RAF Officers' Greatcoat Wanted
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TwoTunnels
I'm with LJ on this. Why would anyone want to wear a great coat, officer or not. You'll look like a grande fromage, to put it nicely.
I'm with LJ on this. Why would anyone want to wear a great coat, officer or not. You'll look like a grande fromage, to put it nicely.
It must be over 40 years now since they stopped issuing officers with greatcoats? As Flt Cdts we had the awful airmens' greatcoats, but would have been issued with officers' greatcoats if we hadn't gone to university instead. When we cam back for IOT, they'd been binned, thankfully.
Then there was that sodding heavy gaberdine paedophile's raincoat with belt and foldy-over collar. Someone stole mine at Cranwell in 1974 but I never found a subsequent need for one.
Aircrew leather jacket was just fine, but without the pussy pelt collar. Although the SWO didn't much like us wearing them with blues........
Then there was that sodding heavy gaberdine paedophile's raincoat with belt and foldy-over collar. Someone stole mine at Cranwell in 1974 but I never found a subsequent need for one.
Aircrew leather jacket was just fine, but without the pussy pelt collar. Although the SWO didn't much like us wearing them with blues........
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Beagle you have missed out the Harold Wilson Mac that was better than the belted version that came after it.
With a due sense of foreboding that this will be interpreted as a silly question:
Did they ever make a ladies' version of the officers' greatcoat? I once tried to find one as an article of costume for an actress in a film production, on the simple basis that it would make her look like she was actually in the military as opposed to just wearing a rather ugly 1940s skirt suit, but they seem to be made out of unobtainium.
And they deleted the belt on the ladies' number one jacket. Philistines.
P
Did they ever make a ladies' version of the officers' greatcoat? I once tried to find one as an article of costume for an actress in a film production, on the simple basis that it would make her look like she was actually in the military as opposed to just wearing a rather ugly 1940s skirt suit, but they seem to be made out of unobtainium.
And they deleted the belt on the ladies' number one jacket. Philistines.
P
Gosh, judging by the banter here I've just had a lucky escape!
Had a funeral to go to week before last and thinking it might be freezing in the church, I located my greatcoat ( now with naff leather buttons and slightly rearranged by a tailor in Ciren' many years ago!) in Mother-in-law's loft.
The mild weather meant I didn't need a coat, so I avoided looking like a poofter fromage! Phew!
Had a funeral to go to week before last and thinking it might be freezing in the church, I located my greatcoat ( now with naff leather buttons and slightly rearranged by a tailor in Ciren' many years ago!) in Mother-in-law's loft.
The mild weather meant I didn't need a coat, so I avoided looking like a poofter fromage! Phew!
BEags
Your memory fails you with the greatcoats at Cranwell. As flight cadets we were officially airmen, so were issued airmen's greatcoats but were not allowed to wear them as we were officer cadets. They were altered to fit each of us on issue, and then hung in lockers for 2.5 years having their buttons polished every week (until the hi-dome, non-polish buttons came in, which were then sewn onto said greatcoats by the station tailor) until we handed them in on graduation, when they would have been reissued and re-tailored for another cadet if they hadn't binned the flight cadet system. Officer's greatcoats were supposed to be bought with the grant on commissioning, but since most of us were horrendously in debt by then, the grant virtually all went straight into the overdraft. Happy days.
The oddity was the raincoat, because we were issued with the horrible officers' raincoat instead of an airman's one. I'm sure there was some logic, but it escaped me then and now.
Your memory fails you with the greatcoats at Cranwell. As flight cadets we were officially airmen, so were issued airmen's greatcoats but were not allowed to wear them as we were officer cadets. They were altered to fit each of us on issue, and then hung in lockers for 2.5 years having their buttons polished every week (until the hi-dome, non-polish buttons came in, which were then sewn onto said greatcoats by the station tailor) until we handed them in on graduation, when they would have been reissued and re-tailored for another cadet if they hadn't binned the flight cadet system. Officer's greatcoats were supposed to be bought with the grant on commissioning, but since most of us were horrendously in debt by then, the grant virtually all went straight into the overdraft. Happy days.
The oddity was the raincoat, because we were issued with the horrible officers' raincoat instead of an airman's one. I'm sure there was some logic, but it escaped me then and now.
I can certainly remember having to polish the buttons on my Airmens' greatcoat, but cannot recall ever having had to wear the wretched thing.
When I started on 99 Entry, an allowance for the Officers' greatcoat would have been included in the grant paid upon commissioning in Feb 1971. But this changed at some point (1970?) and by the time I returned to RAFC after my UAS time in 1973, the Officers' greatcoat was an 'optional' item, so no allowance was included in any uniform grant.
I'm sure that I recall seeing SUOs wearing Officers' greatcoats, but may be wrong.
When I started on 99 Entry, an allowance for the Officers' greatcoat would have been included in the grant paid upon commissioning in Feb 1971. But this changed at some point (1970?) and by the time I returned to RAFC after my UAS time in 1973, the Officers' greatcoat was an 'optional' item, so no allowance was included in any uniform grant.
I'm sure that I recall seeing SUOs wearing Officers' greatcoats, but may be wrong.
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I remember someone getting charged for not having polished buttons, Bader was the complainant even though he was a bloody Civi, on the charge the guy pointed out they are staybright.. Case dismissed.. Bloke was a grade a plonker
Last edited by NutLoose; 4th Mar 2012 at 22:13.
In my last tour overseas the winters could be severe and cold. I enjoyed wearing my greatcoat on odd occasions, striding through the snow, hat jauntily placed on head, gloves (brown) worn (but not warm). I last wore it at a remebrance Day Service at a CWGC Cemetary. Seemd appropriate.
Tabs please !
As the Hindu word for great is mahatma, is the Indian equivalent a mahatmacoat ? 
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Hi Beags and Old Bricks
Spent my commissioning grant on a Mk2 MGA (twin cam), got my greatcoat and tailored No. 2 by mail order from Au Wi Lam (Sp!). Happy days!
Spent my commissioning grant on a Mk2 MGA (twin cam), got my greatcoat and tailored No. 2 by mail order from Au Wi Lam (Sp!). Happy days!
