repairs to my 1944 Denison Smock

[Plumbline]

Many years ago I was given a 1944 Denison Smock by Colonel Ruridh Rutherford .. this had belonged to Colonel Rutherfords mentor and had been used during WW2 ( I have fiull provenance but that's largely irellevant and not particularly exciting)

When it was given to me there were two areas of damage:

1. RHS top pocket flap had lost the female stud fastener ( resulting in damage)
2. The rear shoulder had a L shaped tear ( 1 1/2" long)




now up till now this hasn't bothered me as I normally wear this with a 1954 leather jerkin over the top for walking the dogs etc. ...... but I'm thinking I should really get it repaired ....

so the questions are twofold :

1. Would you have it repaired ... if NO, why not ??

2. Can anyone suggest a good repairers in the UK ( The Denim / Suit doctor in Manchester are not interested)

 

[Otter]

Soldier of Fortune over in Wales might be able to help, they make one of the best repro Dennison smocks on the market and may be able to fix it or point you at someone who can.

 

[havocpaul]

Personally I would not look to repair it as it has provenance and clear service, wartime use which no doubt resulted in the damage which is part of its history. I always feel any historic jacket/uniform should remain 'as-is', any repairs will make it less authentic and I would guess you won't be wanting to wear the smock so further damage is unlikely. As for contacting SOF, IMO their smocks don't match the originals especially the shade and pattern of the camouflage. You can still find the correct Newey snaps around if you really want to try repairs, and maybe worth asking around militaria dealers and forums to see if anyone has WW2 pattern Denison material to match yours, the wartime sleeping bags used the same patterns for example.

 

[Plumbline]

I wear it all the time HP .... it's not a museum piece, it's a jacket and as such gets worn ( it's what it was made for).

I was worn regularly by Ruridh up till his retirement ( still has the holes from his pips and crown) and was used by his predecessor as well .... I just don't want to see it further damaged and would rather it was repaired. It was my "lucky" jacket when shooting in competition and since I stopped that 10 years ago has been a regular dog walking jacket.

It's not mint / pristine and serves a purpose ( it has that MOD laundry smell that my missus doesn't quite agree with otherwise it would get worn more than it does) ... none of the damage occurred during wartime ... the stud on the front was lost on maneuvers in Germany in the 70's and the tear on the back in South Wales again in the 70's. It's wartime service was as an officers ( Lieutenant Colonel) spare and it never saw action as such.

Thanks for the suggestion Otter ... I have emailed SoF to see if they can suggest anyone.

 

[Smithy]

I love it PL. I've a soft spot for para smocks. Nice one

 

[Plumbline]

So repairs have been done .... by "Mike The Stitch" one of the few genuine "master tailors"

repairs were :

1. Replacement pocket flap
2. Repair to back
3. Replacement cuff buttons with Denison replacements ( I may replace the eppaulette buttons but they ar fine for now)

Original thread in original colour was sourced from a stockist of original Waerings thread in Northampton ... getting a fabric match was a nightmare but he came up with an ultra sneeky solution which works great...





I think it came up great and transforms the torn and worn 1944 Denison into a much more wearable repaired Denison ( I know some would have left it in torn condition .. but I just wasn't wearing it much like that ).

The replacement Newey front stud ( from SoF) is not a great match colour wise ( it's a perfect match size and material wise it just doesn't have 70 years of wear on it. I have tried to source NOS Newey studs which might be a better match .. if anyone knows where they can be sourced ( if they can be sourced) I'd be much obliged ...

The threads will be dummed down using the tried and tested "cold tea" approach ....

 

[robrinay]

Impressive repairs and now I'm thinking I wish I'd kept the one I found in the charity shop - though mine was a later version but same pattern camo.

 

[Monsoon]

Damn, that's a neat job. Master tailors are hard to find but when you do, they can really make a difference.