What's all this about a "Onesie" ?

Interesting thread, It appears it is all in the wearing, in Rons photo he is looking very stylish, cool ,or dope as they say now.
Owing the garment, the collar nicely folded ,cuffs not to tight better fit in length.
Your Beret is interesting it looks like the earlier larger type rather than the later smaller fitting type.
Combover looks like he is in shock wearing his.

 

Sigcollector

Interesting thread, It appears it is all in the wearing, in Rons photo he is looking very stylish, cool ,or dope as they say now.
Owning the garment, the collar nicely folded ,cuffs not to tight better fit in length.
Your Beret is interesting it looks like the earlier larger type rather than the later smaller fitting type.
Combover looks like he is in shock wearing his.
Firstly, thanks for your comments.

As the Japanese stamp collector used to say
"Philately will get you anywhere !"

It is no secret that I loved my old tank suit and perhaps it shows in the pic.

I am also interested in the comment you made about the beret.

You are spot on with your observation !

Today's versions are quite deficient in "flopover" and I notice this when I am wearing the modern version on parade and I find myself tugging at the fold to bring it down lower, if you know what I mean.

Finally, Combover was only trying to show us what his new find looked like so it may be a tad unfair to question the fit

Best regards

Ron

 

World War Two berets were what is now referred to as 'large crown' - hats of most types in the British Army have got smaller since then. Modern Tam o' Shanters are now much, much smaller than they were in the war.

Berets now look like skull caps in comparison.

 

Sorry combover just an obsevation, sorry if it sounded harsh.

Here is an example I have, made in 1944 it has quite a small crown as as others I have seen 1944-45 dated this came from a NZAC vet. I only was able to get this beret the rest of the items were sold to a collector, including another beret and his battle dress uniform.

I did have a nice 1941 dated Black Armoured Beret but someone offered me to much cash and I parted with it , I should have kept it, and it had a large crown like Rons one and other photographs I have seen.

 

Sorry combover just an obsevation, sorry if it sounded harsh.


Don't worry about it, I look like that all the time. -_-

To be fair there are a few things you should know:

1. Ron is wearing his BD underneath. I think I had an Aertex shirt and my undercrackers. That's all. The full thing with BD would 'fill out' much better.

2. Trying to find original stuff in my size is a bit of a pain with the rarer items, although that Tankie's suit is 'my size' aparently.

3. Even if Ron were to have worn his back-to-front and inside-out, he'd still look better in his than I do in mine.

 

Here is an example I have, made in 1944 it has quite a small crown as as others I have seen 1944-45 dated this came from a NZAC vet.

I suspect your beret is not a wartime beret. J. Compton Sons & Webb Ltd when written in the arched format is an indication of this being a fake. Also, the zig-zag stitching to the liner indicates that this is a post war beret that has been marked up. Sorry.

 

Ive heard tales that if you get two tank (pixie) suits, they can be zipped together to make a very comfortable and efficeint sleeping bag.

Has anyone else heard of this?

It strikes me as odd because i dont think anyone would be able to get hold of 2 suits at any one time in the field. eben folded neatly they are bulky can imagine tank crew finding sufficient space to stow spares.

I have few in my collection so if im bored over the weekend i mite try it out and post photo's of the results.

 

The idea that you can unzip and then re-zip a pixie suit into a sleeping bag has been around for a while now. Never heard the one about zipping two together although this may be urban-modification-territory. Because the Pixie suit has two larg zips runnign the full length of the suit, and it can be opened up fully it does 'look' like it could be re-zipped ina sleeping-bag-like configuration. In reality it doesn't really work because it is too tight to move around in and is open at both ends. I rather suspect that most folks used it the same way Ron did, as an extra, lined' groundsheet and this is where the idea that it can be used as a sleeping bag came from.

It recently emerged that the term 'Pixie suit' was created in the 60s/70s by collectors in a few publications and is not a period name for it. However it was referred to as 'teddybear suit' during the design stages.

In the last few days I've been alerted to a 1945 dated document that refers to the 'Oversuit, Tank' as a Pixie suit...proving beyond doubt that it was a term used during the war. Ah well!

 

In reality it doesn't really work because it is too tight to move around in and is open at both ends

Its too cold in the garage to do the welding i planned for the armoured car today...so ive ended up playing with pixie suits instead.

I can confirm that a single suit does not make a good sleeping bag. The only way would be to wear it at the shoulders and have the legs zipped together to give a bit more room down below. I cant see any advantages over just wearing it in standard form.

However, if you can get two suits then its a different ball game. Lots of room to move about in and the bottom end can be sort of fastened up with the pop studs on the leg ends. However its a lot of faff with stiff zips and if they are encrusted with mud etc i doubt if i would be bothered.

That said the configuration reminded me of my youth on camping trips when two sleeping bags would be combined to house an additional young lady! In this eventuality i would say the 2 pixie suit arrangement would be just the ticket

 

This thread has prompted memories of sleeping on the cold, hard ground in Italy.

We were issued with four blankets.

We soon learned that if you wished to wake up in the morning, the secret was to use at least two blankets underneath you and the remainder on top.

The tank suit made a welcome addition at times like these.

Ron

 

Hi Combover.

Thanks for the heads up, it looks like I was conned on the Tankie Beret.
I have had it for over 10 years so I can not get my money back sadly...

FRUITCAKE... re the Pvt comment you sent me.. It was not a personal attack on "combover" it was more a comparison on how the uniform item, was worn.
As I have an interest in uniforms and equipment.

I have looked at Combovers overs reenactment pics, he does a great job and looks the part.

Jonathan