I have always felt sorry for the Brit & Canadian troops in the hot Normandy summer in 1944 wearing heavy wool battledress in the sweltering heat , loaded with a pack, entrenching equipment, ammo and their weapons marching , running , digging in under fire , I can’t imagine how this hot heavy wool battledress must of wore troops out in the heat , in Italy the troops wore khaki drill uniforms which were much more comfortable, lighter and cooler , also my dad was in Normandy, though not infantry, but armour, he talked about wearing a denim uniform, apparently the British did have denims , but I never have seen the infantry in Normandy wearing denims
Hot battledress in Normandy
- Thread starter x westie
- Start date
Tough to get it right. It gets cold at night, esp when you are out sleeping in a shell scrape. Wool is a classic choice; warm, wicks persperation and can retain body heat. Pity the Germans; many of those bu99ers were rounded up wearing greatcoats in addition to their wool uniforms.
Rod B
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Tough to get it right. It gets cold at night, esp when you are out sleeping in a shell scrape. Wool is a classic choice; warm, wicks persperation and can retain body heat. Pity the Germans; many of those bu99ers were rounded up wearing greatcoats in addition to their wool uniforms.
I remember the old great coats. They were heavy when dry, I can't imagine the weight when wet.
My dad talked about wasps or hornets too, guys in the battalion getting stung ,face all swollen up, the hot weather definitely does bring on the wasps and hornets ,
Canadian troops posing with a captured German flag, near Hautmesnil, France, 10 Aug 1944
That’s a great photo Of Canadian troops wearing wool battledress, and high top boots , sometimes called 3rd division or Invasion boots ,
Coyote Ugly
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
X2 I do the same
stencollector
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- shilo MB, the armpit of Canada
I wore the wool uniforms from the cadets in the 70s, which was similar to the WW2 battledress. Towards the latter half of the decade, most units got green work dress type uniforms, but the unit I was with resisted the change. I went to a summer camp where we were all issued the green, but at the end of the summer, I recall on a final parade, wearing the wool uniform on a very very hot day. You could actually feel the breeze going through the wool, which was nice. The others, wearing the nylon, would not have had that luxury.
I also remember going to Cypress in the late 80s. The Turks wore a similar uniform to the battledress. You would come to a checkpoint and it was 110° out. The Turks would be fully dressed in the battledress with the top button done up, and the rifle carried or pointed. If you came to a Greek checkpoint, you often had to wait for the guy to come out of his hut, no tunic, his rifle and helmet would be on a nearby picnic table. I had no doubt how the fight would have ended had the Turks decided to go for it all.
I also remember going to Cypress in the late 80s. The Turks wore a similar uniform to the battledress. You would come to a checkpoint and it was 110° out. The Turks would be fully dressed in the battledress with the top button done up, and the rifle carried or pointed. If you came to a Greek checkpoint, you often had to wait for the guy to come out of his hut, no tunic, his rifle and helmet would be on a nearby picnic table. I had no doubt how the fight would have ended had the Turks decided to go for it all.
