Bill Kelso Werber 'Ultra Vintage Horsehide'. 2013 - Found the pics....

[Nickb123]

Once had a Japanese fellow get in wearing an A2, was meant to be having a meeting in the back of the Taxi, but I interrupted him to talk about his A2. Told me that’s all he wears and has a few, when I asked him who the maker was he wasn’t sure...? took jacket Off and it had the Marine Frogskin Lining, which blew me away.... checked the Label and it was BR. What a brilliant lining....View attachment 42035

strange coincidence. There's a camo-lined RMC on ebay right now being sold in Japan.

Used 2004 Real McCoys A-2 Flight Jacket HBT Duck Hunter Camo Super Rare | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Used 2004 Real McCoys A-2 Flight Jacket HBT Duck Hunter Camo Super Rare at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Pilot]

And positioned rank in the centre chest, universally employed across the World now.

For the French military ( in fatigues) only after the war in Algeria so after 1964... maybe even a bit later.
German Bundeswehr still have it on the epaulets. Others I cannot really recal... Collar tabs?

 

[ausreenactor]

strange coincidence. There's a camo-lined RMC on ebay right now being sold in Japan.

Used 2004 Real McCoys A-2 Flight Jacket HBT Duck Hunter Camo Super Rare | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Used 2004 Real McCoys A-2 Flight Jacket HBT Duck Hunter Camo Super Rare at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Probably a short seller. Check Yahoo Japan for the actual listing.. Dozens of these sellers listing other people's stuff. Caught out one dude years ago. Bought the jacket via Yahoo. Then hit BIN now on shadow listing on EBay. Seller was apologetic and said it was no longer for sale...

This RM reproduction inspired my BK.

 

[Nickb123]

Probably a short seller. Check Yahoo Japan for the actual listing.. Dozens of these sellers listing other people's stuff. Caught out one dude years ago. Bought the jacket via Yahoo. Then hit BIN now on shadow listing on EBay. Seller was apologetic and said it was no longer for sale...

This RM reproduction inspired my BK.

Is that what it is? I assumed it was Japanese sellers trying to cash in in the non-Japan market. Many of those outrageous listings on ebay are marked up way beyond the listing price on yahoo japan auctions.

I remember when your BK jacket was made! Fun times.

 

[Smithy]

During the Indochina war the French Légion Etrangère had many ex German WW2 equipement /gear ( and soldiers).
They even used this dot pattern camo fabric to tailor shirts or jackets.View attachment 42038

Terrific photo Brice.

Has anyone written a book on those from the WWII German armed forces who went on to serve in the Foreign Legion? I imagine it would be a fascinating read.

 

[ausreenactor]

'Devils Guard' is one great read. Story of an SS Officer who fought the partisans and moved back through Russia to France to enlist in the Legion. Fought the Viet Minh their way and then went to advise the US Army on best practice for success. Dismissed. And we all know how that turned out.

 

[Smithy]

'Devils Guard' is one great read. Story of an SS Officer who fought the partisans and moved back through Russia to France to enlist in the Legion. Fought the Viet Minh their way and then went to advise the US Army on best practice for success. Dismissed. And we all know how that turned out.

I think I might have read that yonks ago Couchy.

I did a bit of an internet search and a French chap has written a book about Germans in the French Foreign Legion. He found that there was (unsurprisingly) a staggering amount of them in the service from after the war and the decades after, something like over 60% of the FFL were German. Not really a shock, you have all these men with very competent, excellent military training either wanting to escape their past or unwilling to return to civilian life in a shattered country.

The book I mention above is apparently pretty dry and only available in French. I'm surprised there hasn't been more written about this as it's an interesting footnote to WWII. Although I imagine the FFL's tight lipped policy on disclosing much about who serves or has served doesn't make it easy.

 

[London Cabbie]

Any good recommendations on books for Camouflage Pattern...?

 

[Smithy]

Any good recommendations on books for Camouflage Pattern...?

We had one at the museum I worked at called Brassey's Camouflage (or something like that) which wasn't bad.

There's a lot in more specialised titles dealing with specific periods and forces, eg German WWII uniforms.

 

[ausreenactor]

H&C or Schiffer publishing will have to have a robust reference. Try the German re-enactor pages on FB...

 

[Pilot]

Terrific photo Brice.

Has anyone written a book on those from the WWII German armed forces who went on to serve in the Foreign Legion? I imagine it would be a fascinating read.

The Devils Guard is excellent, but I believe its a novel, not a documentary... but excellent anyway.
There are two books : one is “le Bataillon des Damnés” and anotherone “Le bataillon des comdamnés” written by French Col. ret. Raymond Muelle. They explain and relate all these cases of Ex SS who joined the foreign Légion after WW2 ..and were gladly accepted. These books are in written in french but maybe translated.
There is also an interesting story about a Norvegian or Finland soldier who had a similar CV and finished as a special OPS soldier for the US Army in the VN war.

 

[Smithy]

The Devils Guard is excellent, but I believe its a novel, not a documentary... but excellent anyway.
There are two books : one is “le Bataillon des Damnés” and anotherone “Le bataillon des comdamnés” written by French Col. ret. Raymond Muelle. They explain and relate all these cases of Ex SS who joined the foreign Légion after WW2 ..and were gladly accepted. These books are in written in french but maybe translated.
There is also an interesting story about a Norvegian or Finland soldier who had a similar CV and finished as a special OPS soldier for the US Army in the VN war.

Thanks Brice, I knew about that Finnish chap, he's quite a big deal over there apparently.

Now I suppose I understand why some of the FFL's marching songs are in German!

 

[Pilot]

Thanks Brice, I knew about that Finnish chap, he's quite a big deal over there apparently.

Now I suppose I understand why some of the FFL's marching songs are in German!

Confirmed according to official sources from 1945 to 1954 , 2/3 of the FFL were German.

 

[Saint-ex]

Sorry to come back to the initial topic but this hide is outstanding!
Even I prefer a standard lining it’s a beautiful jacket.

 

[ausreenactor]

Any links to anything jacket/aviation/military related are always welcome! That is the appeal of this place.

 

[Saint-ex]

@ausreenactor my purpose was by no means to criticize the drift of the discussion, but on the contrary, as I reacted late to the initial subject by interrupting an interesting discussion, I apologized.

 

[ausreenactor]

All is good!