tflhough the colour of tankcrewI uniforms varied through black,

blue, grey and (as seen here) khaki,the style was fundamentallyunchanged throughout the war. Thestandard uniform for wear duringoperations was a one-piece overallworn over the standard tunic andtrousers, this overall featuring asingle, large chest pocket and one onthe thigh, plus two slash pockets, oneon each side. Fastening for the overallwas either a zip or through four fronlbuttons, and the collar was of a soft-fall variety. Like the infantry uniform,the cuffs of this overall were fastenedby two buttons. The soldier herewears the overall with high Ieatherboots and a Sam Browne belt. Thecrash helmet was made of paddedleather, and the buckles at the sideallowed access to ear sections inwhich communications speakerscould be inserted.

USSR/RUSSIA

SniperRifle BottolionRed ArmyKursk 1943flecause of chronic problems inl-lfinding the manpower to fulfilmilitary and industrial tasks, theSoviet Government recruited some7.75 million women, of whom 800,000served in the military. Sniping was aprecision role which many womensoldiers performed with expertise.Here we see a female sniper deployedaround Kursk in July 1943. Sovietsnipers were issued with one,piecespecialist overalls to wear over theirstandard uniforms. However, duringthe war these uniforms were oftencamouflaged, especially for snipers.This overall has a khaki trase withgreen foliage patterns. A large hoodand soft cap would obscure the face ina position of hiding. Sorne overallshad strips of cloth sown to theshoulders and sleeves to break up thesilhouette. This sniper's killing tool isthe 7.62mm (0.3in) Mosin-NagantMr89r/30 rifle.

li.ll.iGuafds Tank Corps

,rtir'ifiinkman

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIA

Generol PrivoteRed Army Soviet InfontryMoscow 1945 Budopest 1956fn essence this uniform is not aIWbrld War II issue, as it wasproduced for the celebrations andceremonies following the defeat ofGermany in May 1945. Moving awayfrom the khaki, blues and steel-greys of earlier uniforms, the newfulldress uniform for generalsand marshals was sea-green incolour. The tunic followed asweeping, double-breasteddesign, almost entirely crossingthe chest and having two rowsof gilt buttons, each buttonshowing the emblem of the

Soviet Union. The tunic isextensively decorated. I-aurel

leaves are embroidered on the collarand cuffs, the cuffs also having threegold rings to signify general rank. Theshoulder boards - gold with rededging - also show the rank of generalthrough four gold stars. The red capband indicates general of the army,while blue was the colour for the airforce and black for the artillery.

espite World War II being over forsome I I years, there is little

except the firearm to distinguish thissoldier from his wartimecounterparts. Indeed, this style ofuniform dominated Soviet infantrydress until well into the 1960s, areplacement uniforrn only filtering inabout 1970. Here we see a khaki tunicwith an uncomfortableJooking standcollar and shoulder-straps for therank insignia, and khaki trouserstucked into black boots. The field capdisplays the Communist Star in thecentre, Two pouches are carried: thebag suspended around his neckcarries a gas rnask, while the pouchon his left hip holds ammunition. Theweapon is the legendary AK-47folding-stock version (strict title theAKS4Z), the standard Soviet infantryrifle issue from 1948. It was a simple,solid weapon with absolute reliability.The solider here is pictured duringthe Soviet operation to quench theHungarian Uprising.

USSR/RUSSIA USSR/RUSSIA

Tonk Driver PorotrooperSoviet Soviet

Armoured Forces Airborne Forces

Progue 1968 Kobul 1979fly the late 1960s Soviet tank crewsLlwere wearing a two-piece blackuniform as their operational clothing(here worn over the standard SovietArmy infantry tunic and trousers),though this later became a one-pieceoverall similar to the type worn byRussian tankmen during World War Il.The uniform and the overall wereunmarked, the rank markingsresiding on shoulder boards on theinfantry tunic (black with the goldletters 'CA', and gold rank markingsfor armoured regiments, normalinfantry boards for Motor RifleRegiments). Head protection comesfrorn the padded leather helmet, thisfeaturing built-in communications.The socket for a RT/IC radio,tovehiclctransmitter is hanging down his leftshoulder, while around his neck is athroat microphone. This type ofuniform was also worn by the crew ofarmoured personnel carriers.

tfrhis paratrooper is seen at theI beginning of the Soviet Union's

invasion ofAfghanistan in 1979, partof the large waves of Guards AirborneDivisions used to capture airfieldsand other significant targets aroundKabul. As 6lite soldiers - indicated bythe blue-and-white striped T-shirtworn by all Soviet special forces -they were used heavily throughoutthe l0-year occupation of the country,performing aggressive search-and-destroy operations against remoteMujahedeen strongholds. Here theparatrooper is wearing a one-piecepaddedjumpsuit to give protectionfrorn the harsh Afghan climate,though on the ground the standardinfantry uniform would be worn bypara soldiers. A leather head-protector is worn; a helmet was wornover it during jumps. The leatherwebbing supports a utility pouch (left)and a 9mm APS pistol (right).

