The padded cold weather clothing liners have been covered on the blog before, with a range of trousers, parka liners and smock liners. Very similar in construction to these liners, tonight we are looking at a pair of quilted Arctic extreme cold weather bootees:
These are commonly referred to as ‘duvet boots’ by troops and were issued for wear inside tents and shelters in extreme low temperatures as a form of slipper. They are made of green polyester with a padded lining, secured in with zig-zag quilting stitching:
The top edge of each bootee is secured with green tape:
Whilst stitched inside the top edge is a piece of elastic to help trap a pocket of air inside the bootee:
This pocket of air is warmed up by the wearer’s feet and acts as a very effective layer of insulation and helps keep the feet warm.
An NSN number, date and inspector’s mark are stamped into the interior of the bootee:
These seem to be dated 1990, but the stamp is so distorted that it is hard to be certain.
In this kit layout for a Royal Marine undergoing arctic training, the bootees can be seen circled:
I have struggled to find much more information on these bootees, and I cannot say when they entered service, how effective they were nor even if they are still in service. If anyone can shed further light on them, please comment below.
The design has the same wide palm as the later design, but does not incorporate the non-slip bumps so grip would be necessarily poorer:
The same separate thumb is featured in this design, as is the optional index finger section to allow a rifle to be fired:
A piece of elastic sewn into the mitten helps draw it in at the wrist:
Unusually the liner of these kittens are manufactured in blue faux-fur pile, rather than the expected green or brown:
A label is sewn inside each mitten indicating the mark number, size, manufacturer and contract number:
Whilst this design is clearly not as advanced as the MK 3, they remain a serviceable and war pair of mittens that would have worked well in extreme low temperatures and I am now intrigued to find a MK 1 to complete the evolution of this garment…
These are made from a closely woven dark blue cotton and filled with a very thick layer of insulation for warmth. The insulation is indeed so thick that the trousers have special expansion cuts on the knees to allow the wearer to even bend his legs!
A single large pocket is seen to the front of the left leg, secured with one black plastic button:
The flies fasten with further plastic buttons:
The waist is adjustable with cotton straps:
And corresponding white metal buckles (as these trousers are unissued they are still wrapped in tissue from when they were made):
The end of each trouser leg has a tab and two buttons allowing the leg to be wrapped around the ankle and fastened tight before the wearer slips his feet into boots:
The label inside indicates that this pair was manufactured in 1952 and the term ‘Vocab’ shows they were naval issue, this being the RNs store’s code system:
It is hard to identify the use of these trousers from period photographs but I think I have found a couple of images where they are being worn. In 1949 the RN undertook Arctic trials on board HMS Vengeance and here we see sailors wearing heavily padded trousers which look to be the same pattern as the set above:
Like a pair of Y-front underpants they have a separate gusset over the crotch to ensure there are no seams at this potentially uncomfortable spot:
A light grey-green elastic waist band secures the drawers at the top:
Whilst the bottom of each leg is also drawn in to help trap the layer of air within the garment:
A standard label is sewn into the back of the waistband of the drawers, in this case quite badly faded:
Six different sizes of this garment were produced, as can be seen in this extract from the store’s catalogue:
In a military context this method of skiing is hugely beneficial as troops are often carrying heavy loads and weapons and need to ski in mountainous areas. By having the heel easily removed from the ski it is possible to walk in the skis which makes it much easier to navigate Arctic terrain. In order to work with Telemark skis, a special type of boot is needed and it is a pair of these ski march boots we are looking at tonight:
The most distinctive features of these boots are the square toes that slot into the front bindings of the ski:
And a large groove around the heel that allows the spring rear clip on the ski to be easily attached or detached:
The base of the soles of these boots are made of rubber with decent grips for use on the ice. Note the brand name for these boots, ‘Skeesol’:
At the heel a leather loop is fitted to help when pulling on the boots:
This design of boots was used for many years, but this example is dated 1986 and the details are stamped inside the boot along with an NSN number:
This design of boot has now been replaced with more modern patterns from companies such as ALCO, but still remains popular amongst some cross country skiers due to how robust it is. This is another great addition to my little Arctic Warfare collection and I just need to get the skis to go with it…
These can also be lifted up and fastened to the top of the hat, much like a deerstalker:
Velcro is fitted to the two flaps to allow either position to be adopted:
The cap has a peak on the front of it, with a piece of wire fitted all along the brim:
This wire allows the peak to be adjusted to suit the wearer’s preference and it will stay in that position. This is especially useful in the winter where winds are strong and the soldier’s hands are probably full with equipment and can’t be used to adjust the peak constantly.
A piece of elastic is also included inside that helps keep the hat secure to the wearer’s head:
An elasticated chin strap is fitted as well. Even just trying this on the strap was annoying so I would not be surprised if this elastic was frequently taken out in service:
A standard label is sewn into the hat, here showing that this example is a ‘large’:
Note also the colour of the fleece lining to the cap, here is a pale coyote brown. Earlier examples came with a black lining and at some point they swapped the colours over. Presumably this was because if worn with the flaps up, the black would show up like a sore thumb in the snow. These caps are very well made and like much modern British Army Goretex equipment they are very popular with hikers as a cheaper way of getting top quality wind and waterproof clothing. At the price this was a very nice addition to my collection.
The hood itself is padded with a quilted liner and has wire around the front to allow it to be shaped to suit the wearer’s preferences:
Large baggy patch pockets are sewn to the front of the parka, secured with green plastic buttons:
A heavy duty zip with a Velcro fly is fitted to the front of the parka:
And two buttons are sewn to the lower front skirt of the garment:
These are to allow a tail flap to be passed between the legs, much like the parachutist’s smock and fastened to the front. However where the parachutists smock used press studs, this example uses large buttons. When the flap is not needed it buttons into the inside rear of the parka:
The same buttons go through two button holes to also act as the fastening for the large soft kit pocket that runs all across the back of the parka:
The parka is designed to be worn with a liner, so large patches of Velcro are sewn into the inside of the garment:
These are the loop half and the corresponding hook part of the Velcro is on the outside of the liner to allow the two pieces to be attached together.
The cuffs are unusual in having a tab with Velcro to secure them:
This design allows the wearer to tighten the cuffs, even when wearing heavy arctic mittens.