An insight in to what the average British Airborne soldier wore & carried at Arnhem in 1944. Patreon:- / livinghistoryuk PayPal Donate: www.paypal.com... Patreon: / livinghistoryuk
I knew an old British para called Don who lived in Paignton 15 years ago. He was a working class man but one of nature's true gentlemen - soft spoken, dressed impeccably, always tipped. He was one of the first 100 British paratroop volunteers, but never dropped operationally. This was because in 1940 the RAF wanted to know if it was practicable to parachute into the sea with the Mae West life jacket already inflated. Don was the volunteer selected to test this. The impact drove the Mae West upwards with great force, damaged his neck seriously and knocked him unconscious. He was too badly injured to jump again, but his experience may have saved a lot of aircrew lives.
Great video. Thanks. I've just bought a SOF Denison Smock, and I'm guessing that's what you have here. My first impression is that the dyes used are more vivid than the originals. They also have that sateen sheen that makes them look unnatural. Do they fade with wash and wear to attain a lighter, matted look?