Denim Tank Suit
 

Original wartime and post-WWII denim tank suits used to be available to purchase in the UK in the 1980s.

I photographed my brother-in-law striking a wartime pose with mine in the late 1980s.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e3...ps02425448.jpg

postage
 

I am sorry for taking time. Here are some basic postage figures to get the idea of delivery costs. The coverall weights 2,1kg. The post delivers parcels up to 30kg.

Postage for 1 coverall:
USA surface 461,-CZK = +/- 19USD DHL Service 50,40 USD
Canada surface 500CZK = +/-25,50 CND
UK surface 523CZK = +/-14,1GBP PPL service 29,50GBP
I can look up different weight rates shall you need to combine postage or want more pieces.

Economy parcel to USA 30kg = 117,80USD i.e for 14 coveralls

Nobody´s so far sent the sizes they want. The sooner we get the idea of the order size structure the sooner Daniel can optimise the first batch and deliver. Measure yourself up according to the diagram I put here to avoid different styles of measuring and pick your size. Only if your figure is odd and cannot find a suitable size contact me with measurements (these would take longer as it would require new patterns made)

Dusan one of my guys had a question about the measuring chart. Are the measurements listed on the chart the actual size of the suit or are they maximum measurements of the person ordering?

I also gave my guys till the end of next week for them to return their needed sizes. I will forward the list to you when I have it.

Thanks for helping us with this!

Eric, the sizes in the chart are actual sizes of the suit, taken from seams and ends. The best would be to take on a suit and compare the figures. Note these are in centimeters.

Will lay on the floor and have the wife measure me!!
 

Good news Dusonn

Will be ordering two.

Eric B. should we arrange for a combined shipment to Canada...?

Bob C.

Duson,

Thanks for posting this. I will send measurements shortly.

With many tall people in Holland you should be able to sell large sizes here as the wartime clothing often is too small.

Regards
Hanno

A lot of 15 Recce folks are away at an event this weekend.


When they are back and thawed out from the field tactical, I will beat on them to get their measurements in, or at least to declare a standard size to order.

Cheers, Jim

Here is my order.
 

I have measured civilian workshop coverall and compared to the Canadian sizing label attached to my old coverall.

According to my calculations the size 6 is approx. a 46 tall....size 7 a 48 tall....

I am 6'2" (188cm) 220 pounds ( 100 K)
42 waist (109cm)

I want to make sure that there is some room for shrinkage and possibly a heavy sweater on cold days.
I can wear a size 6 over jeans and a heavy shirt but very tight as Joyce had to peel it off my back when finished.


So here is my order....
---2 denim green tank crew suits size 7.

Also I would be interested in having 2 of the same tank suits size 7 made with tan denim IF you can show me a sample of the color..... wash and faded color is fine.

They will be shipped to Ottawa Canada will provide detailed address when you are ready.

Thanks

OK Dusan here are the sizes needed for the recce group in Virginia:

Size 4 - 2
Size 5 - 5
Size 6 - 2
Size 7 - 1
Size 8 - 1

Those would all be shipped to me in Virginia.

Let us know how to proceed Dusan.

Jim it would be best to have the ones for you guys up north shipped direct to you separate from our order.

FYI only off Ebay
 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-WW2...item3a941983a9

Seller is in Hong Kong....?

Jungle Tank Suit
 

The Jungle Tank Suit is different from the denim Tank Suit and was not worn in NW Europe. Besides the different material and colour, the Jungle Tank Suit has a 'trap door' in the back and they are dated 1945.

Trap door......
 

...could be very convenient for a Oudini emergency evacuation.

I guess I will have to repaint my truck in some sand color and claim to be part of a Qiwi detatchment.

Bob C

Any new developments...?
 

Any body else considering to make an order.....?

What's new Dusan???

Bob C

I was hoping that Jim would have had an order for the other half of the group up North.

Sorry.. consumed with a work project working nights and weekends until just yesterday. Met my deliverables! And out sick today blast. I will pick up a normal human life in th enxt couple of days and contact the others who had promised to make orders as well as place my own.

Saved for future reference:

Dusan,

I measured up my coverall today. See the label, it is of recent manufacture, according to EN 340: 2003 - Protective Clothing – General Requirements (now superseded by EN ISO 13688: 2013), which (among other things) sets standards for Size Designation based on standard body dimensions. Might be worthwhile for your friend to list his garments according to international standards so it is easier to sell to interested parties across the globe.

Attachment 72429

Reason for me to wear a new coverall is due to the fact that I have not been able to find a WW2 (style) one as I am quite long (1,96 m), even by today's standards. So I would be happy to buy and wear a repro coverall, also because I think the wartime dated ones should be preserved as much as possible and not worn out.

So here are the measurements from a Dutch & German size 58 / British size 116:

1. shoulder width: 60 cm
2. chest girth: 69 cm
3. waist girth: 59 cm
4. sleeve length: 67 cm
5. inner leg length: 86 cm
6. neck to crotch: 103 cm

Apart from the shoulder width, it looks like a size 7 or 8 would fit?

