5th Indian Division 1937 Pattern Indian Made Battle Dress Blouse

[Loupie1961]

A recent purchase: an Indian made BD blouse, Economy (?) 1937 pattern. Indian made BD are not the most common to come across, and badged ones are even rarer. The 5th Indian Division signs are the usual Punjab hand made pattern. Buttons are plastic, rather than bakelite, and there is only one inside pocket. Indian production stamps do not sport any date, but according t the British Army year of production codes, N stands for 1943. There's a small ink stamp with the soldier's name, Newell, and his serial number, 2377466: according to the Army Numbers Block Allocation, this would correspond to the Royal Corps of Signals.

[Warspite]

Very interesting, this is the first time I have seen plastic buttons on an Indian BD of this style. Mine are pressed metal:
https://hatchfive.wordpress.com/2015...edress-blouse/
You just need the trousers now, took me a while to find mine, but they are out there:
https://hatchfive.wordpress.com/2015...ress-trousers/

[Jerry B]

Always good to see another of these Indian made BD's. I have one with original insignia and medal ribbons including the Burma Star. Mine has metal buttons and they are exposed, not hidden like on this one. I am not sure the N is a date letter as mine is also marked N but is later than yours going by the pattern difference. Mine is dated 7/44 on a stamp behind the internal pocket.

Indian made BD?

[Warspite]

Interesting, three different Indian BDs, all of slightly different designs. As ever our knowledge of Indian kit is still developing!

[Jerry B]

So many aspects of British and Commonwealth uniforms and other items have not been studied in any depth, but hopefully that is changing.

[Loupie1961]

Always good to see another of these Indian made BD's. I have one with original insignia and medal ribbons including the Burma Star. Mine has metal buttons and they are exposed, not hidden like on this one. I am not sure the N is a date letter as mine is also marked N but is later than yours going by the pattern difference. Mine is dated 7/44 on a stamp behind the internal pocket.

Indian made BD?

I have been trying to find a stamp with a date, but to no avail. I have also stored somewhere an Indian BD of the same pattern of yours (exposed fly and pocket buttons) in semi relic conditions (greedy Indian moths must have feasted on it, alas!). The same kind of 1937 pattern BD with exposed buttons appear quite often on pictures of the II Polish Corps formations, either 3 DSK or 5 KDP, that were possibly issued with Indian made BDs either in Italy or Palestine....

[Loupie1961]

I have eventually managed to find pics of my Indian produced, 1944 (january) dated BD blouse. Exposed plastic buttons, therefore still another variation ...