Reminds me that as an Essex kid in the mid 1970s, my stepfather used to bring home from work, what we called US Jeep jackets. With the elasticated cuffs and zip front. What I remember is that the cloth was so perished that if you sat down with your hands in the pockets, it would rip from both jacket pockets. Which exposed the rubberised backing to the cloth. Stepfather worked as a contractor on the gas mains conversions for North Sea gas, and was always bringing home random stuff.
Another excellent video I've been collecting ww2 items since the late 1970s Yes I am old haha! All of mannequins are authentic in the way you display the uniforms and equipment Your critics need to remember that the soldier of all sides would wear whatever they had and would acquire anything if they could if it was available An example is the photos of German soldiers wearing American army boots that they obtained from captured supplies etc Late war German equipment and clothing at times was inferior and wore our quickly Also as the war progressed supplies became short. Ignore people who are too critical if you can
You are right about the uniforms not every one had or wore what they were supposed to even during the First Gulf War of 1991 there was not enough desert pattern uniforms and boots to go round
As a former infantryman I can attest that I would never want to wear any type of overall covering ... it makes it extremely difficult when you need to take care of business quickly, I can't imagine how it was accomplished in a vehicle?
I was only in an armored vehicle once. They hd an M109 with the back open and you could just step up in there. Ihad my soft cover on and hanged the shit out of my head. That metal doesn't give one little bit. Thus the Americans and their leather helmet. It's not there to protect against enemy action - it 's there to protect your head from bumping into the metal - insides of a tank. .
The Pixie suit was very warm and popular in NW Europe. It doubly served as a sleeping bag since the crews often slept in the clothes they wore whether inside the tank at their stations if in contact or under or next to the tank when in the rear areas.
There was a German item that was a convertible sleeping bag/ parka. It had a light rubber coating. Post war the Bundeswehr kept using them. They were surplused as Fallschirmjager sleeping bags.
Interesting. I do have the** Enfield and a few different holsters including the leg drop version , which I think is cool but I'm not sure its very practical. US Tanker Boots are still beloved by US Tankers. their looks have changed some but the strapping is the same. I think they are private purchase though. I could be wrong but I am not sure they were ever an issue item . ( I was a Grunt not a Tanker) The Tanker Jacket ( Infantrymen generally loved them ) is the later issue as the early had square chest pockets. The reenforcement on Paratrooper uniforms was mostly done by company Riggers as I understand it , so it probably depended a lot on what the Commanding Officer wanted . Individuals did do their own thing and I have seen a few sewing and camouflage modifications done by D Day Paratroopers that are now in collections and Museums. . And the US cartridge belt was normal issue even if you carried a Carbine. Many GI did use a pistol belt when they could get them as they carried ammo in the issue bandoliers, often hanging some clipped ammo on the straps. Thanks for sharing.
Black berets are only worn by the Royal Tank Regiment(s). Other tank crews from the cavalry regiments mostly wore the dark blue beret. I actually wore the one piece suit with the two zips in the 70's doing driver training in the winter. They were heavy, uncomfortable and made it difficult to bend the knees in order to climb onto the vehicle. The tank got it's name from attempts to keep it a secret. They were referred to as water tanks to conceal what they really were from the enemy.
Another first rate video...regarding the exact uniforms, I've got a book on stalingrad and one of the german soldiers is sat wearing an M40 helmet and a checked shirt...not correct then I suppose?😅. The American boots with the straps, I would have taken them for the boots of a new romantic band circa 1984😅😅, would never have picked ww2, good stuff. The British tank kit is great, I've got a post war tank beret badge and some ww2 comms equipment. Regarding the name of the tank initially, I always assumed that it was called a ' tank' as it was so top secret they were transported/named in manifestos etc as water tanks....I might be wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time....all the very best to you m8😊😊😊😊
AFAIK, the ‘tank’ was so-named for several reasons, not just 1 - as you’d expect, history is rarely that *totally* straightforward. Originally they seemed just like large metal boxes, so similar to a water TANK; then probably kept its name because the vague-sounding name was also handy for security/intelligence reasons, as you point out.