Please let us know about the status of current stock and/or planned manufacture.

Thanks!
Hanno

Dusan

Did you get my message about these tank suits - is it possible to have a material sample please before we order any please?

Cheers

Tim

Tank crew suit
 

Dusan,

I would like to order one denim green tank crew suit, size 7. Please let me know the details for payment and postage.

Thanks, Peter

Tank suits for Ontario, Canada
 

Dusan,

I would be interested in two suits. I'm playing catch up this morning on MLU while my family is still sleeping! I will measure myself and Jim on Monday.

For some reason, I can not locate the size chart. Is it because I am viewing the MLU site on a Mac?

Peter, could we combine your order with ours? It would be a good excuse for me to drop by this spring!

Cheers, Richard.

Tank suit
 

Richard, You would be most welcome. I have yet to hear from Dusann regarding the particulars of placing the order. Peter

Can someone please share the details on the outcome of this venture?

I am tired so forgive me, but what is the price of a denim tank suit you are selling ?

Has it been established if they are jungle issue or correct NWE issue ?

No response
 

Michael,

I never did receive a response to my queries. Peter

It died on the vine.......
 

Numbers were collected and measurements for size submitted BUT nothing more was heard.

Still seems to be some interested buyers out there but finding a reliable source for both the fabrication and the material seems to be problematic......

Personally I would take 2 or 3 if the prices seemed fair......

I remember the experience of Stew Loy with having some cargo covers done for the C / F15a and the issue was to get enough buyers put some deposit forward to cover the cost of buying/importing the minimum raw material...... and we were talking only one size.....with the coverall we are faced with various sizes... short and tall..... European versus NA sizes....

Then you need someone who can do or has access to professional seamstresses which are a dying breed today..... then shipping becomes an issue unless done bulk from Europe to NA or Australia.

What Price Glory, a USA based, uniform reproducers has some very light fabric coverall but more suitable to tropical climate than NA and European motor pools.

Any wild ideas welcomed.

Bob C

Did anything ever come of the vendor?

I connected last week with a shop in Pakistan that specializes in military hats. On a lark, I asked about clothing and they said they did them.

I told him of our efforts to get real green denim versions of the AFV crew suit made and sent him a close up of some real, unissued fabric.

He said he could get it. ( I want to see it!!)

Long story short - I sent him one of my cotton twill repros to use as a pattern. I also sent over a size 5 Pixie suit ( one of the Dutch post war) as a pattern.

The plan is to get a single one of each made matching samples of original fabric I sent him.

I will check for construction quality and fit and how close the fabric matches. I have stressed that the green denim needs to be real warp and weft proper denim.

However, if they do a good construction job on the AFV Crewsuit but have to use cotton twill dyed the right color, - and the price is right - I would probably go ahead with some orders as I have new clubmembers so bloody tall that nothing from the first batch will fit anyone.

Sizing - Problem first time around was that people took their measurements over a t-shirt and underwear or jeans. The crewsuits fit like shirts.

Not quite a problem for the denim ones as we wear them hear with just skivvies due to the summer heat. Often over 40C or 100F

But for the winter Pixies, you need more ease to get them over layers of thermals, BD, jersey, BD jacket, and still have the room to bend to get through the hatch and into your seats.

I have a size 6 that is larger than my real measurements and I can't wear the full set of winter clothes and bend over.

SO going by the label in the wrist doesn't seem to work.

Any suggestions? Right now, I just have to put it all on, and measure over that.

Key to any coverall type - flight suit, boiler suit, crewsuit, etc, is the torso height - crotch to neck. I wore flight suits for 18 years int he Navy and the crotch was always lower than with trousers. Otherwise, you sang falsetto when you had to scrunch up your legs to climb something.

Nice job Jim....
 

.....let us know when you are taking orders........ and how you want the measurements.

In my expereince the military only had two sizes of the black motor pool coveralls..... too small and short or two large and baggy.

Cheers

I did reach out the Czech company that dusan put us onto. It took them a long time (several weeks actually) to respond but they don't have anything but small sizes in stock. Said they will restock this summer at some point.

I hope the guy Jim is working with gets the right stuff and can make a decent suit!

coverall
 

Guys I am very sorry for not looking after this issue. I have had some personal issues and been very busy so had not come to this forum very often. I had passed over your inquiries to Daniel - the vendor at the time but he was very slow in responses and there were some problems with the dressmaker so I stoped asking eventually. I am a bit ashamed to let you guys down after so many possitive responses. I am over the hard things and can finally spend more time for hobbies now so will talk to Daniel over phone tomorrow and see if I can find out more than Eric did on these tanksuits. I know he still has quite a good stock of the denim.

Hi Dusan,

There is interest from our group in the Netherlands for these overalls as well.
Please keep us updated and ask if it is possible to have some made in time for Normandy. Thank you!

Cheers,