Military 'woolly pully' sweaters

[Ticklishchap]

I


I ordered it on ebay from Jungle the Army Store. It is being shipped from London.

I'm not sure that I know that store as I am such a loyal supporter of Outdoor Knitwear (with occasional forays into Silverman's and the store near Waterloo Station run by two extremely nice Jewish men that used to be called Victoria Army Surplus).

 

[Ticklishchap]

Just ordered a new genuine Royal Air Force v neck jumper.

I love wearing my RAF crew neck: I'm not sure if I still have the v-neck RAF although I certainly have owned a few of them in my time.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I


I ordered it on ebay from Jungle the Army Store. It is being shipped from London.

The Jungle Army Store you mention, used to have a shop in I think, Earlham Street, in the Seven Dials area of Central London, I bought an Army Crew neck WP there and still have it. The shops is not there anymore, but as you say, they seem to trade via ebay, I think there depot is in Blackhorse Road in the East End.

Is the V Neck sweater you ordered a heavy ribbed stitch or plain.?

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I'm not sure that I know that store as I am such a loyal supporter of Outdoor Knitwear (with occasional forays into Silverman's and the store near Waterloo Station run by two extremely nice Jewish men that used to be called Victoria Army Surplus).

I too have bought sweaters from Silverman's and also from the store you mention near Waterloo Railway station. All very good quality.

 

[Harp]

Indian Summer has fled northern Illinois. A cool Chicago commute at last recommended an olive drab wooly.

 

[Musher]

The Jungle Army Store you mention, used to have a shop in I think, Earlham Street, in the Seven Dials area of Central London, I bought an Army Crew neck WP there and still have it. The shops is not there anymore, but as you say, they seem to trade via ebay, I think there depot is in Blackhorse Road in the East End.

Is the V Neck sweater you ordered a heavy ribbed stitch or plain.?

 

[Ticklishchap]

View attachment 139677

I've never had a non-ribbed version of the WP.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I've never had a non-ribbed version of the WP.

All the services plus the police, security firms & others seemed to introduce non ribbed crew and v neck versions of the WPs in, I think the mid 1990s, no doubt as an economy drive. Uniforms seemed to be changing around then too.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

I was complimented on my dress code today in my local high street. Wearing Navy Crew Neck Ribbed Woolly Pully, black leather laced jeans and black fedora.

 

[Musher]

It arrived.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

It arrived.

Nice sweater.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Outdoor Knitwear have their new version of the 1945 commando sweater on their website now, under Crew Necks.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I was complimented on my dress code today in my local high street. Wearing Navy Crew Neck Ribbed Woolly Pully, black leather laced jeans and black fedora.

I've been inclined towards the Crew Neck Navy WP as well in this (early) WP season! I'm often complimented on it as well.

 

[Ticklishchap]

All the services plus the police, security firms & others seemed to introduce non ribbed crew and v neck versions of the WPs in, I think the mid 1990s, no doubt as an economy drive. Uniforms seemed to be changing around then too.

There was a trend towards non-ribbed sweaters for a time in the late 90s and early Noughties, especially, and they still appear but fortunately men who serve in all three Armed Forces continue to wear the traditional ribbed Woolly Pully.

Overall there has been a decline in the quality of the uniforms, partly to do with cheapness and cuts and partly to do with attempts to impose civilian cultural norms and values. The effect of the spending cuts, the 'modernisation programmes' and the introduction of politically correct attitudes has been to make us more vulnerable to Russian and other forms of aggression.

 

[Ticklishchap]

Outdoor Knitwear have their new version of the 1945 commando sweater on their website now, under Crew Necks.

I'm not sure about it, mainly because the photography is not great. The black version (dubbed 'special ops', I think) looks nice and I might well consider it. The green '1945' WP is disadvantaged from the start by OKW's bizarre mounting of it on a female tailor's dummy. The shape of the torso just looks wrong and the protuberant breasts add a jarring note: are we witnessing the birth of the 'Woolly Booby'? I hope not.

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

The two, 1945 style versions on the Woolly Pully by OKW arrived yesterday, they are indeed excellent sweaters, some thing a little different, they do not have elbow patches, but do have larger shoulder patches, although no epaulettes, they are crew necked with draw strings in the neck. The end of the sleeves have a small amount of material to stop the ends fraying and the waist is doubled over too. It was wearing the army green version yesterday afternoon which was fine and will be wearing the black this morning. I would say that they are better than shown on the image.

 

[Edward Reed]

I occasionally wear my Jan. 1942 Army Type II Class A Wool V-Neck Sweater! I only wear it a handful of times so as not to create more wear and tear on it.

Size 42
MYRTLE KNITTING MILLS Inc (one of the 7 known manufacturers of this spec)
Contract No. W-669-QM-15191
Dated January 22, 1942
A.M.C. Tent. Spec. P.Q.D. No. 111
Type II - December 22, 1941
Stock No. 55-S-91042
Phila. Q.M. Depot

 

[mariner]

Very nice. I have a roll neck in a similar style knit - bought on ebay, but I think is a copy of the M1905 jumper. The wool has a hardwearing texture to it and the long roll neck might have driven it's previous owner to part with it.

 

[Ticklishchap]

I occasionally wear my Jan. 1942 Army Type II Class A Wool V-Neck Sweater! I only wear it a handful of times so as not to create more wear and tear on it.

Size 42
MYRTLE KNITTING MILLS Inc (one of the 7 known manufacturers of this spec)
Contract No. W-669-QM-15191
Dated January 22, 1942
A.M.C. Tent. Spec. P.Q.D. No. 111
Type II - December 22, 1941
Stock No. 55-S-91042
Phila. Q.M. Depot

View attachment 146156 View attachment 146157 View attachment 146158

I also have one of these sweaters, supplied by Eastman Leather. It is a replica of the World War II (and I think Korean War) sweater worn by the US Corps of Engineers. When I wear it I feel a true Atlanticist!

 

[Ernest P Shackleton]

Edward Reed, where'd you get your round spectacles? Vintage? Had them for a while? I don't trust the quality of the wire when buying on ebay, and the perfectly round, metal, silver frames aren't all that common anymore. I used to buy Artcraft rounds, but they stopped selling them a while ago.