HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND DETAILS ABOUT THE PRODUCT
Under this item we are providing to you the economy wool Battledress Trousers, 1940 Pattern, which were sometimes named as 1940 Pattern (Austerity) or even 1942 Pattern what is incorrect. Trousers were introduced into British Royal Army in accordance with Specification U/1076B from January 2, 1943. Trousers have been simplified and all buttons were replaced by plastic (composite or vegetable ivory) buttons pattern C.A. 5377. The parts of British Battledress were for Czechoslovak Military Units in USSR delivered via Murmansk (Arkhangelsk) Run from Great Britain. Also, these ones were used by Czechoslovak officers which were arriving to USSR from Great Britain or Middle East. The British Battledress, 1940 Pattern has been used in USSR from fall 1943 even to the end of WW2.
We
discussed with some customers about the tone of color the used plastic buttons pattern
C.A. 5377 and from this reason we have decided to issue following instructions.
As the color of plastic (composite/vegetable ivory) buttons pattern C.A. 5377 was
defined by the specification as a drab color the tone of color was not specified
in details for instance as olive drab, brown drab, field drab, etc. We can
understand that situation is creating a hard time to specify the exact tone of color.
The plastic buttons pattern C.A. 5377 were manufactured by British private
companies, e.g. Lacrinoid Products Ltd. London (before known as London Buttons
Co.), Dormer Plastics Ltd., etc. Nowadays we can find on the market the evidences
that even these companies were not on the same page with the tone of drab color
what is fully understandable because non specified drab color could have very
wide color spectrum from light brown color via khaki color to olive green color.
From this reason we are not trying to find any logical order in tones of drab
color but trying to go out those ones which were common in WWII. So far we have
seen so many original WWII plastic buttons pattern C.A. 5377 even pattern C.A.
2253 (revolving shank buttons) in several tones of drab colors that we cannot accept
the opinion that these buttons should have just dark brown or just brown, khaki,
olive drab or whatever brownish or greenish color. As we would like to follow in
our business the clear historical background as much as we can, and we cannot be
focused just at one tone of olive green or brown drab color, etc. from the
above-mentioned WWII era British plastic buttons point of view.