British DPM patterns

[Deleted dude 7861]

I wonder if somebody could help me identfy an old pair of trousers I have that are almost identical to the '94 pattern but have small differences (has broader green and added small black) , unfortunately the label is washed out. I'm aware of the 66, 68, 84, patterns and they don't match at all. Has anybody know of a resource for all variants? I can only find the 4 patterns but I'm sure there were more? I'm sure these were 80's trousers.

 

[wingstoo]

Are you sure that they aren't a Dutch type? As the UK are not the only ones to use the same style of DPM...

LS

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

Ah that may be it then as they are definately a 1985 type trouser but this DPM pattern type wasn't in use in UK until 94 so was a bit confused

 

[Geuf]

It might be dutch, they have a similar pattern and some of the dutch special forces sometimes use british design clothes. So it might be british trousers with dutch pattern. please post a picture, it helps to identify.

Cheers!

 

[BushTucker]

Dont know if this helps????

http://www.tridentmilitary.com/WorldCamouflage.htm


Don

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

Here's some pics

 

[spamel]

Pics aren't showing for me, but the dutch DPM seems to be slightly more orange in colour, if that makes sense.

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

edited photos now showing, sounds like they may be dutch then?

 

[Geuf]

It really looks like dutch, but the black is dotted instead of one closed shape. So I say it's not dutch.

cheers

 

[bikething]

never noticed about the solid / dotted black before..

to illustrate the 'orange-ness' of the dutch camo - here's a pic of dutch DPM overtrousers (on Left) nest to a UK goretex jacket (right)

as for your trousers - when I was in the cadets (83-86ish) I had a combat smock that was that sort of colour - paler than the current DPM.
The trousers we were issued had flat pokets on the sides, not the bellows pockets yours have.. (but then we were still using lee enfields
and '44 pattern webbing on exercises )

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

They are without doubt more 'orangey' the flash kinda faded the picture a bit. It's a bit of a mystery at the moment just can't identify them. The closest pattern is UK 94 but these are definately much older.

 

[spamel]

Are they lined? Could be the temperate combats as they were slightly orangier (is that a word?) than the stuff before and didn't have a cotton lining.

 

[spamel]

Are the butt pockets original? Or have they been added fterwards as I don't seem to recall having pockets like that on my combats. Gonna have to have a look in my box of old kit!

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

yep the pockets are original although in the photo the lhs pocket was raised so it looks different. They are fully lined as same as 68 patt to just below the knee

 

[bikething]

have a look at the UK section on here : click me - some notes about patterns used if you click on the types

 

[Deleted dude 7861]

Thanks for that site, still a difference noticed here's the 2 patterns together first is UK 94 second is mine:

 

[bikething]

bigger 'sand' areas on yours, but the print - especially the black - looks very similar.

I do remember the camo pattern used to be lighter (like yours) then seemed to get darker with the introduction of the stuff with the bellows pockets...

maybe this was a crossover of the new style made with the old cloth ?? don't remember any of the DPM trousers i've owned having flaps over the back pockets though - usually just a button in the middle of the top edge

 

[Nat]

They look like what i was issued with back in 1988. I had a mix of new style and old style. One of my combat jackets was the double-lined version with that pattern on your trousers MattK

 

[spamel]

They do look like the combats I had before the temperates came out. The jackets were basic with four pockets and a bit of lining with a poachers pocket no zip pockets. The trousers were 3/4 lined with pockets on the thighs, front and rear although I don't remember there being flaps over the pockets. The material looks the same, can't quite describe what it is that it looks like except that it does! Regardles, if they are the same ones, they're great until they get wet, then it takes forever to dry out.

 

[John Fenna]

Any chance that they could be non issue - from the likes of Survival Aids, BCB and similar suppliers?
Just a thought.