Officer's Greatcoats
 

Anybody know where I can get my hands on one of these?

Always thought they were rather smart and fancied ever since I joined up, but got issued that awful 'flasher mac' instead.

Have tried the usual places - e-bay etc without any luck. Any suggestions?

You could try ebay:cool:

Already have, no luck apart from some motheared old Cpls coat which looked like it had been used to line a dog basket.

Smart yes, but when would you wear it?

They stopped issuing them about 1974. They were fine for walking to work at Waddo but if you drive or cycle they are an encumbrance.

Never tried to wear one with a pully.

Like a No 1 they are fitted as well.

So save your money they are just too impracticable.

You could try for a British Warm in Air Force blue. They are far more practicable. Shorter length and you can remove rank tabs when travelling.

Or is he trying to be the next Captain Jack in Torchwood!!:E

VEEPS

Of course, I forgot you could ponce around with the thing open but the SWO would have a fit with the green trousers or growbag :D

I've still got mine and have been known to wear it at times; that was until Capt Jack showed up.
Have you tried the military surplus stores, of which there are many?

Do they still have the Exchange and Mart? (that was a serious suggestion btw)




My first business as a kid was to stand outside the local Army and Navy store in Blackpool and write down all their prices, and then type them all up with at least a 25% uptick. I then put an advert in the E&M advertising army jackets and saying send 25p for a catalogue.

I got enough 25ps to cover the cost of the advert :ok: and then ... I even got an order for a jacket :ooh: :D

So off I trotted to the store and found ... they were out of stock. :ugh:





The business sort of floundered after that :(

Yes E&M is still going, but you are better off looking on-line.
Having said that, I've just spent 45mins looking for you and they seem to be as rare nowadays as a girl without a tattoo:yuk: .
Try putting your size requirements in a post; you never know, one of the jolly good chaps in this forum might have one in the loft they don't want.

For Sale...1 Officers Great Coat!
 

I have one that I would consider selling.

It is made by Crombie and tailored by R. E. City of London.

It is ranked for a Flt Lt.

I am 6' tall with 42" chest and it fits me perfectly.

Perfect condition.

You say made by Crombie and tailored by City.

You may be right but I understood Crombie refered to the material.

You're absolutely correct.

I've just checked and it's the material that is Crombie.

Good spot that man! :ok:

Crombie are definately tailors; I do not think that they still make military uniforms though. My Greatcoat is the same - made by R E City with cloth supplied by Crombie.

Have you tried calling the uniform procurement chaps in DLO (Defence Clothing IPT) or the uniform policy staff (in PTC?) they may have the contact of the company that supplies the current issue of greatcoats.

Just the ticket if you want to look like General von Paulus, goosestepping around the Russian Front circa 1942.:O

I managed to get one from stores at Cranwell last year. They had a whole host of ex-parade coats that had been made obsolete by a new model. £40 and a trip to the dry cleaners had me sorted. Worth a look to see if they have any left.

Got mine from Cranwell and I must say that it has drawn comments from many fellow officers and even a compliment from the SWO. Very warm though but impractical on a bike. Wife also looks good in it but thats another story.............

Try Cranwell or ask your stn tailors, you will pay up to £70 - £80.

Is there a female version as I would like to get the wife her own?

If it's no longer issued then you shouldn't be wearing it!
You get issued kit to wear, wear it!

You need a very long, ankle length on for the memsahib, very Dr Zhigavo. No need to wear anything under it.:}

Just checked mine. Coat, Great, RAF Officer, No 8. Manufactured by Sartor in 1945. Great for walking around the estate but no good in the car.

Wader2 - Thanks, just been on the dress regs pages and found the one, she looks better in mine............ , we have our own home imposed dress regs regarding undergarments, I will let you know if they need amending.;)

Toddbabe,

Wrong on two counts.

Officers do not get issues of kit except for a new item like the wooly pulley.

You are allowed to wear out old kit before replacement. It is only when a particular uniform is ordered that you need the latest kit. Why else are RAF officers noted for their sartorial variance?

There used to be a barathea cloth battle dress. The powers that be decreed the battledress to be obsolete but allowed it to be worn. The military tailors were quite happy to continue making them for a couple of years after the stop date. The alternative, at that time, was a second number 1. Mind you lots of people did have a working No 1.

Later, as an economy measure I guess, they issued a zut suit battle dress, similar to the V-force suit but possibly better quality. In this case they issued a definite stop wearing date but then issued a wooly pulley to everyone.

