The GREAT BRITISH DUFFEL COAT thread

[PADDY]

My early 1940 went off to a Gent in the USA earlier this year. A real beauty of a coat.

 

[bburtner@moran]

A weighty coat to say the least.

 

[Grayland]

Looks like a pretty good value if you're looking for a new UK-made duffle coat.
http://www.orvis.com/store/product.aspx?pf_id=3E41

 

[Doctor Damage]

It appears there was a "third" version of the RN coat, because if you look closely at the sailor at extreme left in the photo below (from the Gloverall website) you can see a duffle coat with buttons instead of toggles and a throat flap with single button.



Here are a few photos of General Harry Crerar wearing his duffle coat.





I used to have a really large photo of Crerar standing next to Monty, which gave a detailed look at a wartime duffle, but I can't find it (I only have a hardcopy I printed). In the photo, three things are evident:

1. the cloth appears more like the softer, fluffier civilian cloth than the harder, rougher military cloth (as posted earlier in this thread), so perhaps Crerar had his duffle specially made?

2. The pockets appear to be placed higher on the torso than on modern civilian coats.

3. The toggles have the rope wrapped around them in a groove, like current civilian coats, rather than the rope passing through a hole.

The image below is a bad photo (sorry) of a painting in a book on WWII uniforms written by Andrew Mollo. The paintings in the book, including this painting, are reproductions of original photographs, so the details are accurate. The figure is an RN petty officer in bad weather gear. Here's the interesting detail: note the fourth rope-and-toggle fastening, located around the knees and below the pockets, to keep the skirts of the coat closed - what a great modification!



As a side note, I have seen a photo of Admiral Ramsey wearing a black or perhaps dark blue duffle coat on the bridge of a navy vessel during the D-Day landings, so there's an historical precedent for that colour. Here's a poor reproduction of the photo.

 

[Corto]

Awesome pictures, Dr. D.

I've failed at scouring the internet for a genuine surplus RN Duffle Coat, and I'm almost at the point where I'm going to buy a modern version. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the Nauticalia duffle coat?

 

[normanf]

Awesome pictures, Dr. D.

I've failed at scouring the internet for a genuine surplus RN Duffle Coat, and I'm almost at the point where I'm going to buy a modern version. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the Nauticalia duffle coat?

Good find - a made in England wool duffel coat is hard to find these days. I'm sure its a superb coat for the price - and in a world of China made goods, this one stands out from the crowd!

 

[Corto]

Good find - a made in England wool duffel coat is hard to find these days. I'm sure its a superb coat for the price - and in a world of China made goods, this one stands out from the crowd!

Alright...thanks for your two cents!

 

[Corto]

Duffel/Duffle Coat Experts...I might have found a vintage/surplus duffel coat, but what does a "Size 2" correspond to these days? (Chest, arm, length...) What is a Size 1 for that matter?

 

[Doctor Damage]

O'Connell Lucas Chelf of Buffalo is now stocking the Gloveral 575 duffle coat, the classic model with wood toggles and bucket hood, 90% wool. Price is USD$595. Ethan tells me at the moment they only have one of each size remaining, but the likelihood of them stocking the coats long-term is "8.5 out of 10".

 

[rayban]

Duffelcloth: felt?

Thanks to this thread on 'The Fedora Lounge' I found out that the Gloverall duffelcoat I bought 3 years ago only optically resembles a genuine Royal Navy duffel coat.

When I first wore the Gloverall duffel it was freezing in The Netherlands (- 10). I thougth I'd bought a warm coat, but unfortunately it didn't manage to keep me warm.

Since then I've managed to unearth three genuine RN duffelcoats. All of them size 1, unused and made by Remploy Ltd. I bought all three of them at an army surplus dealer (the kind that sells vehicles and seacontainers full of uniforms and equipment). Mind you they didn't come cheap: I payed 200 Euro's a piece. But then the coats are old stock so to speak and in effect brand new.

What I miss in this thread is that no mention is being made of the cloth these coats (which were by the way part of the ships inventory and issued as loan clothing to the crews) were made of. The cloth itself is very thick and dense.

I know that this (woolen) cloth was boiled after weaving, so what you probabely ended up with was felt. This of course repells moisture and keeps the cold out. As far as I know they stopped making this type of cloth in the 60's about the same time that the duffel coats were (gradually) phased out.

