Back in the late 80s when I was stationed in West Germany with the US Army the GI Jungle boots where the 1st things British soldiers would purchase at the PX along with poncho liners.
DMS are iconic looking but, boy, other than the parade ground or a dry urban environment they were pretty bad footwear to say the least. BTW, the last pair of DMS I found in a charity shop, I sold on Ebay for £100! Did you not get the German Para boots when you were in the GDR? They were great.
I had US jungle boots in Belize 83. Very good boots. The drainage holes tended to clog up and retain the water in the boot, best just to prise the little round grills out and just have the 2 holes. Yes water got in but it also now got out.
When we got to Hong Kong in Dec 81 we were issued the green canvas boots with the black rubber sole and small rubber toecap, but a month later we got issued the US jungle boots which were really good , great running boots, as we were Guards we had to layer black polish on the green nylon so the boots were all black.
Hi, did I hear in your comment that you thought “that by then, sense would prevail”? I saw the MOD requirement listed when it went out for tender and also asked the management of a large British shoe manufacturer why they had not bothered to tender for a such large contract. Their answer was that there were not enough margins in the costings to make it worth while even bothering to tender! Just remember, lowest tender gets the contract and the troops get the gear that the treasury say the government can afford. I say this with tongue in cheek, but I too had to wear all of this crap. Cheers mate. Harera
I have owed a few pairs of the US jungle boots and they are good. I was looking for some more but then found a pair of German army jungle boots brand new for £45.00 from a place at Bournemouth airport in Dorset. They are very good boots maybe a little better than the US ones. Thank you for the video.
I thought the British had the jungle boot in the Malayan Emergency in the early 50s ? I think some Aussi units used them too, they functioned well but didn't last ,I may well be wrong .R
They did but it's not the DMS pattern it's the 1944 pattern jungle boots. It's lightweight and rather comfortable but useless at being a proper pair of jungle boots
Back in the late 80s when I was stationed in West Germany with the US Army the GI Jungle boots where the 1st things British soldiers would purchase at the PX along with poncho liners.
DMS are iconic looking but, boy, other than the parade ground or a dry urban environment they were pretty bad footwear to say the least. BTW, the last pair of DMS I found in a charity shop, I sold on Ebay for £100! Did you not get the German Para boots when you were in the GDR? They were great.
@@faeembrugh I had the insulated ones. Great boots
I had US jungle boots in Belize 83. Very good boots. The drainage holes tended to clog up and retain the water in the boot, best just to prise the little round grills out and just have the 2 holes. Yes water got in but it also now got out.
When we got to Hong Kong in Dec 81 we were issued the green canvas boots with the black rubber sole and small rubber toecap, but a month later we got issued the US jungle boots which were really good , great running boots, as we were Guards we had to layer black polish on the green nylon so the boots were all black.
Yes I have a US pattern british pair that have had the sides blacked in the same way.
I was issued with the US Boots when we went to Belize in 85... marvellous boots!
Oh good the insoles...🤣 British Leyland junglies..
Hi, did I hear in your comment that you thought “that by then, sense would prevail”? I saw the MOD requirement listed when it went out for tender and also asked the management of a large British shoe manufacturer why they had not bothered to tender for a such large contract. Their answer was that there were not enough margins in the costings to make it worth while even bothering to tender! Just remember, lowest tender gets the contract and the troops get the gear that the treasury say the government can afford. I say this with tongue in cheek, but I too had to wear all of this crap. Cheers mate. Harera
' lowest tender gets the contract' - not true.
Interesting. The British boots have a mix of features from the 1st US pattern Jungle boots and the 3rd pattern too.
I have owed a few pairs of the US jungle boots and they are good. I was looking for some more but then found a pair of German army jungle boots brand new for £45.00 from a place at Bournemouth airport in Dorset. They are very good boots maybe a little better than the US ones. Thank you for the video.
government contract kickbacks is probably why they made them instead of purchasing them 😁 typical government
Love my pattern 2 and 3 US jungles. I'd give the DMS models a check mark (good) for the vents.
How long were they used by the British army before it was decided to replace them with the US made/designed ones?
Too long.
Quality....... .
I would assume protectionism was still a concern, at least in the 1970s.
I thought the British had the jungle boot in the Malayan Emergency in the early 50s ? I think some Aussi units used them too, they functioned well but didn't last ,I may well be wrong .R
They did but it's not the DMS pattern it's the 1944 pattern jungle boots. It's lightweight and rather comfortable but useless at being a proper pair of jungle boots