Australia adopted the woollen battledress for its forces after the Second World War. The material chosen was finer and of higher quality than its British equivalent, but the battledress seems to have mainly been used for ceremonial wear during the 1950s before being replaced with more modern uniform designs from the 1960s onwards. Previously we have looked at the battledress blouse for this set, and today we consider the matching trousers:

Although clearly based on British practice, the details are very different. The cuff of each trouser leg are adjustable with a pair of cloth tabs and two brown plastic buttons:

A pair of tabs and stamped friction buttons at the waist allow adjustment of the sizing:

A large patch pocket is sewn to the left thigh, with a concealed button to secure it:

The same brown plastic buttons used elsewhere on the battledress are used to secure the fly and the waist band:

Buttoned belt loops are provided all around the waist and a pair of pockets are fitted to the seat of the trousers:

A single white label with sizing and date (1953) is sewn into the inside of the waistband:

This now gives me a complete set of Australian battledress with both blouse and trousers:

I still need shirt, anklets and slouch hat but I am on my way to an impressive post-war Australian impression, much like this smart soldier: