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Aug 30, 2013 - 2:22PM

Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

I bought a battledress blouse recently, which was sold as genuine P40 WW2, however it's in amazing condition for a jacket of that age and looks as though it's never been worn, it also seems to be of a lighter (weight) fabric than my other blouses. Can anyone tell me of this maker is a geniune manufacturer from WW2?

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

Aug 30, 2013 - 3:19PM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

Hi,

According to the label it looks like an original Blouse to me. Looks as it was fabricated in Belgium. De Sterck is a name that you see often near the place Niel in Belgium. Does the jacket has a WD stamp as well, somwhere in the liner? It should have the Z above the broad arrow or an E if it was inspected in 1946 by the British War Department. I assume it has OD coloured buttons as well.

Hope this information will do.

Regards,

ramon

email (option): noahlevi6@hotmail.com

Aug 30, 2013 - 5:09PM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

Ramon

Hi,

According to the label it looks like an original Blouse to me. Looks as it was fabricated in Belgium. De Sterck is a name that you see often near the place Niel in Belgium. Does the jacket has a WD stamp as well, somwhere in the liner? It should have the Z above the broad arrow or an E if it was inspected in 1946 by the British War Department. I assume it has OD coloured buttons as well.

Hi Ramon
Thanks for your reply. There are no other markings on the jacket and it does have OD plastic buttons.
Did the British ever use Belgian made blouses or would this have been Belgian army issue?
Scorp.

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

Aug 30, 2013 - 7:09PM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

My understanding of things is that it will be a post war Belgian issue jacket. They copied the British design, as did the Dutch. It does look to me like a 'denim' BD rather than wool serge. These were used (by the British anyhow)more as work wear, a bit like coveralls except two piece, or sometimes as warm weather wear.

email (option): cruiserchooser@hotmail.co.uk

Aug 30, 2013 - 8:33PM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

btb

My understanding of things is that it will be a post war Belgian issue jacket. They copied the British design, as did the Dutch. It does look to me like a 'denim' BD rather than wool serge. These were used (by the British anyhow)more as work wear, a bit like coveralls except two piece, or sometimes as warm weather wear.

Thanks for your info. The photo only shows the lining, which is like denim, but the jacket is the usual wool serge. If it hadn't come from America, I'd be tempted to return it, as it was sold to me as British, but I guess I should have guessed from the label. We live and learn!

email (option): wm20@scorpionvideo.net

Aug 30, 2013 - 10:46PM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

I don't think that the Belgians would have shown imperial sizes (their postwar helmets are metric-sized)and there is no 'ABL' marking. We had a thread on here regarding the adjustable blackout masks and there was an official document stating that it was easier to get them made in Belgium during early 1945 than to order them from the UK.

What remained of Belgian industry was standing idle once they'd lost their Wehrmacht contracts so it doesn't seem impossible that there were orders from the British to keep them busy. British factories were probably gearing-up to produce 'Jungle Green' for the expected long campaign in the Far East.

Aug 31, 2013 - 2:29AM

Re: Is this jacket ww2 or repro?

The Belgians were making US mess kits in 1945, marked "US", so presumably made for the US Army. Putting newly liberated workers back to work was a good thing for all concerned, I would think.

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