Now why have we had at least 3 styles of wooly pulley? Round neck, V-neck (much admired by dark blue) and back to round? Nothing to do with the fact that each style was a free-issue?

So, wear your greatcoat with pride, just don't wear it with a green grow bag on a bike.

I do love the mucking-about of the Services, in order to waste/expend time and /or cash.

We used to call it "Greatcoats on, Greatcoats off" :E

Wrong!

Stable belts are not issued.

'Chip hats' are not issued.

Those natty leather flying jackets all the FJ types seem to like are not issued.

There are many items of 'optional dress' that can be worn that are not issued but as the name suggests can be worn as an option, paid for out of private funds rather than the public purse.

Although I don't have a copy of AP1358 to hand (unusual I know) I do believe that 'greatcoats' can still be worn with either No.1 or No.2 dress by officers and only with No.1 dress by OR's. I still have a greatcoat poked away somewhere, issued for a parade long since fallen out, but of course its an OR pattern one.

Which for some reason does not stop them being specified in particular uniform rig - KD for instance (before every one wore DPM) or No 2A (?).

Thanks for the help guys. I should have probably realised before I hit send that this would probably open me up to a bit of p1ss taking, but what the hell, I still want one - a great coat that is!

I do realise that they are rather impractical, but I have always wanted one so figured why not. If nothing else, as has been aluded to already, I would rather like to be met on the station platform by Mrs M wearing it!:p

So to all of those quoting dress regs and telling me I can't wear old kit, thank you, advice duly noted. However ......!

Time Flies - thanks for the offer, however, I am what is colloquially known in these parts as a 'short arse' and could probably us yours as a bivvi bag!

I may well try Cranditz and see if they have any in old stock that they are looking at getting rid of.

By the way, whilst I have heard of Torchwood, who the hell is this Capt Jack character?

Being worn at a rehearsal for Churchill's funeral:

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/Noelpjones1/Churchill.jpg

I didn't realise the SHQ at Halton was that old.

Question from the Dark Blue. Our Coats do not have belts, just a back strap. ("Mine" is in the ceremonial stores at Excellent, drawn when needed.) Captain (or should that be Grp Capt) Jack's has a belt. The Chaps in the photo do not have belts. Were there two styles or is Torchwood uniform different from the RAF.

I believe ORs had belts and would remove and wear white for ceremonial. Officers have the back belt as you describe. Officers also had turned back cuffs too, very smart indeed.

My OR issue greatcoat is sáns belt and always has been, as far as I can tell.

Melchett
Check your PM's
Regards B15

Mmm, I wonder if WOs had a GC with belt then?

I must admit I was pretty dismayed, when researching costume for a film production recently, to find that the greatcoat was no longer current. This is probably all down to having been brought up on world war 2 movies and gaining the unassailable impression that all military people wear big impressive coats, but also because it helps avoid the whole leather jacket/Top Gun style impression I was trying so hard not to give.

So, it's rather nice to discover that my character could probably wear a greatcoat if she could get her hands on one.

Marvellous. I'll now go back to scouring the vintage clothing stores for a WW2 era German dispatch rider's coat, which has got to be one of the all time great pieces of outerwear. Unfortunately, very few WW2 era German dispatch riders were as tall as me...

- Phil

I've got and RAF Officers greatcoat that I no longer need now that I'm a civvie- I'll check the size etc. when I get a chance. It's big-ish as I'm 6ft tall and it was designed for someone of average/larger build (42-44 chest I seem to recall).

Make me an offer.

Finally retrieved it.

No sizes on it but I am six feet tall and take a 44" chest in jackets etc.

It's in good nick, has Flt Lt insignia and Queens buttons.

The coat was made by "R. E. City, of London (8 branches)" using cloth by "Crombie of Aberdeen, to Air Ministry standard".

What's it worth then chaps?

Those greatcoats were excellent in cold weather (but as for those 'pregnant women' airman's raincoats when I was a hairy No 2 BD-wearer...) The only bit of kit I had to hand back in again when I left except for my webbing.

Melchett
Check my post 21 Nov
Regards B15

You could try an old girlfriend of mine. She stole the one I was issued to me!!

here's a couple posted on ebay .....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Raf-Officer-Gr...em220067118567

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RAF-Officers-C...em120069849917

I wonder if joan1833 is newt's old girlfriend? ..... :)