WTB - WW1 Hospital Blues

[Mark Griffin]

Anyone making these?

Griff

[Lord Byron]

Anyone making these?

Sutlers used to make the more commonly encountered version with the white lining showing, and the 19th Century Tailoring website still says "Any tailored item that was previously available on the Sutlers Stores website can now be ordered from us through this website or by telephone or mail order as before":

http://www.sutlers.co.uk/index.html

Or original WW2 made stuff (which doesn't have the white lining, but is of a type that is less commonly seen during WW1) can still be had very cheaply on Ebay, eg:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1940-WW2-Brit-A ... 27c87589e1

Also:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-Tie-as-worn ... 5d342c34e5

Sabre Sales used to have a whole load of original Hospital Blues, but that's going back quite a few years.

[Mark Griffin]

Thanks for that LB.

Sutlers apparantly don't do them, several have tried.

I suppose at a pinch the jackets can be altered and a lining added. We are trying to match a photograph unfortunately.
I'll give Nick a call at Sabe but last time i checked it was no, and he's retiring (or may have closed already) which is a shame as his particular form of customer service was a national treasure.

[Miss Costello]

I will miss the random phone calls with Nick!


We have a WW2 jacket, but sadly no great war era. Can't imagine it being a massive task to reline a WW2 model and tweak it a bit?

[Mark Griffin]

Nope shouldn't be a problem, apart from finding someone to do it in the time available, which is tight. I have a jacket and the ties now, thanks Lord B. Trousers seem to be like hens teeth and the waistcoats like artificial jade hens teeth from the Sung dynasty so it might be civvies for that.

Nice pic Miss C. I'd post up some that I'm working on but its a private archive from a house that was a home in 16-18 and I'm not allowed to publicly distribute Shame as there are cracking images.

[Miss Costello]

Hence why I now mark mine up copyright, keep seeing them reproduced elsewhere! (I don't mind as long as people ask!)

Hope you get sorted.

[Mark Griffin]

Re Sabre Sales-

'We have nothing left so you must find another enthusiasm to divert you'.

He's a sweetie......

[Lord Byron]

Trousers seem to be like hens teeth and the waistcoats like artificial jade hens teeth from the Sung dynasty so it might be civvies for that.

I have saved some fairly good photographs that were posted on the web of an original 1918 dated waistcoat if it might help...

[Mark Griffin]

would certainly help, ta!

They don't seem to be at all common like i say so I'd certainly be keen to replicate some to get a more complete and accurate picture should it be needed. Although not everyone is wearing them in the pics I have. In fact, they are a pretty un regimented lot!

[Lord Byron]

http://postimage.org/image/tdpwkszgn/




http://postimage.org/image/3nz04gse3/




http://postimage.org/image/o21px8z9t/




http://postimage.org/image/7tmeqdbe5/

[Mark Griffin]

Nice one, thanks. I shall reciprocate with this fella, supposedly sold by boots as a fundraiser but I have no direct evidence. Not much use for taking a pattern from...

[Dixie]

Came across this one. I would be interested to hear where you got with this.
I have a larger image if you need it.
Regards,
a.

[Mark Griffin]

I have a seamstress looking at producing a set for me at the moment. And when he gets back from hols in the Med so is Dickie Knight

[scrimnet]

I have a set of jkt and trousers....

The jacket is of the late pattern, and the trousers also...

There is a chap in the Rifles LHS who owns some WW1 white lined, and there is some substantial differences.

The reason there are no trousers about is that they all went to America in bales, as they match America Civil War Union trousers....

[Mark Griffin]

bit like this?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Trousers-Sky-Blue-Wool-Size-34-American-Civil-War-/170883609690?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item27c974f45a

I have got an interwar jacket now and the blue is very rich indeed, far deeper than the one above. But I suppose there are dye differences....

[Dixie]

another picture

[Dixie]

I am now thinking about getting a set made. Did you have any luck?

[Mark Griffin]

Yes, Dickie Knight is on to it. He has the wool and I'm supplying him info. Gradually....

[Dixie]

Cheers griff
Do you know where he got the wool from?
I have a mate who is a tailor so it would be good to pass it his way.
Also the hats, in all the pictures they seem to have the same headress. was this replaced on hospitalisation?

[Lord Byron]

Also the hats, in all the pictures they seem to have the same headress. was this replaced on hospitalisation?

In theory, a soldier of a normal infantry regiment would wear the normal SD cap (or trench cap) with hospital blues, Scottish units the glengarry (or TOS, or whatever) - ie whatever they would normally wear when out of the line. There is some evidence to show larger hospitals kept (or had access to) small stocks of basic kit and insignia, so that, say, a battlefield casualty whose own basic kit had been damaged in the process could at least be reclothed in regimental khaki at the end of his "stay". So if a casualty had his original headgear with him, or access to it, he would wear that - if not it would be replaced. With the SD cap this is pretty simple, but with the many minor regimental variations in Scottish headgear this created problems. Sometimes you see photos of hospitalised Scottish soldiers wearing their glengarry/TOS badge on a plain SD cap instead...

[Mark Griffin]

My impressions from the pictures i have looked at are what Lord B says. There was an overall attempt at uniformity but I can see many instances of non regulation or just plain weird dress. Civilian stuff creeps in a fair bit, some men wearing the odd bit of khaki (always trousers though, one can assume it was washday?) Hats the same, anything goes almost although you have to be careful as some were pics obvioulsy taken on outings or in the grounds and away from the wards and the watchful gaze of anyone too authoritarian one supposes.

As for the wool, I'm leaving Dickie to deal with all that, you'd have to ask him.

[John Waller]

WW1 Hospital Blues - I think my Dad had that on a 78, recorded by Old Bill and the Trench Foot Four IIRC

[Dixie]

A Gordon Highlander

[Dixie]

Do you have a supplier for the shirt and ties?

[Mark Griffin]

The ties are still in reasonable suplly and turn up in lots of 2nd hand places, ebay especially. They are the same for both wars i think.... (awaits a telling off...)

Shirts seem to be a bit non-regimental so I'd advise going to Darcy Shirts, pretty much the best for this kind of thing.

[Dixie]

I spoke with Dickie this week. He has moved on a wee bit with this. I think I will get a set as well, if they are not too expensive.