Original 1950s British Army 1950 Pattern Khaki Drill Shorts

An original pair of British Military 1950 Pattern Khaki Drill shorts in good condition dating from the 1950s.

This pattern of shorts came into issue with British forces at the end of the Second World War but the official pattern came into issue a couple of years later. They saw service for a number of years with the British Army and RAF. This style with the cross belt fastening is now often referred to as 'Gurkha Shorts'.

The shorts feature the cross belt closure which fasten with non standard chrome plate buckles. These are removable for washing purposes and are often missing from shorts and trousers offered on the market today. The shorts have angle slash pockets and a twin pleated front as well as no rear pockets which denote these as the 1949 pattern, rather than the more common 1950 pattern.

Inside the shorts retain their original maker's label which is partly washed out making some of the details hard to read. They appear to be marked as a size 4 which are designed to fit a 28" waist. Due to the style of the waistband the shorts are slightly adjustable. When fastened they measure -

Waist - 14"
Rise - 14 1/2"
Rear rise - 18"
Inside leg - 6 1/2"
Outside leg - 19"
Cuff - 13"

The shorts are in good condition as can be seen in the pictures. There are some signs of wear and age but overall the shorts are very wearable. Please study the pictures and bear in mind that these are pre-owned vintage shorts which may have small issues commensurate with age. 

All in all a nice pair of original 1950 pattern shorts which would make a great addition to any collection or summer wardrobe.