[Sticky] The 2nd Battalion South Staffords

Gadge · 2007-10-11T12:57:39Z

Ok guys here is some stop gap info and pics on the south staffs. The 2nd Battalion South Staffords were originally a line infantry battalion but were chosen to train for glider operation and nearly all its soldiers volunteered for this duty. As they became part of the airborne division they gained the trademark kit of the airborne soldier, the red (maroon) beret, the denison smock and the parachute helmet. They retained their normal structure and cap badges though. The battalion were among the first soldiers to set foot in occupied Europe when they took part in the landing in sicily in 1943 and later dropped into Arnhem in 1944. Here's how to look like them. Headgear: Cheapest option is a maroon beret, you want a big baggy war pattern one where the overhang of the crown comes just over the left ear. You dont need to shape this but a little bit of shaping will stop it looking silly. Cap badge is a 'south staffords' badge with a kings (imperial) crown. They should look like this: The correct steel helmet is a 2nd or 3rd pattern airborne helmet, however a real one costs over Â£300! A good copy from pegasus miltaria is Â£100. For our purposes a wartime or post war royal armoured corp helmet is fine, only the chinstrap looks different if you camouflage the helmet (helmet nets cost about Â£4 and you can cut up a sandbag to make the 'scrim' camouflage). Battledress: The most important thing for this impression is the trousers, the battledress blouse wil rarely be worn as the smock on top makes it too hot for most games. 37, 40 or 49 patter trousers are all fine (as are denims if necessary although wool is prefered), if you are using 49 pattern we can hlep you make them look more liek 1940 pattern by supplying you with a small pocket of fabric to make the missing first field dressing pocket and if you can you can remove the leg pocket and restitch it on the front rathe rthan the side. Smock: The denison smock is the trademark item and this is where we are quite lucky... Until recently it was difficult to get a good reasonably priced denison for less than a couple of hundred pounds. Now there are new suppliers on ebay doing them for around Â£60, simialry 'replicators' will make you one to measure for around Â£60. Here is a picture of a rifleman of glider unit wearing battledress and denison smock. The following additional kit can be seen on this rifleman. He has a green and brown camouflaged scrim scarf, these cost about a fiver and we'd prefer you to use a two colour one than a modern plain green one if you can. The scrim scarf was sometimes used as either headwrap or to camouflage the distinctive red beret . His webbing is 1937 pattern, the ideal is to get 37 pattern webbing with brass fittings and popper closures on pouches, if you cant get this don't worry but do look out for the earlier stuff if you want to look authentic. The basic web kit you will need is two universal pouches, a belt, cross braces and a water bottle and carrier. If you contact Sabre Sales in Portsmouth they wil be able to get you the above with the correct fittings for less than Â£20 In the above pics the rifleman's webbing has not been 'blancoed'. Blanco was green powdery paint put on webbing to preserve it and camouflage it. Warren at shoot and scoot have some blanco left at Â£5 a block, Yith will be putting a guide up on how to blanco at a later date. Blancoed webbing looks like this: In the rear view of the rifleman we can see he carries a small pack (useful for keeping your spare ammo, water and food in) and a smal light green 'lightweight' respirator case (i use mine to carry a modern water bottle in and keep it hidden). He also has an entrenching tool in a web cover below the small pack but we wont be needing those unless you really want to carry one! Around his shoulder is a cotton bandoleer for rifle ammunition. Footwear: Our rifleman wear ammo boots, these are leather soled and hobnailed but for comfort and safety in airsoft (especially in urban game) you may use post war rubber soled DMS boots. As a stop gap modern boots may be used as long as there high leg is concealed with gaiters. Our rifleman wears these gaiters (web material with two leather tabs) between his boots and trousers. We'll accept puttees in place of gaiters but gaiters are preferable (and a lot less hassle than puttees). Here's another shot of a well equipped airlanding trooper and anartists impression of a paratrooper wearing the same equipment. Here the soldier carries a Sten bandoleer, this would not be blancoed and this pic shows us the contrast between blancoed and unblancoed web gear. Lastly insignia. On the beret - Staffords cap badge On the denison - rank only, no other insignia On the battle dress - Staffords maroon and yellow shoulder titles, beneath this a square patch showing a sky blue pegasus on a maroon back ground, beneath this a rectangular tab with 'airborne' in blue or white on a maroon background. On the lower right sleeve a small blue glider ...

Page 3 / 3 Prev

Poor Bloody Infantry (PBI)

Last Post by Yith 16 years ago

42 Posts

15 Users

0 Reactions

6,370 Views

scaleyback

(@scaleyback)

Posts: 3578

Famed Member

l/cpl stripe on denison smock, right sleve only or both sleeves?

Posted : 06/07/2009 1:41 pm

Yith

(@yith)

Posts: 11230

Illustrious Member

Right sleeve only.

9 inches from sleeve top seam to the bottom of the 'v'

Posted : 06/07/2009 1:43 pm

Page 3 / 3 Prev

Forum Jump:

Previous Topic

Next Topic

321 Forums
19.6 K Topics
251.6 K Posts
5 Online
1,387 Members

Forum Icons: Forum contains no unread posts Forum contains unread posts

Topic Icons: Not Replied Replied Active Hot Sticky Unapproved Solved Private Closed