When the US supplied the M3 & M4 to the British in North Africa, they were also supplied with the American tankers helmets, but for some reason these weren't popular with British tank crews.
Another amazing collection! I wonder, have you noted the maker of the American 1911-A1 holster? As with so much of the U.S. equipment, the holsters were made by a number of companies, and some are quite rare.
Hi sorry for the delay I don’t keep my collection at home had to get down to the storage had a look at holster and it’s a Boyt dated 44 another one of the items I bought in the 70s
@@militarymad2840 , I have to add, having that holster in the original color is very cool as well. MANY of the originals were dyed black when the regs were changed. So yes, you may find a Boyt 44 in black, done long after.
I recently read a report on the research done on why English tankers had three times the casualties than the Americans in the tank corps. They put thousands or reports into a computer and came up with its one simple answer. The British tankers generally wore a black berets and had no head protection. I believe a similar report was produced a few years age on the Africa corp against the Eighth army and the same conclusion was reached
In the Eisenhower photograph, those guys are officers from the 502 PIR at RAF greenham common. some officers avoided sending there uniforms for cc2 and reinforcement.
Two points The US tankers helmet was not designed to stop shrapnel or bullets - they were purely for stopping head contact with the interior of the AFV - "As expected, the new Rawlings helmet resembled a football helmet in its design and construction. The outer crown and rear neck guard shells were constructed of a durable fiber resin, similar to the earlier tank helmets. The interior of the helmet featured a suspension system consisting of felt pads, leather pad retainers, and waxed cotton cords. This suspension system held the helmet in proper position on the wearer’s head and absorbed much of the shock when a bump was encountered." The British actually did wear helmets - although it depends on the unit - and the helmets they used were an adaptation of the Airborne helmet "The basic MkI paratrooper helmet shell was also not used exclusively by the airborne divisions. The Royal Armoured Corps adopted the basic MkI paratrooper shell, but with the addition of the Helmet Steel MkII liner. From the outside it is actually easy to see that this isn’t a paratrooper helmet as it has a single rivet at the top of the dome, and one rivet on each side for the chinstrap mount. This helmet was officially designated as Helmet, Steel, Royal Armoured Corps, MkI. It was replaced by the modified MkII, which used the same “Lift the Dot” design, in 1944 and both versions of the helmet were used during the war." It might be interesting to see what period of the war these statistics covered as during the Normandy Campaign the British (and Canadians, Poles and others of the 21st Army Group) faced the vast majority of the Panzer Divisions and whilst the US Forces saw some German armour it was not on the same scale. If your AFV is hiT with an AP round it's not going to make much difference what sort of headgear you are wearing.
@@keithmcwilliams7424 as far as I know no research has been done on that. They could compare USA and British troops because both countries kept their records
It always puzzles me why the pixie suit was dyed such a light colour. Khaki or mid green would have provided much better concealment away from the tank.
@@militarymad2840British tank crews were issued with black coveralls in the 30s for obvious practical reasons, but the Panzerwaffe were so successful in adopting black uniforms for their own tank crews, the British dropped black to avoid misidentification in the heat of battle.
You really should do a SEPARATE video called: "Follow-up video to the US Airborne uniforms" or words to that effect. Another suggestion: gently iron the spec tag so it's flat. Then, take a STILL PHOTO of it and show that. Nothing is more annoying than trying to read anything moving or being held by hands.
Indeed, squaddies in particular the world over were renown for 'adapting' their kit to suit the situation.
Reminds me that as an Essex kid in the mid 1970s, my stepfather used to bring home from work, what we called US Jeep jackets. With the elasticated cuffs and zip front. What I remember is that the cloth was so perished that if you sat down with your hands in the pockets, it would rip from both jacket pockets. Which exposed the rubberised backing to the cloth. Stepfather worked as a contractor on the gas mains conversions for North Sea gas, and was always bringing home random stuff.
Hurray,another upload!, was so expecting the "during the 2md world war" haha
Please keep it up mate, love seeing it
😂 thanks
Another excellent video
I've been collecting ww2 items since the late 1970s Yes I am old haha!
