Army Jumpers

[Silver Bear]

Re: Army Jumpers

I have an embarrassing number of British Army ‘woolly pullies’ and daren’t count them. Also Guernseys and submariners’ cream rollneck wool jumpers.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Army Jumpers

I used to get mine from a shop in Lichfield and a kind of portacabin in a scrapyard near Fradley. It was all genuine, used surplus stuff and cheap as chips. Coats, trousers, jumpers, boots and so forth. I also have some darker green ex-West German Army shirts, which are probably mid-80s maybe earlier as I have had them since the late 80s. You might be familiar with them, they have epaulettes and a small German flag patch high on each sleeve. I just can't wear them out.

There used to be a lot of those portacabins. I used to have a West German Army jumper - similar colour to the British but a tighter knit. I’ve owned several of those dark green shirts over the years but these are rare departures from British surplus clothing, which I generally stick to. Lichfield’s a nice town.

[staffslad]

Re: Army Jumpers

Staffslad, I couldn’t agree more about the merits of military surplus clothing. My suppliers are Silverman’s in the East End and the Camping and Surplus Store near Waterloo. I have also very often bought jumpers (particularly less usual colour versions such as Peat Brown, Rifle Green or Dark Grey) from a firm in Leicester called Outdoor Knitwear. I often wear the standard olive Army or the dark blue Senior Service version but today I’m wearing the RAF one. There’s no better wool jumper; I love the ribbed wool, the patches and turn-back cuffs. The only rival is the Guernsey, one of which I’ve had for 20 years plus.

I used to get mine from a shop in Lichfield and a kind of portacabin in a scrapyard near Fradley. It was all genuine, used surplus stuff and cheap as chips. Coats, trousers, jumpers, boots and so forth. I also have some darker green ex-West German Army shirts, which are probably mid-80s maybe earlier as I have had them since the late 80s. You might be familiar with them, they have epaulettes and a small German flag patch high on each sleeve. I just can't wear them out.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Army Jumpers

I bought several Army jumpers from military surplus shops in the 80s and 90s. Always the standard olive green type. They were very warm and hardwearing even though they were used items. Military clothing is great for outdoors work and walks in bad weather. I still have an East German cold weather coat, olive green with short black disruptive lines and a pair of British Army boots. Both must be at least 30 years old and still give good service when I need them. I would say get the genuine ex-military clothing. Even if it is used the quality is far higher than the brand new knock-offs that can be bought in my opinion.

Staffslad, I couldn’t agree more about the merits of military surplus clothing. My suppliers are Silverman’s in the East End and the Camping and Surplus Store near Waterloo. I have also very often bought jumpers (particularly less usual colour versions such as Peat Brown, Rifle Green or Dark Grey) from a firm in Leicester called Outdoor Knitwear. I often wear the standard olive Army or the dark blue Senior Service version but today I’m wearing the RAF one. There’s no better wool jumper; I love the ribbed wool, the patches and turn-back cuffs. The only rival is the Guernsey, one of which I’ve had for 20 years plus.

[staffslad]

Re: Army Jumpers

I bought several Army jumpers from military surplus shops in the 80s and 90s. Always the standard olive green type. They were very warm and hardwearing even though they were used items. Military clothing is great for outdoors work and walks in bad weather. I still have an East German cold weather coat, olive green with short black disruptive lines and a pair of British Army boots. Both must be at least 30 years old and still give good service when I need them. I would say get the genuine ex-military clothing. Even if it is used the quality is far higher than the brand new knock-offs that can be bought in my opinion.

[Silver Bear]

Re: Army Jumpers

There are still shops selling military clothing, as well as things like petrol cans & all things equipment wise; except of course guns, ammunition, & rocket launchers lol

Absolutely right. There are several very good ones in London. But back in the day (cf. Richard’s earlier post) they were on pretty much every High Street.

[Twocky61]

Re: Army Jumpers

There are still shops selling military clothing, as well as things like petrol cans & all things equipment wise; except of course guns, ammunition, & rocket launchers lol

[Silver Bear]

Re: Army Jumpers

There seemed to be quite a fashion for military style things in the late 1970s-early 80s, like Clarke's Commandos shoes & radios styled like army field radios.

Of which I had both!

[Richard1978]

Re: Army Jumpers

There seemed to be quite a fashion for military style things in the late 1970s-early 80s, like Clarke's Commandos shoes & radios styled like army field radios.

[Silver Bear]

I had to start a thread about this topic because I'm using an Army jumper (aka Woolly Pully) as my avatar and because I am so noted for wearing them. They are in a sense a link with the past: I began wearing them in the 70s, starting with Army olive green, then progressing to Navy and RAF, then bottle green and other colours. I still have many of them in my wardrobe today and wear them often in the autumn, winter and spring. In the Corps at school, I also had one with the school coat of arms sewn just below one of the shoulder patches.

Do any of you have happy memories of wearing those jumpers back in the day - or like me still wear them now?