Original 1954 Dated British Army Winter Tank Suit - Size 6

Code: 52766

An original 'Oversuit, Tank Crews, Without Hood' in a large size 6 and dated 1954.

This pattern of tank suit was worn by various armoured units in the later part of the Second World War and during the post-War period. They were issued to British Troops in the winter of 1944-45 to a variety of armoured units and feature heavily in photographs of the period. They were often referred to as 'Zoot Suits' at the time and in the post-war years as the 'Pixie Suit'. They also saw issue post-war and manufacture carried on at intervals; with this suit being an example. The pattern did not change after the Second World War and this later example is almost identical to wartime manufacture.

The suit is typical of tank suits and features the original manufacturer's label in the right hand sleeve. It states the size as ‘Size 6’ which will fit up to a 44” chest and a 40” waist and a height of 6'1" - 6'2". The label features the manufacturers name 'WINDSOR (Macclesfield) LTD', the 1954 date and the War Department broad arrow marking.

The suit features ‘Swift’ brand zippers to the front and a ‘Flash’ branded zipper to close the fly, all of which appear to function well. The waist belt fastens with a steel buckle of the same design used on wartime battledress jackets.

The overall condition of the suit is very good. It has a bright, fresh appearance and looks to have seen only extremely limited use. It does have some marks from storage which is caused by the kapok lining although these don't overly detract from the suit. There is also some damage to the belt as shown in picture 7. Luckily as the belt features stitching it is still strong and totally usable with the damage being only cosmetic. Finally the right shoulder press stud has pulled through as can be seen in picture 9. Whilst there are a couple of flaws the suit really is nice and displays very well. Please take time to study the pictures before purchasing. 

All in all a nice original suit in good condition and in a hard to find large size. This would make a good addition to a collection or could suit a tall re-enactor.