All of mannequins are authentic in the way you display the uniforms and equipment
Your critics need to remember that the soldier of all sides would wear whatever they had and would acquire anything if they could if it was available
An example is the photos of German soldiers wearing American army boots that they obtained from captured supplies etc
Late war German equipment and clothing at times was inferior and wore our quickly
Also as the war progressed supplies became short.
Ignore people who are too critical if you can
You are right about the uniforms not every one had or wore what they were supposed to even during the First Gulf War of 1991 there was not enough desert pattern uniforms and boots to go round
As a former infantryman I can attest that I would never want to wear any type of overall covering ... it makes it extremely difficult when you need to take care of business quickly, I can't imagine how it was accomplished in a vehicle?
😂 that could be a problem
The Marine Raiders tried coveralls. No thanks!
I was only in an armored vehicle once. They hd an M109 with the back open and you could just step up in there.
Ihad my soft cover on and hanged the shit out of my head. That metal doesn't give one little bit.
Thus the Americans and their leather helmet. It's not there to protect against enemy action - it 's there to protect your head from bumping into the metal - insides of a tank.
.
The Pixie suit was very warm and popular in NW Europe. It doubly served as a sleeping bag since the crews often slept in the clothes they wore whether inside the tank at their stations if in contact or under or next to the tank when in the rear areas.
There was a German item that was a convertible sleeping bag/ parka. It had a light rubber coating. Post war the Bundeswehr kept using them. They were surplused as Fallschirmjager sleeping bags.
Interesting. I do have the** Enfield and a few different holsters including the leg drop version , which I think is cool but I'm not sure its very practical. US Tanker Boots are still beloved by US Tankers. their looks have changed some but the strapping is the same. I think they are private purchase though. I could be wrong but I am not sure they were ever an issue item . ( I was a Grunt not a Tanker) The Tanker Jacket ( Infantrymen generally loved them ) is the later issue as the early had square chest pockets. The reenforcement on Paratrooper uniforms was mostly done by company Riggers as I understand it , so it probably depended a lot on what the Commanding Officer wanted . Individuals did do their own thing and I have seen a few sewing and camouflage modifications done by D Day Paratroopers that are now in collections and Museums. . And the US cartridge belt was normal issue even if you carried a Carbine. Many GI did use a pistol belt when they could get them as they carried ammo in the issue bandoliers, often hanging some clipped ammo on the straps. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for all the info much appreciated 👍
Black berets are only worn by the Royal Tank Regiment(s). Other tank crews from the cavalry regiments mostly wore the dark blue beret. I actually wore the one piece suit with the two zips in the 70's doing driver training in the winter. They were heavy, uncomfortable and made it difficult to bend the knees in order to climb onto the vehicle. The tank got it's name from attempts to keep it a secret. They were referred to as water tanks to conceal what they really were from the enemy.
That must have been a work out in itself just wearing that suit they are heavy
Another first rate video...regarding the exact uniforms, I've got a book on stalingrad and one of the german soldiers is sat wearing an M40 helmet and a checked shirt...not correct then I suppose?😅. The American boots with the straps, I would have taken them for the boots of a new romantic band circa 1984😅😅, would never have picked ww2, good stuff. The British tank kit is great, I've got a post war tank beret badge and some ww2 comms equipment. Regarding the name of the tank initially, I always assumed that it was called a ' tank' as it was so top secret they were transported/named in manifestos etc as water tanks....I might be wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time....all the very best to you m8😊😊😊😊
AFAIK, the ‘tank’ was so-named for several reasons, not just 1 - as you’d expect, history is rarely that *totally* straightforward. Originally they seemed just like large metal boxes, so similar to a water TANK; then probably kept its name because the vague-sounding name was also handy for security/intelligence reasons, as you point out.
Looking at the boots again you could be right 😂😂😂 hope not 🤞
@@militarymad2840 🙂🙂
When the US supplied the M3 & M4 to the British in North Africa, they were also supplied with the American tankers helmets, but for some reason these weren't popular with British tank crews.
