The kit issued at every stage - that's a tall order!
Welcome aboard, Petet (#2265) - I'm new in these parts, too. People have been very kind to me, let's get your ball rolling.
Your grandad will have started in a Reception Centre like mine (the one - Babbacombe - I'm describing in my current Posts). What did I get to turn me into some semblance of an airman? A nervous, baffled ex-civilian has been marched into the Clothing Stores.
He shuffles slowly down the line. The Equpiment Assistant sizes him up at a single glance, turns to the shelves behind, and dumps on the counter:
One airman's S.D. (Service Dress) uniform - blue serge, scratchy.
If it fits, he must be deformed. If the fit is too bad, the E.A. will grudgingly swap it for a better one, until a more or less reasonable result is achieved.
One airman's Greatcoat - fitting as before. (Note that there is no raincoat, you use your groundsheet; that is hardly elegant, but it keeps the rain out.
Note that there is no "Battledress". This is May 1941, they came in later.
My uniform was "part-worn": I often wondered what had become of the first wearer!
One "Cap, Service Dress" (flat 'at) with brass badge. One "Cap, Field Service" (forage cap, or fore-and-aft cap), with brass badge and two buttons to polish.
One pair blue woolen gloves
One First Field Dressing (I'll say no more about this for the moment).
* Two (three) blue shirts (collarless). ? blue soft collars. You had to buy your own collar studs; if these were mother-of-pearl things you'd got last birthday from a doting Aunt, they'd be lost - or pinched - within the week. But if they were 3d Woolies, they'd last for years. It's always the way.
* Underwear: Two (three) cotton vests - these doubled as P.T. vests. Same number underpants, cotton, baggy. These had tapes sewn in front so that the leather "tangs" of your non-elastic braces ran through them to fasten onto the metal buttons on your trousers, in that way your underpants stayed in position. No zips, at least not for the likes of us.
One pair Black shoes (or was it boots?). *Two (or three) pairs of black socks. One blue P.T. shorts, one pair Plimsolls.
Bits and pieces: Shoe brushes, Button Stick (ask any soldier), "Hussif" (ask any Grandmother). I think you had to buy your own razor and toiletries - also boot and brass polish!
* The usual in those days was: one on, one in the laundry, and one in the drawer. But I have doubts if the RAF was as generous as that!
All this lot was piled in an enormous heap on the counter; the bemused recipient had to sign for everything (probably in triplicate), and stagger away with his load. Oh, and not forgetting a kitbag to put it all in. You bought
a kitbag lock and a padlock for it ASAP.
That's about enough to be going on with. Eager eyes will spot what I've missed, and fill in the gaps. In my other line of Posts, I'll shortly tell what they gave me - and I never needed - for flying kit for Europe.
Hope this has been some use to you.
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 3rd Feb 2012 at 21:25.