Denison smock

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Image:Sgthamarshall.jpg The Denison smock was a coverall jacket issued to the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, Air Landing Regiments, and other Commonwealth airborne units, to wear over their Battle Dress uniform during the Second World War. The smock was useful as a camouflage garment, as a windproof, and as a method of carrying ammunition or equipment.

Image:1944 Pattern Denison Parachute Smock.jpg

The smock was designed by a Major Dennison, appearing in 1941 as the "Airborne Smock Denison Camouflage". An alternative name was the "Smock Denison Parachutist".

The original pattern was replaced in 1944 with a modified design. It was made from a light sand-green coloured denim material hand-painted with dark green and chocolate brown stripe camouflage. The inside of the collar was lined with khaki flannel. The collar zipped open as far as the chest, and the zipper was covered by a cloth flap, which had no buttons or other method to fasten it down. The smock was put on and removed by pulling over the head.

The smock was most commonly worn by British and Commonwealth paratroopers, and the Special Air Service Regiment, but a modified version was also commonly issued to scouts and snipers in infantry battalions. It was also a popular garment among officers who could acquire them (Company Sergeant Major CC Martin, DCM, MM of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada mentioned in his memoir Battle Diary that senior officers and sergeants major of his battalion wore the Denison universally).

The smock had four external pockets, two on the chest and two below the waist, and two internal pockets on the chest. A "tail" went from the bottom at the back and fastened to the front of the smock - which stopped it riding up when parachuting.

The Denison smock remained on inventory in Commonwealth and other militaries after the Second World War, being popular in Korea. It

Image:1959 Pattern Denison Parachute Smock.jpg

remained standard combat dress for the Parachute Regiment, and was significantly modified by the 1959 Pattern. This had a higher hem line, and was much less baggy. This was because wearing it over the personal carrying equipment (but under the parachute harness) while parachuting was no longer the practice. The '59 Pattern also had a full length zipper, which was exposed (it had no cloth flap to cover it), and knitted wool cuffs. The most obvious difference to the eye, however, was the change in pattern and colours of the camouflage. The pattern became more sharply defined, and the colours scheme shifted more towards green and away from red. The flannel lining of the collar was changed to light green, from khaki. The garment was eventually replaced; in the British Army by the DPM parachute smock, in Canada by a special pattern Airborne smock. The British Army had adopted a DPM combat jacket (and trousers) for general use in 1968. Although this was equipped with

Image:1959 Pattern Denison Parachute Smock - Front and Rear.jpg

a diaper flap, a la the Dennison (but fitted on the inside, rather than the outside), the Parachute Regiment continued to wear the Dennison (typically, with green lightweight trousers) through the 1970s. The DPM Parachute Smock which finally replaced it, in time for the Falklands War of 1982, was made from the same material as the 68 Pattern Jacket, but was cut like the Dennison smock, with snap-fastened (but now bellowed) pockets, a full length zipper, but no buttons down the front, wool cuffs, and a 'diaper flap' on the outside of the back. It is basically a DPM Denison Smock.