Khaki Drill
North Africa and the Mediterranean
North Africa and the Mediterranean
British Commonwealth infantry manning a sandbagged defensive position near El Alamein, 17 July 1942.
In the early campaigns in North Africa and the Mediterranean theatre, British troops wore khaki drill (KD) shorts or slacks with long sleeved Aertex shirts. The tan color, paler shade of KD was more suited to desert or semi-desert regions than the "dark khaki" or brown serge used in Battle dress. When the Allies moved up through Italy, however, two-piece khaki denim battledress overalls where increasingly preferred. By 1943, the KD shirt began to be replaced by a more durable cotton KD bush jacket.
Far East
Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, GOC of Malaya at the time of the Japanese invasion, wearing the officer's KD bush jacket
Lt Gen. Arthur Percival, led by a Japanese officer, walks under a flag of truce to negotiate the capitulation of Allied forces in Singapore, on February 15, 1942. All wear standard KD with shorts.
In the Far East, the British found themselves at war with the Japanese while equipped with the impractical KD uniform. Shirts and trousers had to be dyed green as a temporary expedient until more suitable jungle clothing became available. A new tropical uniform in Jungle Green (JG) was quickly developed a JG Aertex battledress blouse, a JG Aertex bush jacket (as an alternative to the blouse) and battledress trousers in JG cotton drill. In the hot and humid conditions of Southeast Asia, JG darkened with sweat almost immediately.
Post World War Two
The 2/5th Royal Gurkha Rifles in JG marching through Kure soon after their arrival in Japan in May 1946 as part of the Allied forces of occupation.
Field Marshal (UK) Claude Auchinleck as C-in-C of the British Indian Army, with the then Viceroy Wavell and Montgomery. All in the full dress variant of KD.
The khaki Battledress was used until the late 1960s, and various uniform items in KD, JG and OG remained on issue to soldiers serving in the Mediterranean, Middle East or tropics after the war. By the end of the 1940s, however, stocks were becoming depleted, and a new 1950-pattern tropical uniform was made available in both KD and JG. It was poorly designed, with an ill fitting bush jacket in the much-maligned Aertex, and suspender buckles that dug in to the hips when marching in full kit. Eventually the much more practical Gurkha regiments JG shirt was copied, replacing the 1950-pattern bush jacket. All the same, troops still sought out the older, wartime, issues of the better KD, JG and OG kit.
See also
Battledress
military uniforms
Khaki
References
^ Burns, Michael G. (1992). British Combat Dress Since 1945. Arms & Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-984-9.
DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material by Hardy Blechman and Alex Newman, DPM Ltd. (2004) ISBN 0-9543404-0-X
Behrens, Roy R. (2002). FALSE COLORS: Art, Design and Modern Camouflage. Bobolink Books. ISBN 0-9713244-0-9.
Khaki: Uniforms of the CEF by Clive M. Law (Service Publications, 1998).
Dressed to Kill: Canadian Army Uniforms in World War Two by Michael Dorosh (Service Publications, 2001). ISBN 1-894581-07-5
Khaki Drill and Jungle Green: British Army Uniforms in the Mediterranean & Asia 1939-1945, In Color Photographs by: Richard Ingrams and Martin Brayley, 144 pages Crowood Press (UK) ISBN 9781861263605External linkswww.canadiansoldiers.com: extensive discussion of Canadian Army uniforms, insignia, and traditions from 1900-2000Site which offers KD reproductionsCanadian forces Military Police Museum site with lotsa picsvdeFabricWovenAertex Airdura Airguard Barathea Barkcloth Batiste Bedford cord Bengaline silk Beta cloth Bombazine Broadcloth Buckram Bunting Burlap C change Calico Cambric Canvas Chambray Capilene Char cloth Charmeuse Charvet Cheesecloth Chiffon Chino Cloth of gold Duck Coutil Crape Cretonne Dazzle Denim Dimity Dowlas Drill Drugget Foulard Flannel Gabardine Gauze Ghalamkar Gingham Grenadine Grenfell Cloth Grosgrain Habutai Haircloth Harris Tweed Herringbone Himroo Hodden Irish linen Jamdani Kerseymere Khd Khaki Khaki drill Kente cloth Lam Lawn Linsey-woolsey Loden Lumalive Mackinaw Madapolam Madras Moleskin Moquette Muslin Nainsook Nankeen Ninon Oilskin Organdy Organza Osnaburg Ottoman Oxford Percale Pongee Poplin Rakematiz Rayadillo Rep Rinzu Ripstop Ripstop nylon Russell cord Saga Nishiki Samite Sateen Satin Saye Scarlet Seersucker Serge Scrim Stuff Taffeta Toile Tucuyo Tweed Twill Ultrasuede Ventile Vinyl coated polyester Viyella Voile Wigan Whipcord Windstopper Zephyr ZorbeezFigured wovenBrocade Camlet Damask SongketPile wovenBaize Chenille Corduroy Crimplene Fustian Plush Polar fleece Terrycloth Velours du Kasa Velvet Velveteen ZibelineNonwovenFeltKnittedBoiled wool Coolmax Machine knitting Milliskin Jersey VelourNettedBobbinet Carbon fiber Fishnet Lace Mesh Needlerun Net Ninon TulleTechnicalBan-Lon Darlexx Gannex Gore-Tex Smartwool Silnylon Spandex Stub-tex SympaTexPatternsArgyle Herringbone Houndstooth Paisley Pin stripes Plaid/Tartan TattersallTextile fibersAcrylic Alpaca Angora Cashmere Coir Cotton Hemp Jute Kevlar Linen Mohair Nylon Microfiber Olefin Pashmina Polyester Pia Ramie Rayon Sea silk Silk Sisal Spandex Spider silk WoolFinishing and printingBatik Beetling Bglanfini Calendering Finishing Fulling Mercerization Moire Roller printing Sanforization Textile printing Woodblock printingRelatedDyeing Fiber History of textiles History of silk Knitting Pandy Synthetic fabric Technical fabric Terminology Manufacturing Preservation Weaving YarnCategories: Military uniforms Khaki DrillBy: weihua
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