Jump to content

Early Issue Tri-Color DCU?


all-bull
 Share

Recommended Posts

bravo_2_zero
Do you have some photos of your 1989 dated 3 color m65 jacket

 

I have 2 a large and a small 1989 jacket, The small I've sold on and the guy washed it and it's gone to 2 color desert.

The large one is a silly color, desert pink, brown and mint green !!, It's never been washed and worn by myself a hand full of times.

 

I also have the matching NYCO poplin style cloth from very very early 1990 which also has gone mint green and was USAF issue. Here in the England US army clothing is usually USAF issue as a rule and back in the 90's was no exception. I got my desert stuff from a surplus dealers in Great Yarmouth who got it from local Airforce disposal. I also picked up some night desert gear from him too around 1992.

 

I also have a set of 1990 ripstop desert stuff i picked up from a very odd place, Owen will know the name....Topman !! Topman/Topshop (if your a woman) is a fashion outlet but was selling Army gear. I paid £15 for the full set on sale in the sale section.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

bravo_2_zero

n551878025_230369_2680.jpg

I got this FREE !!!

It was in some Nam stuff i bought off eBay, 3 full sets of green tropicals and this was in the middle. It's early with the extra material in the back, long since sold it but now i wish i hadn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the first version of the 3-color rip-stop desert utilities was made in standard cotton material. I don't remember seeing the issue rip-stop version until I got two sets issued to me during a late 1992 deployment to the theater.

 

I do know that some of the military suppliers such as Brigade Q'master and Cavalry Store had the rip-stop variety for sale earlier. In fact, during my deployment to Operation DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, there were no issue rip-stop 5-color desert utilities but I bought two sets of rip-stop 5-color from one or the other of these suppliers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I started to post a comment on this a couple days ago but my computer decided to do an uncommanded restart and I lost it before I could post it here.....might be OBE by now.

 

This looks to me to be the later 3-color "coffee stain" desert BDUs in rip-stop material. I seem to remember the first ones, of the issue variety, were made of the same cotton as the earlier 5-color "chocolate chip" pattern. During Operation DESERT STORM, I saw my first 3-color pattern and it was on the new gore-tex short parkas that SOCCENT got from "somewhere." Those had 3-color on one side and were reversible to night desert on the other. I did not see any 3-color desert BDUs, other than the aforementioned parka, anywhere during DESERT STORM.

 

The first issue of the coffee stain pattern was made of the same non rip-stop cotton as the older chocolate chip pattern. I don't remember the 3-color desert BDUs being available in the rip-stop before about late 1991 or early 1992; even then, they were hard to get and I only got mine during a deployment to the theater in the Spring of 1992. The first version of the rip-stops had the same adjustable waist-tabs as the regular BDUs. I believe the adjuster tabs were discontinued a couple years later.

 

Forgot to add.....I was with SOCCENT during the (first) Gulf War and while we all had the 5-color (or 6-color, if you like) desert utilities. However, at some time in the winter of 90-91 (probably about late Dec-early Jan) we were issued light weight gor-tex parkas and these had the 3-color (coffee stain) pattern desery camo.

 

I never saw any of the coffee stain desert utilities but I never got back to Riyadh after late Dec 90 so, if the HQ types got the newest stuff in the rear, I wouldn't have known it. I can say that when I reported to Dahran AB for rotation home in late Apr 91, I don't remember seeing any 3-color camo among any of tha Airbase Group types there. Disclaimer: All I can comment on is what I personally saw...and remember.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi guys,

here are some photos of 3 color DCU from my collection. First coat is dated 1990, unfortunately is without name tape. Cap is dated 1989. The second coat is made off rip/stop material and dated 2000. And it is really beautiful with complete insignia.

Pavel

post-10064-1279628160.jpg

post-10064-1279628174.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 12 years later...
On 7/18/2010 at 6:00 AM, all-bull said:

Here is 1990 version I picked up. It is the same as the jacket I posted in the first pics, but has the neck flap. Does anyone know why they made these flaps in the early versions of the 6 color AND 3 color, but then stopped after a few years of production?

post-2063-1279458053.jpg

Same internal "sun yoke" found on first run of DBDUs (aka Chocolate Chips BDUs) manufactured 1983-1985 (I call these Type 1a): double layer for protection from the sunlight of the wearer's back. But guys found them uncomfortable. The following version of the DCU coat (aka 3 Colors) produced after 1995 (I call this Type VI, the second DCU posted by Poch) or so eliminated it. The second version of the DBDU produced in 1990-1991 (I call it Type 1b) also eliminated it, but perhaps more for ease and speed of production rather than other considerations, since coats made after it chronologically (like the coat you posted, which I call Type V) still had it. Mysteriously, 3 Colors coats made in 50/50 Nylon and Cotton twill during the same years (I call these Type IV, and is the first DCU posted by Poch) had a different (older cut, with Elvis collar, no waist tabs etc.) and did NOT feature the same sun yoke even thought clearly destined to the same type of environment. Perhaps it was the distinction between "cold" desert environments and hot ones? Either way, this "Type IV" in twill and 3 Colors camo is likely the version Allan H. describes witnessing in his post above. I am trying to put together a brief guide of all BDUs, DBDUs, and DCUs so the terminology is still a work in progress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...