Peacoats from the world...

[Italian-wiseguy]

With permission of Mr Peacoat (whom I salute)

I'd like to post some pictures of military peacoats from the Navies of the world.
I'd hope to create a visual reference for ours opinions, comparisons, and discussions.

I start with some french examples:

I think stripes are for ranking

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Some italian ones:

for some reason I can't find many images of italian peacoats.

During the last years of conscription, they were rarely issued (I think, mostly to NCOS): I remember meeting a great number of sailors dressed in trench coats perfectly identical to my Army one, save the colour.
Nowadays, as for what I see, sailors are issued peacoats again, but I simply couldn't find recent pictures, so I posted an "old" one for reference; they appear quite the same, though.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

German examples:

DDR:

strikingly similar to WWII ones, as curiously was the case for many DDR uniforms;

while this should be a Bundesmarine one:

a more simply looking one that doesn't create suggestions to the past.

Well, if some of you guys feels like contributing to the thread, I'd be more than glad to see other peacoats from... everywhere!, anything goes

besides, I have a little curiosity.

If I remember correctly, there are currently two brands claiming to sell a Royal Navy (UK) peacoat, and these are Gloverall and Camplin.
Camplin, while boasting a big UK flag in its site, looks to be italian owned and/or managed, at least nowadays.
The two model of peacoats, nonetheless, seem quite different from each other, so...

what a Royal Navy peacoat really looks like?

thank you and ciao!!

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Well I found one (old) image from Argentina

and one from Spain

I'm quite sure the spanish one is military issued (I've seen same model up for auctions) and it should have an half-belt if I'm not mistaken; it also a deviation from the european norm of golden buttons.

One of the difficulties in this self-imposed mission, is the language: if I search in english, most of the times I find images of US peacoats, or knock-offs, sold in the respective countries (i.e., if I search "spanish peacoat", I end up with tons of US peacoats sold in Spain), while the term corresponding to "peacoat" in the different languages can be at times elusive, or too generic...

anyway, if someone has some contribution, it will be more than welcome

 

[Peacoat]

Excellent. Thanks for the research and the pictures. If you continue in this quest, you will find the life of a researcher is often frustrating and isolating.

I have had many requests for pictures of peacoats of the British Navy. That isn't my specialty, and I never ran across any, so I wasn't able to respond to the requests. As we (the US) came from there, I would think we would have brought the tradition of the Royal Navy peacoat with us just as we brought most everything else across the water. So, my theory is the peacoats of the two navies are very similar. If you find a good picture of one, we will soon know.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

USSR/Russia

 

[Philalethes]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing your research with us.

 

[Trotsky]

I have a large sized DDR peacoat.... it's cheaply constructed of 100% synthetic materials. In fact, mine has the lining starting to disintegrate into a sticky, crumbly, orange mess. It looks nice, but it feels cheap.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

This should be, to my understanding, a Dutch Royal Navy (Koninglijke Marine, correct me if I'm wrong) peacoat, or "pyjekker"

about the DDR peacoat's quality, I trust Trotsky: DDR stuff seemed to be quite "cheap"...

oth I've seen in person french and italian military peacoats, and I say they seem on the same level with US ones, or to many good quality civilian models.

ciao!

 

[Jeff M]

I learn something new every day.
Who knew the French had a navy!!

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

I learn something new every day.
Who knew the French had a navy!!

Both my favorite submarine and battleship were French.

Surcouf (1929)
The only sub I can think that sported an 8-inch gun turret.

Richlieu

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

I learn something new every day.
Who knew the French had a navy!!

I'm italian, and I assure you that us italians can take jokes on our past military performances (and I know there are many ) without feeling insulted if they are made in a good way and conscious that they are.. well, jokes
no problem with this. I think our french cousins can take jokes in a good humor as well

One of my relatives has been taken prisoner in East Africa, and, according to him, he had the best time of his life as a prisoner in UK.
Also the grandfather of one of my friends used to say "I did all the retreat, from Al Alamain to Tobruk... then those Englishmen captured me and I started to live decently"

so, you know, it wasn't really a problem of courage

anyway, and more in topic, I continued my research, and it looks that "pijjekker" (that we all know as the "granddad" of the english word "peacoat") indicates every warm, heavy oevercoat, unregarding the lenght:
searching for "marinier pijjekker" e.g. I found images of 3/4 lenght military overcoats.

ciao!

 

[guygardner]

British or Canadian Peacoats?

Does anyone own a Peacoat from the Canadian or British navy? I've only ever seen American peacoats and would be curious to see a peacoat from another country's navy.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

All I can say is that I share your curiosity...
here's a link to a thread I opened about peacoats from different countries:
http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthread.php?59996-Peacoats-from-the-world...&highlight=

unluckily, I'm still searching for a real Royal Navy peacoat, but maybe we could help each other!

 

[guygardner]

I just had a look at your thread. Really interesting! I would love to have the Spanish peacoat. Almost looks like the WWI American peacoat with its extra length and flap pockets.

I've never seen a Canadian peacoat, although Canadian military uniforms, trenches and field coats are abundant enough in thrift stores and value villages around my city. I've looked for Royal Navy peacoats online but have only found USN peacoats or knockoffs.

 

[guygardner]

Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve Coat:

[/IMG]

More Canadian Naval Coats, including Frock and Greatcoat:

http://mpmuseum.org/index3.html

 

[Peacoat]

One of our members was going to be in the UK and while there was going to search for the Royal Navy peacoat. If found, he was going to take some pictures so we could see what the elusive creature actually looks like. I believe he posted in Wiseguy's excellent thread about pea coats around the world.

 

[guygardner]

I would be interested to see what a British peacoat looks like and how the wool compares to the USN peacoat.

Here is a photo of Churchill in a Royal Navy Reefer, I'm not sure how this would differ from a regular peacoat:

[/IMG]

 

[DNO]

I don't believe the RCN issued peacoats...at least in W.W.II and before. They wore duffle coats. Considering the RCN followed the dress and traditions of the Royal Navy, I suspect the RN was the same.

The uniform pictured above is an RCNVR undress coat...part of the officer's "fore and aft" rig. It was the standard officer's tunic.

Pic of a duffle coat: http://www.warmuseum.ca/cwm/exhibitions/navy/galery-e.aspx?section=2-E-2-b&id=11

 

[guygardner]

I stand corrected.