Interesting Camo'd Jungle Jacket

[Red Devil]

Thought I'd share this interesting pickup. I realize from reading here that there is very little to trust in painted jackets without provenance, but for the price it was worth bringing this one home. It would be great to be original, but either way I wanted to post here for any and all feedback.

 

The jacket is dated 1969 and has both sprayed black and bearing some other colored, more recent paint splotches on the front (white, brown) that look like it was worn in a shop. What I find interesting is that there is thread and outline evidence of a pocket patch, and on the sleeve the outlines of a SF patch, tabs, and perhaps something else. The patches were evidently not on the jacket when camo was applied (name tape was though), and from the unpainted gold threads left on from the pocket patch I surmise they were added after the camo The sleeves have been removed and hemmed. I can nearly make out a name (Johnson, maybe?) from the reverse wear from where the name tape once was.

 

Here are some photos:

[Red Devil]

Tag and outline of pocket patch. Note gold thread and evident shield shape.

[Red Devil]

Fading from the missing name tape, seen from the inside of the jacket. Read in reverse... JOHNSON, perhaps? Maybe.

[Red Devil]

Shoulder from outside and interior, showing outline of SF patch and tabs evidently once sewn there. There is a shield-shaped outline around tabs though...perhaps an earlier or later unit instead?

[Red Devil]

Last one-- interior showing bleed-through of the spray paint where heavily applied.

 

Thank you for looking and for any feedback.

[63 RECON]

yeah, i saw this on eBay i believe, I was skeptical from the photos posted with the auction but with better pics you've shown its got me thinking again.

 

It definitely looks like it was once a badged SF shirt, my only concern it that its a cammo painted shirt usually used for cross border missions but it has short sleeves.

 

Kind of defeats the purpose but never say never.

 

Hope it generates some healthy discussion anyway.

[Red Devil]

I completely agree with you... the camo and badged shirt with short sleeves doesn't make complete sense. Thank you for the feedback.

[MattS]

Could the sleeves have been shortened after the war, maybe due to damage at the cuff or elbow? I know of one spray painted shirt that came from the widow of a LRRP, but it was worn post-war around the garage too.

[VMI88]

I agree - the sleeves could have been shortened anytime. I have wartime worn shirts and pants that were cut off afterwards.

[Ronny67]

I may be the odd man out but I like this jacket. In one of the team history books by Jason Hardey there is a modified cross border jacket with shortened sleeves, not this short, but shorter that usual.

 

I don't like the still-present tags, I would expect a cross border modified jacket to be sterile.

[Spy vs Spy]

I'm with Ronny about the tags.

 

Sleeves could have been shortened after, and the reasons could be many. as mentioned.

 

Still a cool shirt.

 

Best

Martin

[63 RECON]

Actually now that i think about it, short sleeves or sleeves rolled up for cross border stuff whilst more the exception than the rule may have been found on some guys.

 

 

[sgtdorango]

I like it too....mike

[Red Devil]

Thank you all for the feedback!