Kabul

USSR/RUSSIA

SergeonFMoior SergeontMotorized Spetsnoz

Rifle Bottolion Afghon MountoinsAfghoniston l9B0 1986\lot all Soviet infantry were wellI tdressed forthe bitterwinterclimate of Afghanistan during theSoviet Union's occupation, andmorale was extremely depressed.This sergeant-major, however, hasgood kit, and he is seen here on guardduty over traffic movements in westAfghanistan. His head is protected bythe fur ushanka, this having earflapsand the Communist Red Star centredon the fur front flap. Over his khakiinfantry uniform he wears thestandard Soviet-issue wintergreatcoat, grey-brown in colour anddeeply fly-fronted, without exposedbuttons, to protect against wind chill(essential in Afghanistan'smountainous terrain). On his belt hehas a Makarov PM pistol (the standarrlSoviet infantry pistol), an ammunitionpouch (right hip), a respirator caseand a bayonet for his AKM rifle, withwire-cutting scabbard clearly visiblc.

,frhough the Spetsnaz forces inI Afghanistan were feared by

the Mujahedeen, theAfghans' intimacy with theterrain meant that they sufferedsome healy losses during theoccupation. As their main roles wereambush or surveillance, carnouflageuniforms were as standard. Thissoldier wears a hooded, one-pieceleaf-pattern camouflage uniform of atype often worn by Soviet specialforces. What is not typical is the calf-length high boots, based on patternsworn by soldiers back in ImperialRussia. On his utility belt hangs a9mm PRI pistol in a black leatherholster, an AK-series bayonet in a redplastic scabbard, an ammunitionpouch and, behind his left hip, akidney pouch containing survivalsupplies and demolitions. Hisweapon is the AI(S74, a 5.45mm(0.2lin) version of the AK-47,

Afghan Mountains

Dnt*

5bviet occupationb{Afghanistan

USSR/RUSSIA

ilLj.ii.r.Sbviet occu Pation

:il1i of .:rtotra n ista n

303

VIETNAM

Guerrillo FighterViet MinhDien Bien Phu I 954lTlhe First Indochina WarI 1ts+S-tSSq saw the Communisr

Viet Minh overthrow colonial Frenchpower through an impressive andhighly structured prograrnme ofmilitary and social resistance. Themain fighting force was the 125,000-strong Chuc Luc, these men beingsupported in the field by village andregional militias. Chuc Luc uniformswere never standardized, but twotypes predominated. One was olive-green fatigues provided bys1'rnpathetic Communist China; andthe other was the black 'pyjama'uniform, as shown here. This wassimply a shirt and trousers dyedblack, worn usually with aVietnamese cork helmet, but herewith a French slouch hat. Weaponrywas of many sources, especiallyWorld War Il-surplus and Chinesetypes. This guerrilla carries a FrenchMAI 49 submachine gun, a standardFrench-issue submachine gun forinfantry and para units.

Privote

NorthVietnomese ArmyHonoi 1954fhis soldier is seen during theI victory celebrations in Hanoi

following the collapse of Frenchforces in Indochina after theircataclysmic def€at during the 55-daysiege at Dien Bien Phu. Theexperience the NVA had gained inrevolutionary war would stand themin good stead for the forthcomingconflict with South Vietnam and theUnited States. The appearance of thissoldier is essentially Iittle differentfrom that of IWA soldiers in that laterconflict. The olivedrab uniform isprobably of local origin, the ankles ofthe trousers featuring buttons to keepout the insect life of the jungle floor.He holds aloft a hat made from wovenreeds covered with cloth, littlephysical protection in itself, butcooling in the Vietnamese climate. Hisweb belt holds a water bottle and amachete, while his rifle is a capturedFrench 7.5mm (0.295in) MAS 1936.

iri:ii ii,$'bhh Vietnamese Army

VIETNAM

,

VIETNAM

Guerrillq Fighter Guerrillo FighterViet Cong Viet CongSouth Vietnom South Vietnom1967 1967

VIETNAM

popular history often presents theI Viet Cong as ruthless fighterssurviving on only a handful ofrice aday. Ruthless they might have been,but the VC was a highly sophisticatedpolitical and military organizationwith advanced systems ofsupply andtactics. This soldier is wearing theclassic black'pyjamas' we nowassociate with the VC, though civilianclothing of many different types isequally, if not more, prevalent. Hewears the palmleaf peasant hat, whilehis footwear consists of rubbersandals, often cut from car tyres. Riceis carried in a fairly large quantity inthe roll around the body in thetraditional Vietnamese way. Webbingwould usually be, as here, a simplebelt, with amrnunition in belt pouchesor in the distinctive ,ChiCom' chestpouches. His weapon is a Soviet RpG-2,which could destroy most enemyAPCs and all but the heaviest tanks.

fhe Soviet AK-47 assault rifleI becarne almost symbolic of the

Viet Cong and Communist causeduring the Vietnam War. Though byno means as sophisticated or accurateas the US 5.56mm (0.22in) Ml6Al rifleused by their enemies, it wasincredibly dependable, easy to use,and could put out feroclous close-quarter firepower. Its reliability wassuch that many US soldiers used themas an alternative to the Ml6 whichsuffered from carbon-fouling andjamming and had to be meticulouslycleaned each day. This guerrilla holdsan AK-47 and carries ammunition forit in the 'ChiCom' chest pouches (for'Chinese Communist' after the nationwhich pioneered the style) used bymany Viet Cong. It was ideal for junglewarfare, as it was comfortable, eachpouch holding two AK magazines, andwas easy to keep clear of foliage whenmoving through the jungle.

