The Denison smock, first worn during World War Two, is still a firm favourite among airborne forces
Collectable Kit The Denison Smock
The Denison Smock has a long and distinguished history as the signature dress of British Airborne Forces, although from its early beginnings in World War Two it was widely worn by the Commandos, SAS and other Special Forces. The first parachute smocks were essentially faithful copies of the Fallshirmjager ‘bone sack’. These early smocks in grey-green denim featured a ‘walk in’ design as per the German originals. Soon however a purely British type was developed by Major Denison utilising a ‘tail’ that fastened between the wearers’ legs for parachuting.
This 1st pattern smock was produced with a half zip and knitted cuffs in a windproof cotton material. Cut generously to go over battledress and equipment it featured a camouflaged scheme which utilised broad green and brown stripes in a brush stroke pattern over a yellowish sand base.
While the original version was worn for the campaigns in Tunisia and Italy, in 1944 a 2nd pattern smock was produced. This featured economy measures such as replacement of the knitted cuffs with buttoned tabs and removal of the cloth cover ove…
