Ex-Army MOD kilts

[macwilkin]

Childhood nutrition is a significant factor in adult size - and I'm not talking about people being overweight. In the early part of the last century, childhood nutrition was comparatively poor for many people, and the average body size of British soldiers, for example, was smaller than it is today.

The bulkiness of modern American and British soldiers is unusal, historically-speaking. I don't mean fat - just muscle-bulky. If you watch movies of WWI or WWII, soldiers look almost universally scrawny by comparison. And, actually, it's quite striking how much bulkier American and British soliders are in comparison to Iraqi soliders, policemen, and citizens.

B

Excellent point, Barb! And to add to it, if one has ever been around uniforms from the 19th century, one will see positive proof of what Barb says -- the uniforms I worked with in the NPS would probably fit large children, but not the adults of today.

John Baynes devotes several pages of his book about the 2nd Scottish Rifles (Cameronians), "Morale: A Study of Men and Courage" to the nutitrition (or lack thereof) of Glaswegians, who made up the bulk of the Battalion. Whilst jokes about army food are very universal, Baynes maintains that to the average ranker, army food was ample, even though sometimes not the most apatizing!

It's also noteworthy that the Civil War was responsible for "off the rack" clothing, as the US Army introduced "generic" sizes (I, II, III and IV) to issue to troops.

Cheers,

Todd

[bubba]

It's also noteworthy that the Civil War was responsible for "off the rack" clothing, as the US Army introduced "generic" sizes (I, II, III and IV) to issue to troops.

Cheers,

Todd

and all of it a bad fit.

[James]

Going back to WW1, the difference in height between the average officer and the average man was several inches, in the main due to nutrition. Too it was a sad fact that the average German and French soldier was fitter than his British counterpart due to their large peasant population, compared to the British more urban recruiting pool.

Too we must not forget the bantam units.

Out of interest reading the various posts, I had a look at some of my old pictures from the 50's: and apart from a very few senior officers and long service NCO's everyone was a lot slimmer than today's servicemen.

All suggesting that there has for whatever reason been an increase in the average man's size over the last fifty years.

So whilst agreeing with Hamish that much so called MOD stock being sold is imitation: I do not find the sizes questionable in respect of outdated military clothing. Too MOD kilt can stay in the stores a very long time: in the mid sixties I indented for some replacement stores for the Vickers MMG-what turned up was perfect, yet still in its original 1917 packaging-nigh on fifty years. So I'd not be surprised if in some long lost store, there are not Boer War uniforms just waiting to be issued.

Also throughout the sixties, uniforms were being made and held in store, in case of the need to reintroduce conscription: so again that might be a source even today.


James

[macwilkin]

So whilst agreeing with Hamish that much so called MOD stock being sold is imitation: I do not find the sizes questionable in respect of outdated military clothing. Too MOD kilt can stay in the stores a very long time: in the mid sixties I indented for some replacement stores for the Vickers MMG-what turned up was perfect, yet still in its original 1917 packaging-nigh on fifty years. So I'd not be surprised if in some long lost store, there are not Boer War uniforms just waiting to be issued.

A story is told of a stevedore unit in France during the First World War, mostly African-Americans, who opened a crate of uniforms and found original Civil War Federal Army issue fatigue blouses (sack coats) and trousers, in their original packages! :mrgreen:

Cheers,

Todd