VIETNAM YUGOSLAVIA

First Lieutenont Senior Sergeont

ARVN Artillery ArmSouth Viefnom 1970 Yugoslov Army

Yugoslovio 1941f\espite huge investment by the USl-f in the materiel and training of theArmy of the Republic of SouthVietnam (ARVN), and despite havingsome truly 6lite units, ARVN neverfulfilled its potential as a militaryforce and was constantly weakenedby factionalism and poor morale. Thissoldier is pictured in 1970, a timewhen the US was withdrawing fromthe Vietnam War and leaving SouthVietnam to a fated future, Hiscamouflage uniform is in the'Tigerstripe' pattern, designed by

the Vietnamese Marine Corps in1959 and worn by many US Special

Forces soldiers. It features a shirtand trousers, with a matching slouchhat displaying two gold blossoms, therank marking of a first lieutenant. Hiswebbing is Vietnamese-made and hasnylon mesh panels instead ofstrapsfor coolness. His Ml6 ammunition iscontained in the chest pouches, whileon his US M1967 belt are two M26A2fTagmentation-grenades.

fithis senior sergeant wears theI standard uniform of the Yugoslav

infantry, though there should be somecaution about using the word'standard'. Yugoslavian military dresshad its origins in Serbian uniform,which in turn was indebted to Austro-Hungarian and Imperial Russianuniforms, so that during the \'var,variations - particularly amongstofficer dress - were common. Thisuniform is generally representative,though the colour could also be light-or field- grey. Here we have a single-breasted khaki tunic with fly frontand four slash pockets covered withdecorative flaps. The stand collarfeatures the black colour of theartillery, as do the shoulder-straps inthe edging. The trousers are tuckedinto long puttees, and he wears anofficer's leather belt. The cap featuresthe Yugoslav cockade; there were alsothree different types of steel helmet.

YUGOSLAVIA YUGOSLAVIA

Privote Coptoinlnfontry Division lnfontry RegimentYugoslov Army Yugoslov ArmyYugoslovio 1941 Yugoslovio 1941tfihe Yugoslav Army wasI disastrouslv inefficient in its

resistance to the Axis take.over in1941, and Yugoslavia was destined foryears of brutal German reprisalactions and civil war which left overone million Yugoslav citizens andsoldiers dead. This particular soldierstrikes an archaic aspect in the ageof Blitzkrieg, being dressed in theSerbian uniform of World WarI.This was a double-breastedjacketwith stand collar - whose colourindicated arm-of-service - baggypantaloons tucked into knee-high

puttees, black shoes and a FrenchAdrian model helmet (motorizedtroops also wore the French heluret).During the early years of the war,many of these outdated tunics werereplaced by single-breasted versions,and shoulderstraps began to displayarm-of-service colours. The rifle is thr.Yugoslav 7.9mm (0.3llin) M1924.

fhough this captain is wearing theI more modern service tunic issued

in the early 1940s (officers, however,had uniforms of a much finer clothand a slightly greener colour) theornamentation clearly casts a glanceback into Imperial Russia. Chiefamongst these features are theshoulder boards which are ImperialRussian in style, while an aiguilletteacross the shoulder and chest addsome additional ceremony. As withlower ranks, arm-of-service isindicated by the stand<ollar colourand the edging ofthe shoulderboards. For officers only, the colour ofthe stripe down the pantaloon legsand of the band around the cuff alsogave arm-of+ervice, This officer's sidecap features national cockade with agilt metal cypher of King Peter Isuperimposed over the top. The samebadge was also worn by officers on akepi peaked cap.

310 311

YUGOSLAVIA

Yugoslovio

CoptoinFighter flightYugoslov Air Force

1941tfrhe Yugoslav Air Force consisted ofI 4lg aircraft at the outbreak of

war, though many were obsolescentand had no signiffcant impact againstAxis occupation. This captain wearsthe grey-blue officers' service dress.This was a single-breasted tunic wornover a white shirt and black tie, witha matching pair of trousers and sidecap. The rank of captain is shown onthe shoulder boards (blue base, goldpanel, dark-blue stripe down thecentre and three gold pips) and in thethree gold stripes on each cuff, abovewhich is seen a small eagle to indicatethat this wearer is a pilot (the badgeon the right breast also shows that heis a qualified pilot). The medal on theleft breast is the Yugoslav Order ofthe White Eagle. Officers were alsoissued with a double-breastedgreatcoat, and in summer a whitetunic and white cap-cover were analternative form of dress.

lndexNotei Page numbers in bold refer to main entries.