But it is a different felt then for instance the material used to make valenkis. The felt used to make these boots is very coarse. But the boots themselves are fantatstic. Only last week I worn them all day long in the snow on a hiking trip. And believe it or not at the end of the day my feet were still warm and dry.

For those of you who like who feltcoats: search Ebay for 'Russian navy overcoat'. You should look for a black coat with 5 gold coloured buttons in a single row on the chest. These coats are fantastic too. Heavy and incredibly warm although a bit long: they almost reach to the feet. The feltcloth used to make these coats is different then duffelcloth. It's much coarser.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Images of duffle coats from the Canadian War Museum and canadahistory.com. The paintings are interesting because they show both tan and dark blue duffle coats being worn.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Years ago my brother gave me this duffle coat that didn't fit him anymore, and I'm wearing it with pleasure:

hood regulation:

sleeve (it actually has two buttons, one is underside the latch as I buttoned the sleeve to the "tighter" one)

label:

It's probably not 100% legitimate as WWII repro (which is not) but still quite close, I thing.

Well, anyway it's warm, comfortable, and a gift, so...
it's quite roomy and it easily reaches my knees.

Has anyone ever heard about the brand? I found positivley nothing on the net...

ciao!

 

[Two Types]

Has anyone ever heard about the brand? I found positivley nothing on the net...

ciao!

Looking at the label, I think it says Ealing Green, W5. I guess this was a department store. I'll ask a friend who used to live there, to see if he recalls it.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Thank you, Two Types!

 

[guygardner]

Years ago my brother gave me this duffle coat that didn't fit him anymore, and I'm wearing it with pleasure:

hood regulation:

sleeve (it actually has two buttons, one is underside the latch as I buttoned the sleeve to the "tighter" one)

label:

It's probably not 100% legitimate as WWII repro (which is not) but still quite close, I thing.

Well, anyway it's warm, comfortable, and a gift, so...
it's quite roomy and it easily reaches my knees.

Has anyone ever heard about the brand? I found positivley nothing on the net...

ciao!

That's a nice duffel and you can't go wrong with navy blue.

 

[Italian-wiseguy]

Thank you GuyGardner!
Duffle coats are definitely stylish, they somehow manage to mix the elegance of an overcoat, the romantic aura of the war hero, and the comfort of a practical garment, hood and all... I guess I'm gonna wear it a lot... next winter , as temperatures suddenly rose today! I could barely tolerate a sweater

 

[Doctor Damage]

Here's some photos and images of duffle coats, from various sources on the internet (see links below photos).
My apologies if these have already been posted around here somewhere.

WWI (1918) - note the extra short length of these coats



WWI - both tan and dark blue versions











...cont...

 

[Doctor Damage]

...cont...





here's a particularly interesting WWII photos: note 3 coats use buttons, instead of toggles



selected links for photos, incomplete list, not in order

http://www.maritimequest.com/warshi...ips/iron_duke/hms_iron_duke_message_board.htm
http://www.kmike.com/oz/reardon/seoul.htm
http://www.messdress-britishmilitaria.com/rn/rn_uniforms.html
http://www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/thetis/subs.htm
http://www.wwiireenacting.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=73123
http://www.fustianopolis.co.uk/page.php?id=10
http://abluteau.wordpress.com/2010/11/20/never-mind-neutrality-our-friends-are-in-trouble/
http://www.oipolloi.com/glossary-the-duffle-coat
http://home.bendbroadband.com/scottishheritage/airtrainingcorps.html
Imperial War Museum archives (3 images)

Here's a couple paintings showing duffle coats.

 

[guygardner]

Thank you GuyGardner!
Duffle coats are definitely stylish, they somehow manage to mix the elegance of an overcoat, the romantic aura of the war hero, and the comfort of a practical garment, hood and all... I guess I'm gonna wear it a lot... next winter , as temperatures suddenly rose today! I could barely tolerate a sweater

I have a dark green wool duffel coat with leather toggles my brother gave me too. It's not a Gloverall and it's not that old (probably 1970s), but it has become one of my favorite coats and it is the coat I've been wearing most often this winter. They're the perfect winter coat for all the reasons you just listed, and more practical I think than a peacoat, which doesn't keep your legs warm and which isn't as comfortable if left open.

 

[guygardner]

My "Croydon" Canadian-made civilian duffel coat:

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