During WW2, those Belgians who had escaped Nazi occupation and fled to the UK essentially became part of the British army, and many would serve in special forces units, most notably 5th SAS and No. 10 Commando. In the immediate post-war period, the Belgians would establish their own army, including a Paracommando regiment formed around a core of these 5th SAS veterans. This special forces unit would experiment with a number of variations of denison smocks before setting on the now ubiquitous moon & balls iteration. This is a very rare example of the first version, likely made in England around 1946-7. It features many of facets of the British 2nd pattern smock including brass Newey press studs, which were discontinued in 1948 and replaced for nickel. Notably, the throat closure zipper has been swapped for buttons, and the pockets squared off slightly. But the standout feature is the handpainted camouflage. Similar to the first pattern British denison, this appears to have been done with a paintbrush, and similarly has faded extensively though onto a much greener base fabric. This pattern of smock is incredibly rare, and likely produced in very small numbers, most of which would have seen service with the Belgian & Luxembourgian BUNC in Korea.
Condition
This is in well used but solid condition. There is some light staining and marks throughout but no significant damage. It's missing the top button, but these British buttons are easily available and easy to replace.
Size
- Marked as a size 2
- Fits like a large
- Pit to pit 28"
- Shoulder to shoulder 22"
- Shoulder to cuff 22"
- Collar to hem 30"