Abyssinia 203

Abyssinian Patriot Army, Private (1941) 14

Afghan Army, Private (1980) 15

Afghanistan 15-16Mujahedeen Guerrilla (1980) 16

Soviet invasion 301

Sovietoccupation 302-3Algeria 259

Algerian Independence War 17, 86Algeriil National Liberation Armlt Cuetrilla (1960) 17

Amiens 75

Angola, FNI-A, Mercenary (1975) 18

Angolan Civil War 18, 50

Angolan Independence War l8Antwerp 214

Arab/lsraeli Wars 144, 145

Archangel 287

Argentina 19-20Argentine Marines

Buzo Tactico Commandos, Marine (1982) 20Senior Sergeant (1982) 19

Atlantic Ocean 261

Australia 2l-8Royal Australian Nary, Leading Seaman (1943) 26

Task Force 44 26

Australian Army6th Division, Private (1941) 227th Division, Private (1941) 23gth Division, Private (1941) 24, 256th Royal Australian Regiment (1989) 13

Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATT\),Trooper (1970) 27

Australian lnfantry, Corporal (1915) 2lAustralian SAS, Trooper (1980s) 28Austria 29*30,201Austrian Hussars, Officer (1914) 7-8,30Austro-Hungarian Army, Private (1914) 29Azad Kashmir Army, Private (1950) 168

Baltic Sea 98

Bangladesh Liberation Army, Guerrilla (1971) 31Belgian Air Force, 1st Regiment, Major (1940) 34Belgian Army

1st Infantry Regiment, Colonel (1940) 32Infantry Division, Sergeant (1940) 33

Belgian Parachute Regiment, NCO (1990s) 36

Belgian Paracommando Regiment, Warrant Officer(1964) 35

Belgium 32-6, 91, 101, 274

Biafran Army, Private (1968) 37Biafran War 185

Black Sea 198, 295

body armourArmourshield GPV 246

kevlar 145,245metal 94

PASGT (Personal Armour System, GroundTroops) 8,285

Borneo 136,243Bougainville 263

Brest 80

Burma 132

Cambodia, Khmer Rouge, Guerrilla (1975) 38Cambrai 216

camouflage 10-11,12-13beach pattern 264'chocolatechip' pattern 7-8foliage pattern 10-11, 172, 2O5

1950 French pattern 194

General Purpose (Woodland) pattern 285

German infantry 95

leaf-pattern 57,208lizard pattern 140

M81 Woodland 282

Splinterpattern 10, 101, 109, l13ss 111, 112

tiger stripe 12, 27, 278, 308UK Disruptive Pattern Material (DPM) 12,247inVietnam 281

Woodland pattern 36, 281, 285

in World War II 11

Zeltbahnpallern l0Canada 39-41

Royal Canadian Women s Naval Service,Lieutenant (1943) 39

Canadian ArmyLe Regiment de Levis, Private (1944) 40Princess Patricia's Light Infantry, Warrant

Officer (1970s) 4lCanary Islands 207

Caporetto 93

Chadian National Army, Crewman (1970) 42China 43-8Chinese Civil War 45-7Chinese Communist Army, Private (1945) 46

3't3

Chinese Communist Forces, Guerrilla, 1st

Lieutenant (1945) 45

Chinese Nationalist Air Force, lst Lieutenant(1939) 43

Chinese Nationalist ArmyColonel (1942) 44Private (1945) 47

Chinese People's Liberation Army, Private (1951) a8

Congolese Civil War 35

Corsica 87

Crete 229

Cuba 49-50.253Cuban Army, Private (1976) 50Cuban Revolutionary Forces, Guerrilla (1959) 49

Cyprus 41

Turkish invasion 212

Czechoslovak Air Force, Staff Captain (1940) 52Czechoslovak Army, lst lnfantry Division, Lance-

Sergeant (1940) 51

Czechoslovak Ministry of Defence, General (1940) 53

Czechoslovakia 51-3Soviet invasion 300

Danish Air Force, Reconnaissance Unit, 1st

Lieutenant (1940) 55Danish Army

7th Infantry Regiment, Warrant Offlcer (l 940) 56Jutland Division, Private (1940) 54

decorationsCroix de Guerre 52,74, 255crown and swords 149

gold eagle 149

Hero of the Soviet Union 289

Iron Cross 102, 110

Knight's Cross 102, 110, ll4Mannerheim Cross of the Cross of Liberty 65

Order of Bath 234Order of Lenin 289

Order of the Red Banner 289

Order of St Olaf 234Purple Heart 265

Royal Greek Order of George I 234

Spanish Cross 96

Victoria Cross 233

Yugoslav Order of the White Eagle 312

Denison smock 135, 241,242Denmark 54-6Dhofari Guerrilla Forces, Guerrilla (1973) 57