Another amazing collection! I wonder, have you noted the maker of the American 1911-A1 holster? As with so much of the U.S. equipment, the holsters were made by a number of companies, and some are quite rare.
Hi sorry for the delay I don’t keep my collection at home had to get down to the storage had a look at holster and it’s a Boyt dated 44 another one of the items I bought in the 70s
@@militarymad2840 , no need to be sorry. Boyt 44 is pretty common, BUT still very neat to have!
@@militarymad2840 , I have to add, having that holster in the original color is very cool as well. MANY of the originals were dyed black when the regs were changed. So yes, you may find a Boyt 44 in black, done long after.
@@morgangallowglass8668didn’t know that thanks
British Tank suits were used by Motor Bike owners in the 40s and 50s
I recently read a report on the research done on why English tankers had three times the casualties than the Americans in the tank corps. They put thousands or reports into a computer and came up with its one simple answer. The British tankers generally wore a black berets and had no head protection. I believe a similar report was produced a few years age on the Africa corp against the Eighth army and the same conclusion was reached
That sounds like the British Army ☹️
German tankers had no head protection also how do they compare.
In the Eisenhower photograph, those guys are officers from the 502 PIR at RAF greenham common. some officers avoided sending there uniforms for cc2 and reinforcement.
Two points
The US tankers helmet was not designed to stop shrapnel or bullets - they were purely for stopping head contact with the interior of the AFV - "As expected, the new Rawlings helmet resembled a football helmet in its design and construction. The outer crown and rear neck guard shells were constructed of a durable fiber resin, similar to the earlier tank helmets. The interior of the helmet featured a suspension system consisting of felt pads, leather pad retainers, and waxed cotton cords. This suspension system held the helmet in proper position on the wearer’s head and absorbed much of the shock when a bump was encountered."
The British actually did wear helmets - although it depends on the unit - and the helmets they used were an adaptation of the Airborne helmet "The basic MkI paratrooper helmet shell was also not used exclusively by the airborne divisions. The Royal Armoured Corps adopted the basic MkI paratrooper shell, but with the addition of the Helmet Steel MkII liner. From the outside it is actually easy to see that this isn’t a paratrooper helmet as it has a single rivet at the top of the dome, and one rivet on each side for the chinstrap mount. This helmet was officially designated as Helmet, Steel, Royal Armoured Corps, MkI. It was replaced by the modified MkII, which used the same “Lift the Dot” design, in 1944 and both versions of the helmet were used during the war."
It might be interesting to see what period of the war these statistics covered as during the Normandy Campaign the British (and Canadians, Poles and others of the 21st Army Group) faced the vast majority of the Panzer Divisions and whilst the US Forces saw some German armour it was not on the same scale. If your AFV is hiT with an AP round it's not going to make much difference what sort of headgear you are wearing.
@@keithmcwilliams7424 as far as I know no research has been done on that. They could compare USA and British troops because both countries kept their records
The US tankers also wore bib overalls
They did indeed I don’t have one of those don’t seem to come up for sale much
It always puzzles me why the pixie suit was dyed such a light colour. Khaki or mid green would have provided much better concealment away from the tank.
I think the current tank crew wear black overalls much better suited for the dirt and grease inside a tank
@@militarymad2840British tank crews were issued with black coveralls in the 30s for obvious practical reasons, but the Panzerwaffe were so successful in adopting black uniforms for their own tank crews, the British dropped black to avoid misidentification in the heat of battle.
The german tankers did not have head protection imagine banging your head about inside the tank 😢
You really should do a SEPARATE video called: "Follow-up video to the US Airborne uniforms" or words to that effect.
Another suggestion: gently iron the spec tag so it's flat. Then, take a STILL PHOTO of it and show that. Nothing is more annoying than trying to read anything moving or being held by hands.
😂 that’s a very good idea will try that next time
Excellent work as always, please don't worry about the few nit pickers they are nits
I had to mention this time as there is photographic evidence that they are wrong, thanks
The oldest Tank Regiment...FN
Black hat for the British tank crew because the oil made them black.