Original 1944 Dated British Army Denim Parachutists Oversmock - 9 Para

An original 1944 Dated British Army Denim Parachutists Over smock which belonged to Harold Ronald Thorold who served with the 9th Parachute regiment during the Second World War.

14859388 Private Thorold enlisted in the East Surrey regiment in late 1944 before transfering into A company of the 9th Parachute regiment at the beginning of 1945. He stayed with the regiment in the immediate post-war years as did many soldiers waiting to be demobbed when the war was finished. He went to Palestine with the regiment in 1946 and was at Haifa where he was stationed until the middle of 1947. He was transferred to 30 Platoon S Company at some stage as these details are written inside one of his battledress jackets which were found with the smock. Originally born in Lambeth in 1926, Harold joined the 9th Battalion (eastern counties) Parachute Regiment and stayed living near Ipswich after the war. Harold passed away at the beginning of 2022 and this smock, along with other uniform items, were found on his property.

Officially designated 'Jacket, Parachutist 1942 Pattern', this item was intended to be worn over the top of the denison smock when parachuting out of an aircraft. This was an early piece of British airborne design and like many other pieces from this period, it clearly takes its influence from the German Fallschirmjäger paratroopers uniform.  

The jacket is made from a green coloured denim material and features a brass 'Swift' branded zipper with pendant shaped puller to the front. Two small pockets are fitted to the front which are intended to house No. 36 Mills Bombs and there is a large fishtail to the rear which passes through the legs and fastens at the front on brass press studs which are marked 'Newey'.

What is particularly nice about this example is that the original owner has added some artwork to the left breast depicting a German V1 doodlebug, or 'Buzz Bomb', below which is the word 'Buzz'. It is possible that Buzz was the original owner's nickname and the detail of the drawing is very nice.

Inside the smock is the original label which is bright and legible. It states the size as No. 3 and the maker's name as 'Dunlop Rubber Co Ltd'. Below this is the 1944 date and the War Department broad arrow marking. As well as this there is a War Department acceptance stamp which is surmounted by the letter 'M' which confirms 1944 as the year of issue.

The jacket is in used condition and has some holes which are illustrated in the pictures. The material is still strong which will not change as long as it is well looked after. There are also some limited signs of wear and use etc but overall it displays quite well. Please study the pictures before purchasing and bear in mind that it is a vintage item so may have small issues commensurate with age. 

A nice original example which is attributed and has some fantastic period applied artwork.