East Africa 89

314

Eastern Front 82, 103, 105, 108, 111-12, 114,

125-8, 188-91, 193, 198-201, 206, 288-98

Egypt 58-61,234Egyptian Armed Forces, Crewman (1973) 6lEgyptian Army

Commandos, Private (1967) 59Private (1948) 58Private (1967) 60

El Salvador, Salvadorian Army, Private (1980) 62

El Salvador Civil War 62

England 53, 77 , 182,221, 26U9,272-3Eritrean Liberation Front, Guerrilla (1979) 63Ethiopia 150

see also AbyssiniaEurope 74

Falklands War 19-20,248-9Finland 64-7Finnish Army

2nd Division, Captain (1943) 66

Infantry, Lieutenant (1944) 67Marshal (1939) 65

Finnish Nary, Lake Lagoda Flotilla, Seaman (1939) (i4

frre resistant material 8First Indochina War 304, 305

'flak suit' 273

Flanders 76

footwearA-6 pattern overboots 272

'ammunition' bools 232

canvas hoots 161

canvas and leather boots 240, 243,278canvas and rubber boots 138, 185

'Corcoran' parachuteboots 277

DMS (directly moulded sole) boot 248

field boots 254

flvine boots 233

kangaroo hide boots 27

leather sandals 16

nylon and leather boots 62, 281,283parachute boots 85, l0l,277puttees 73

riding boots 147, 176

rubber sandals 306

straw overboots 106

valenki felt boots 294

France 5l, 52, 68-88, 95, 99-l00, 149, 213, 217-2\t,

225

Free French Army, Private (1940) ?7Vichy French Moroccan Spahis, Private (1941) 8l

French African Troops, Coumier (1944) 83French Air Force, Paris Air Region, Pilot (1940) 78French Armoured Division, Sergeant (1940) 75French Army

1l)th Parachute Division, Private (1961) 8646th Infantry Regiment, Major (1940) 74182nd Artillery Regiment, Private First Class

(1940) 76Corporal (1916) 70Private 1st Class (1914) 69

French Aviation Militaire. Escadrille N. No.3Groupe de Chasse No. 12, Lieutenant (1916) 7lFrench Colonial Parachute Regiment, Corporal

(1956) 85French Cuirasier, Officer (1914) 68French Foreign Legion

Corporal (1990s) 87Parachute Brigade, Captain (1952) 84Private (1925) 73

French GIGN, Operative (1990s) 88French Infantry, Sergeant (1916) 72French Naq'

Atlantic Fleet, Leading Seaman (1940) 80Mediterranean Fleet, Lieutenant (1940) 79

French Volunteer Legion, Private (1943) 82

Gallipoli 21,211Gaza Strip 145

German ArmyAfrica Corps 9, 104

lst Airborne DivisionPrivate/Recruit (1985) 117Sergeant-Major (1943) 109

cavalry units 9

Grossdeutschland Division, Private (1944) I 10

389th Infantry Division, Private (1943) 106Infantry Regiment, Corporal (1939) 97916th Infantry Regiment, Senior Sergeant (1944)

tt315th Panzer Division, Corporal (1941) 104Panzer Lehr Regiment, Lance Corporal (1941) 103

1st Panzer Regiment, Corporal (1940) 99lst Parachute Regiment, NCo (1940) 101

stormtrooper (1918) 94, 95use of camouflage 10-11Wiirttemberg Mountain Rifles, Private (1917) 93

German NalyLieutenant-Captain (1916) 92Seaman (1939) 98

Germany 89-118

Condor Legion, Pilot (1939) 96FIak Unit, Auxiliary (1944) 116GSG-9 Anti-Terrorist Unit, Operative (1990s) 118

Kriegsmarine, Petty Officer (1944) 115Luftwaffe 116

Army Group Centre, Captain (1942) 105Heman Gdring P anzer Division, Corporal

(1943) 107Jagdgeschwader 26, III Gruppe, Lieutenant

(1940) 102Luftflotte 2, major (1940) 100

Schutztruppe, Corporal (1914) 89SS

Du Reich Division, Corporal (1943) 108Hitlerjugend Divisi,on, Private (1944) I 12

Le ibstandarte Division, Private (1944) I I IStukageschwader, Major (1944) l14Uhlan (Lancer) Regiment, Officer (1915) 91

Zeppelin Balloon, Lieutenant-Captain (1914) 90Golan Heights 209

GoreTex 13

Greece 119-24Greek Air Force, Fighter Squadron, Wing

Commander (1941) 121

Greek ArmyArtillery Regiment, Lieutenant (1940) 120Euzones, Private (1940) I 19

Greek Civil War 123-4Greek Democratic Army, Guerrilla (1947) 124Greek National Army, Private (1947) 123Greek Nary, Able Seaman (1941) 122Grenada, US invasion 282-3GulfWar 7-8,137, 138

