RAF Tropical Dress

[RookiePilot]

I'm heading off to a warm climate soon, as part of the RAF Reserves. I was wondering if the Air Force still commonly use the Number 6. Tropical dress? Last I heard of it was reading about Vulcan crews in the Ascension Islands getting hold of it in 1982.
Is it still in service? And under what circumstances? Mess dress, working dress, etc.

Thanks

[WPH]

I'm no expert on dress regs but... I work out in the states and we wear Khaki Dress (not sure what number 4?) during the summer months and blues in the winter. We're issued stone coloured short and long sleeved shirts and short and long trousers and browny green suede shoes. The embassy inform us when the switch beween winter/summer happens. We are also issued No 6 dress, equivalents to No 1s but in stone colour. We're also issued No 8s which is mess dress, white jacket with shoulder boards and blue trousers. All said, wherever you're going, you'll be entitled to whatever uniform is officially worn at that location. You can't just wear the uniform of your choice, even if it is official uniform!

[rusty_monkey]

Kit should be issued before you depart and unless it is a posting it is unlikely you will be issued KD.

[green granite]

To say nothing of the Solar Toupee. :E

[Pontius Navigator]

Just realised, it's a troll.

The answer is in the name - RookiePilot - only one thing to wear, a flying suit. One green if you buy it on th emarket, new green if you buy it on eBay, Red if you're a Red Sparrow and desert brown if you want to be a true walt.

[Ray Dahvectac]

To say nothing of the Solar Toupee.

Some kind of wig with bulit-in UV protection? :hmm:

I'll get my coat and solar topee then ...

[seafuryfan]

Have a look at this link Rookie, should answer your questions.

PM sent.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/9645FADA_EE31_9299_8E899FC7FA734D14.pdf

[green granite]

Some kind of wig with bulit-in UV protection?

I'll get my coat and solar topee then ...

I really must turn of the 'spellchecker as you type' option, I did in fact spell it topee but the spell checker changes it to toupee :ugh::ugh::ugh:

[taxydual]

'turn of the spellchecker......?

Not your day is it, GG?. :ok:

[RookiePilot]

Cheers for the responses guys. Could have guessed somebody would be agonising over spelling! I think I'll try and get tropical dress from stores, if not there's always ebay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=280409437263&Category=70988&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D2)!

Thanks

[Gainesy]

Especially when you realise his nickname is actually Grey Granma...

[green granite]

:p ........................

[Storminnorm]

In my day it was "Shirtsleeve order" or just working blues.
None of this nancy boy tropical stuff.
They'll be demanding Fans next.

[pasir]

Just a general comment on overseas kit - In my day just after WW2 we British had but a choice of two sizes of uniform (too big or too small) -
looking like something out of a circus in our newly issued tropical kit .
-Whereas the US kit allways appeared to be of far superior fit and cut - known as Sun Tans - Much smarter as were most US uniforms of the time - although today British issue has improved.

[Fareastdriver]

Those of us that arrived in the Far East Air Force in the late sixties were directed to stores where we were issued with a bolt of FEAF colour KD cloth. We then took this along to our particular tailor who would produce the neccessary bush jacket, shirts and shorts. A No 6 was not even considered for the average bod. They were the perogative of CinCs, Station and squadron commanders plus immediate hangers-on.

[Lukeafb1]

This thread reminds me of a true event which happened in 1966 or 67.

Part of our squadron had a detachment to Washington for three weeks. Some bright spark in the MOD decided that airmen’s ‘Best Blue’ was not good enough, so all SNCOs and airmen on the detachment (about 25 of them) were sent to G & H to be fitted with an officer’s uniform, albeit with genuine badges of real rank, but on epaulettes (before this became de rigeur).

All went well during the detachment, but on their return, one Corporal, had a brainstorm and went to work in his. He was immediately arrested for ‘impersonating an officer’ and spent a week under open arrest until the situation could be sorted out.

On the next detachment to the U.S., everyone wore normal UK issue uniforms. The ‘25’ had to hand in their ‘bootleg’ uniforms and it was never mentioned again. :=

[Warmtoast]

Working Dress - varies as to where you are - or perhaps where you are to be posted to.

See this photo from my album of Sgt Henry Moon, NCO i/c SAS Flight at RAF Gan weloming a visiting RNZAF Bristol Freighter in 1958.

This was standard working dress at Gan - I like the size of his greasy rag!

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/Gan1958.jpg

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/GAN/AOCVisit3.jpg

Mind you he dressed differently when he welcomed the C-in-C to Gan as seen here.

[Pontius Navigator]

Warm, you missed out the umbrella. True only required in the rainy season.

As we disembarked our wg cdr tore a strip off the WO that met us attired as you show so well. He also carried a brolly.

The WO said not a word, not one word. Moments later the storm broke. Without a word he erected the umbrella, put it over the wg cdr's head and escorted him to the bus.

Not another word was said about drress regs.