British DPM Camouflage

[Watchdog]

You are welcome, I suppose to anyone who has used one it is obvious, a bit like all the stuff we covert now such as the "free oscillating dickspring" in that never seen before much much heard about "Tibetan Yak Strangler"

Don't worry mate you will not confuse it with Shovels GS. Size matters,,,,,,,,,,apparently

GS fits a LandRover, Lightweight fits a mans back. They are not interchangeable

The lightweight pick is really titchy too but it is also a feasible weapon especially the helve! Still looking for that bugger. I said I didn't have one squirelled away but believe it or not the wife seems to think she recalls one in my shed

First I need to work out what she was doing in that mouse infested den

Then I need to see if she is right

Mark

Well, she was right (heaven knows!!) and I found it.

These were issued with an unpainted 26" hickory helve which was often painted green but this always wore off because the original wood finish was wax. Sometimes they were not painted and sometimes it was done only to make the stores look "smart". The 14.5" mattock was issued in black paint which wore off in use and was sometimes just oiled or again painted either green or black using vehicle paint. The paint I think is neither here nor there from an authenticity point of view because it was a matter of whatever was availbale / easiest for routine kit husbandry. This one has a 1962 dated helve and a 1992 dated mattock (interesting in itself) and these were issued as a pair to users but not supplied as a pair. You can see that the mattock fits far enough up the metal sleeve on the helve to enable it to be fitted to the webbing yoke or large pack whilst assembled. When disassembled the helve is carried on the yoke or largepack and the mattock in the holder ot the poncho roll.

Sorry about the rubbish pictures but it is dark here. I think these will illustrate well enough here but if anyone needs sharper pics just ask and I will take more in daylight.

I hope this helps as these tools are part of the kit that goes hand in glove with the DPM subject of the thread.

Regards

Mark

[paulp4180]

Well, she was right (heaven knows!!) and I found it.

These were issued with an unpainted 26" hickory helve which was often painted green but this always wore off because the original wood finish was wax. Sometimes they were not painted and sometimes it was done only to make the stores look "smart". The 14.5" mattock was issued in black paint which wore off in use and was sometimes just oiled or again painted either green or black using vehicle paint. The paint I think is neither here nor there from an authenticity point of view because it was a matter of whatever was availbale / easiest for routine kit husbandry. This one has a 1962 dated helve and a 1992 dated mattock (interesting in itself) and these were issued as a pair to users but not supplied as a pair. You can see that the mattock fits far enough up the metal sleeve on the helve to enable it to be fitted to the webbing yoke or large pack whilst assembled. When disassembled the helve is carried on the yoke or largepack and the mattock in the holder ot the poncho roll.

Sorry about the rubbish pictures but it is dark here. I think these will illustrate well enough here but if anyone needs sharper pics just ask and I will take more in daylight.

I hope this helps as these tools are part of the kit that goes hand in glove with the DPM subject of the thread.

Regards

Mark

The pick, helve and shovel still give me nightmares now, the rub marks on my back.

[Watchdog]

The pick, helve and shovel still give me nightmares now, the rub marks on my back.

Ah yes, webbing scars! Ooooh Matron!!!

[Watchdog]

I am sure there is one of these here already but this one as you can see is modified using a piece (a pocket actually) or material from a US woodland BDU to form a face mask. In those days if we didn't have something we tended to make it!



Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

These were issued for deployment to The Former Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) ie Bosnia, Croatia etc.

They are "inners" in as much as a goretex cover was also issued.
The DPM material is the same as the rest of the clothing. The green material is like Cordura. The "dimpled" material is a friction surface like a "contact" glove but the dimples are soft and not hard plastic blobs. The mitts are lined with the same green synthetic fur as the cold weather "trapper" type cap.The "outers" were issued in green and in DPM. I have those somewhere and will add here when I find them.

Regards

Mark

[Watchdog]

Further up the thread we had a brief discussion of temperate DPM being used in the desert at the same time as desert DPM and I mentioned that this had occurred rather more than most would expect certainly during 1st Gulf (Op Granby) well here is an official MOD pic from Iraq in 2003 (Op Telic) which will interest Rene as he showed a teperate DPM smock with a 7 Armd Bde TRF alongside a "First Fusiliers" TRF. I am not sure if there was the odd piece of temerate DPM floating around in Afghanistan (Op Herrick) as I was retired by then but I think it is far from impossible. I will ask my son, he may have seen some.

Anyway, check this very clear illustration;

Regards

Mark

PS The red and yellow flash on the desert DPM helmet cover also represents 1RRF. These are the regimental colours and their stable belt is of horizontal red (more like maroon really), yellow and red stripes.

[reneblacky]

Ripper photo! the left Fusilier has the missing patch! and now I see that there are left and right patch types. Cheers Mark. Also the light weight pick is a beauty.

[reneblacky]

I am sure there is one of these here already but this one as you can see is modified using a piece (a pocket actually) or material from a US woodland BDU to form a face mask. In those days if we didn't have something we tended to make it!



Regards

Mark

Great to see the modification.

[reneblacky]

Thanks to Watchdog (Mark) I am able to add this cover to the '85 pat DPM set up

[reneblacky]

2009/10 desert two colour cover