Hanoi 305

Havana 49Hawaii 266

headgear 8-9,202Austro-HungarianArmy 29

berets 36

with built-in communication 61. 300

bustina field cap 151

campaign hat 254

felt slouch hat 22,23flying cap B-2 266

flying helmet type B 231

flying helmet type C 233,235helmets

1935 pattern 67

Alt 275

315

ballistic nylon 143, 145

CVC'bone dome' 142

czaphq 9lfibre and leather 141

French Adrien model 310

French Infantry 77

GS Combat Mk 6 250

Japanese paras 164

M35 padded 75

M1915 70

M1917 256

M1923 54M1928 200

Mt 24, 25, 62, 84, 136, t37, 172, 178, 212, 216,222, 259, 264,276

NATO ballistic nylon 36(Personal Armour System Ground Troops)PSGT system 173

stohlhelm 10

sun 202

tank 127

Type 602 144

kepi 76,87, 120, 177

naval 181

naval cap 64,92peaked cap 32,43saffa l3lShako hat 68

side cap 125

solar topi 211

ushanha 302'Yukon'cap 40

Hungarian Air Force, Fighter Squadron, Lieutenant(1943) 128

Hungarian ArmylstArmoured Division, 2nd Lieutenant (1943) 1272nd Hungarian Army, Rifle Brigade, Infantryman

(1942) 126Hungarian Gendarmerie, Sergeant (1941) 125Hungarian Uprising 129, 299

Hungary 29-30, 125-9Revolutionary Forces, Guerrilla (1956) 129

Iceland 255

India 130-35Indian Army

20th Burma Rifles, Subedar-Major (1942) 1329th Gurkha Rifles, Corporal (1941) 131

8th Indian Division, Sergeant (1940) 130Lance Corporal (1965) 134

316

Paratroops, Private (1971) 135Royal Gurkha Rifles, Lance-Corporal (1944) 133

Indo-Pakistan War 134-5, 186, 187

Indochina War (1945-54) 84Indonesian Confrontation 136, 243

Indonesian Independence War 178

Indonesian Nary, Marine Corps, Marine (1963) 136

Iranian Embassv siege 246Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Private (1980)

137

Iraqi Army, Corporal (1980) 138Israel 58,59, 139-45

Aeromedical Evacuation Unit, Cremil (1973) 142invasion of Lebanon 143.210Palmach Infantry, Irregular (1948) 139Sayeret Golani,Private (1967) 140Sayeret Tzanhanim, First Lieutenant (1985) 144

Israeli Amoured Corps, First Lieutenilt (1967) 141

lsraeli Army202nd Parachute BrigadeCorporal (1982) 143Private (1990s) 145

Italian Air ForceAir Marshal (1940) 147One Group, Major (1940) 148

Italian Army36th Infantry Regiment, Colonel (1940) 149Alpini, Private (1900s) 159.Ariele Division, Tankman (1941) 152Folgorc Btigade,Sergeant-Major (1982) 158

Lieutenant (1940) 151

184th Parachute Division, Captain (1942) 156

Italian Colonial ArmyGruppi Sahariana, Corporal (1942) 153VI Eritrea Battalion, Corporal (1940) 150

Italian Marine Infantry, Sergeant-Major (1,942) 154Italian Nary, Taranto Command, Ranking

Lieutenant (1942) 155Italian Social Republic Na!y, Seaman (1944) 157Italy 83,109, 133, 146-61, 192

Marines, Sil Milco Battalion, Marine (1990s) 16lMilizia Volontaio Per Ls Sicurezzq (Blackshirts),Corporal (1940) 146Nucleo Operatiuo Centrsle, Officet (1990s) 16{l

Japan 162-6Imperial Japanese Army, Private (1941) 162

Indian National Army, Senior NCO (1942) 163

Naval Parachute Troops, Paratrooper (1941) l(i4Japanese Naw

sth Fleet, Lieutenant (1943) f66Combined Fleet, Rating (1942) 165

Jordanian Army, Private (1967) 167Jutland 92,215

Kabul 301

Karelia 67

Kashmir 134

Azad Kashmir Army, Private (1950) 168Kashmir Independence War 168

kevlar material 144, 145, 245khaki, introduction 8Kharkov 108

Kiel 115

Kiev 288,290,291Korea

North, Korean People's Army, Private (1950)

South 170-73,239Army of the Republic of Korea

Private (1951) 170Private (1990s) 173

RoK Capital Division, Private (1969) 172

UN Partisan InIantry, Trooper (1952) l7lKorean War 48, 169-71, 238,276,277Kursk 110,296,297

Lebanese Army, Private (1982) 174Lebanese Civil War 174

Lebanon 144. 158

Israeli invasion 143, 210

Leipzig 116

Leningrad 66,293Libya 148

London 39

Luzon 162

Maginot Line 222

Malaya 131,237Malayan Emergency 175, 240Malayan Races Liberation Army, Guerrilla (1953)

Malaysia 163

Mediterranean 155

Michael Offensive 94

Morocco 254,260Mount Hermon 140

Mozambique Independence War 194

Namibian Independence War 204

Narvik 224

Netherlands 176-9Dutch Air Force, Fighter Squadron, 2nd

Lieutenant (1940) 177Dutch Army

Cyclist Regiment, Lieutenmt{olonel (1940) 176

private (1946) 178Royal Netherlands Marine Corps, Corporal

(1970s) r79New Zealand 183-4

ANZ Task Force, Private (1965) 184New Zealand Artillery, Gunner (1940) 183Nigeria 37

