Canadian Camo combat pants in the 1960's?

[Ed Storey]

Just to clear up a few misconceptions, the camouflage uniform being discussed was a Canadian trials British DPM style pattern that had been initiated in the early 1970s. The trials seem to have progressed to the point where this uniform would have replaced the OG 107 (green) coloured Combat Uniform that had been issued since the early 1960s; but for whatever reason, I suspect perhaps due to finances, this never happened. Tanzania was the recipient of the clothing although a number of pieces could be found languishing in surplus stores well into the 1980s.

These are the trousers.

Canadian Experimental Camouflage.jpg

The Parachute Smock, Disruptive Pattern was developed for the Airborne and their associated units and issued in the late 1970s as a replacement for the OG 107 Nylon Parachute Smock that had been in use since the mid-1950s. The British DPM style camouflage used a pattern similar to the trials clothing and this smock was used until the advent of CADPAT in the late 1990s early 2000s.

Parachutist Smock, Disruptive Pattern - front.jpg

As I stated in the first paragraph, the trials camouflage clothing could be readily found in surplus stores in the late 1970s but it was not an issue item, therefore the trousers should not be considered an 'Airborne' item.