Nigerian Federal Army, Private (1968) 185

Normandy 112, 113, 235, 267

North Africa 22,24-5,104, 130, 147, 152-3, 183,

202-3, 228,230-31, 261

Northern Ireland 245

Norway 180-82,224,252Norwegian Air Force, No.33l Squadron, Lieutenant

(1941) 182Norwegian Army, Infantry Division, Lieutenant

(1940) 180Norwegian Nary, Armoured Cruiser, Seaman

(1940) r81

Odessa 200

Oman 57

Omani Civil War 57, 242

Omani Guerrilla War 244

Oran 259

Pacific Ocean 164,258Pakistan 31, 135, 186-7Pakistani Army

Lance-Corporal(1965) f86Private (1971) 187

Palestine 139

Pas de Calais 102

Pearl Harbour 271

Philippine Sea 165

Philippines 28Poland 11,97, 111, 188-93Polish Air Force

Bomber Brigade, Captain (1939) 189Fighter Squadron, Lieutenant (1939) f90

Polish Army, Armoured Corps, Tank Crewman(1939) 188

Polish Army in RussiaIl Polish Corps, Private (1944) 192Sergeant (1941) 191

317

Polish Nary, ,44arynarha Wojenno, Able Seaman

(1941) 193

Portuguese Pilachute Regiment, Corporal (1970) 194

Quantico 284

Rhodesia 195-7Selous Scouts, Private (1977) 196

Rhodesian Alrican Rifles, Private (1976) 195

Rhodesian Civil War 195-7

Rhodesiil Patriotic Front, Cuerrilla Fighter (1979) 197

Romania 198-201Romanian Army

2nd Calorascl Regiment, Lieutenant (1942) 199

lnfantry DivisionPrivate (1942) 200

Private (1945) 201

Romanian Naq/, Danube Flotilla, Rating (1941) 198

Russia 15, 114, 125-8, 191

see also USSR/Russia

St Nazaire 232

Serbia 29,30Shatt al Arab Waterway 138

Shearling flying suit 266

Sicily 146,154

Sinai 59-61, 141, 142

Sisi Azeis 151

Six-DayWar 59-60, 140, 141, 16?

Solomons 265

South AJrica 202-5Royal South African Air Force, Lieutenant (1942)

203

Soulh African ArmyKimberly Regiment, Private (1940) 202

Private (1980) 204

South African Recoonaissance Commandos,

Sergeant (1990s) 205

Spain 206-8Spanish Blue Division, Infantryman (1942) zOG

Spanish Civil War 96

Spanish Foreign Legion, Legionnaire (1987) 207

Spanish GEO (Grupo Especial Operaciones),

Officer, (1990s) 208

specialization of uniforms I I

Stalingrad 106

standardization of uniform 8-9. l2Suez Invasion 85,241Syria 23,81,83,209-10Syrian Army

318

Corporal (1982) 210

Private (1973) 209

Syrian Uprising 73

Tarawa 264

Tobruk 24.25Toulon 79

Tunisia 107, 156

Turkey 211-12invasion of Cyprus 212

Turkish ArmyPrivate (1916) 211

Private (1974) 212

Ukraine 82, 105,206,292United Kingdom 213-52

British ArmyAdists Rifles,2nd Lieutenant (1916) 217

Biltish Royal Horse Artillery, Sergemt (19 14) 213

East Yorkshire Regiment, Private (1940) 222

lst Glider Pilot Regiment, Lieutenilt (1944) 235

Gloucestershire Regiment, Coryord (1951) 239

7th Gurkha Rifles, Rifleman (1966) 243

Gurkha Rifles, Rifleman (1980s) 250

4th Infantry DMsion, LmceCorporal (1940) 225

49th Infantry Division, Private (1940) 224Intelligence Corps, Private (1980) 247

3rd King's Own Hussars, Captain (1941) 230

Parachute Regiment

3rd Battalion, Private (1956) 241

Lance-Corporal(1980) 245

Private (1990s) 251

Private (1916) 216

6th Royal Tilk Regiment, Corporal (1941) 228

Tank Corps, Lieutenant (1918) 220

Welsh Guards Household Division, Sergeant(1940) 227

Commandos, No. 1 Commando, HMS

Campbeltown. Sergeant (1942) 232

Royal Air Force

11 Group, Sergeant (1940) 226Airman (1939) 221

Fire-Fighting Unit, Croundcrew (1945) 237

No. 1 Squadron, HMS Invincible, Squadron

Leader (1982) 249

No. 112 Squadron, Pilot (1941) 231

No. 617 Squadron, Wing Commilder (1943) 23:i

Royal Observer Corps, Head Officer (1944) 23(i

Royal Flying Corpscaptain (1917) 218

Pilot (1917) 219

Royal MarinesMarine (1950) 238Marine (1952) 240

Marine (1982) 248

Mountain & Arctic Warfare Cadre, MountainLeader (1990s) 252

Private (1914) 214

Royal NaWHMS ltr/drspife, Rating (1941) 229

Home Fleet, Captain (1940) 223

Lieutenant (1916) 215Mediterranean Fleet, Admiral (1943) 234

SAS

22 SAS RegimentTrooper (1959) 242Trooper (1973) 244

Trooper (1980) 246

United States 253-85

United States Armylst Air Cavalry Division, Trooper(l966) 279

82nd Airborne DivisionMajor-General(1944) 269

Private 1st Class (1990s) 285

l0lst Airborne DivisionPrivate(1944) 274

Sergeant Grade 4 (1944) 267

Airborne Forces, Private (1951) 277

lst Cavalry DMsion, Lieutenant{olonel (1942) 254

lst Infantry Division, Staff-Sergeant (1942) 259

75th Infantry (Ranger) Regiment, Sergeant(1983) 283

Lieutenant (1944) 268M1943 uniform 12

Military Police, Corporal (1942) 262

Private (1902) 253

Special Forces, Sergeant (1968) 281

5th Special Forces Group, Captain (1965) 278

Tank Battalion, Corporal (1942) 260

United States Army Air Force

7th Air Force, Captain (1944) 266

8th Army Air ForceAircrewman (1944) 273Bomber Crewman (1945) 275captai\(1944) 272

United States Marine Corpslst Marine Defense Battalion, Marine (1941) 256

2nd Marine Division, Marine (1943) 264captain (1942) 255

Corporal (1983) 282

Corporal (1985) 284

Gunnery Sergeant (1941) 257

Marine (1950) 276Pilot (1943) 263Private lst Class (1968) 280

United States NaWTask Force 34, Petty Officer 1st Class (1942) 261

US Atlantic Fleet, Ensign (1944) 270

IJSS Enterprise, Lieutenant (pilot) (1941) 258

USS.Saratoga, Petty Offlcer (1943) 265

United States Women's Army Corps, Officer (1944)

271USSR/Russia 286-303

Motorized Rifle Battalion, Sergeant-Major (1980)

302

Red ArmyArmoured Division, Colonel (1940) 288

Cavalry Division, Sergeant (1941) 291

Cavahy Regiment, Trooper (1941) 293

General (1945) 298ll Guards Tank Corps, Tankman (1943) 296

Infantry DivisionCorporal (1941) 292Olficer (1941) 294

Marshal (1940) 29, 289Rifle Battalion, Sniper (1943) 297

Red Army Air Force, Major (1940) 290

Red NaWCaspian Flotilla, Petty Ofncer 2nd Class (1943)

295Seaman (1939) 287

Russian Army, Private (1916) 286

Soviet Airborne Forces, Paratrooper (1979) 301

Soviet Armoured Forces, Tank Driver (1968) 300

Soviet Infantrv, Private (1956) 299

Spetsnaz, Sergeant (1986) 303

Verdun, Fort Vaux 70

Vichy French forces 8lVietnam 304-8

ARVN (Army of the Republic oi South Vietnam),First Lieutenant (1970) 308North Vietnamese Army, Private (1954) 305

Viet Cong, Guerrilla Fighter (1967) 306, 307

Met Minh, Guerrilla Fighter (1954) 304

Vietnam War 27, 172, 184, 278-81, 306-8

Wake lsland 256

webbing 1l1908-pattern 22, 130, 132, 183, 214, 216, 217

319

1g37-pattern 23,24,25,35, 135, 167, 178,186,

202,222,227,2301g38-pattern 133, 187

1944pattern 240, 241, 242, 243

1958-pattern 57, 185, 195, 196, 245, 247, 248, 250

ALICE system 41, 282, 283, 285

arctic/mountain 192

C595 system 251

'Chicom' chestpouches 38, 306,307

Integrated lndividual Fighting System 13

leather 15,69, 150, 176,301

Lightweight Combalpack 244

M1943 62, 212, 238, 263, 264

M1956 27, 278, 279, 280, 281

for US marines 255

Westen Front 7, 68-72, 90-91, 94-5, 213-20World War I 7,8-9, 21, 30

Yom Kippur War 61, 1,42, 209

Yugoslav Air Force, Fighter Flight, Captain (1941) 312

Yugoslav ArmyArtillery Arm, Senior Sergeant (1941) 309lnfantry Division

captain (1941) 311Private (1941) 310

Yugoslavia 309-12

Zeltbahn, camouflage l0Zeltbahn (te l qoarter/poncho) 113

Zeppelins 90

320

Chri,s McNab has written and editednumerous books on military history.Recent pubJications inchtde ModernMi,Ii,targ Uni,Jor"ms, Tiaenti,eth C enturgSmall Arms, Eli,te Forces Manual oJEndura:nce Techni,que s, Surai,u aI Fi,rst Aid,,German Paratroopers of World War II andAK47.He currently lives in Wales.

Jacket artworks(clockwise from top right)

,,FnoNr: German PettA Officeti Kriegsmarine(ISSS): Brt'itish Mountain Lead,er Rogat Marines(1990s); Licutenant, Royal Canadion Women'sNaual Seyai,ce (1943); US Bomber Creuman, 8thArm,g ,Sir Force (1945); Soui,et Sergeant, Mini,sttgoJ State Securi,tg (1988).BiAcx: British Priuare. Path-find,er platoon ( 1990s).

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