The Smock, Windproof, DPM (or, DPM Windproof Smock) was issued alongside the standard DPM Combat Jackets by the British Army

British Army

The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

. The Special Air Service

Special Air Service

Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...

 Regiment was the first unit to adopt its own design of DPM Windproof Smock which it wore in preference to the 68 Pattern and later combat jackets. Aside from being made from a windproof material, it differed from the standard combat jackets in being cut to fit more loosely, allowing it to fit over other layers of clothing more easily, and in having an integral hood. Where the standard jackets were closed by a full-length zipper, covered by a buttoned flap, and buttoned cuffs, the windproof smock used velcro to close the flap over the zipper and to fasten the cuffs. The buttons fitted to the Windproof Smock (on the four, expanding front pockets, and the small arm pocket for the First Field Dressing) were all of an overlarge type, to ease use by cold or gloved fingers.

Later, a similar DPM Windproof smock was introduced (the Smock, Windproof, Artic), this was primarily issued to Royal Marine Commandos and Army units assigned to the AMF(L) for arctic warfare

Arctic warfare

Arctic warfare or winter warfare is a term used to describe armed conflict that takes place in an exceptionally cold weather, usually in snowy and icy terrain, sometimes on ice-covered bodies of water...

. This differed from the Smock, Windproof, DPM in that it had button-on rank tabs on the chest and back, as well as a wire 'stiffener' for the hood. The general issue Combat Soldier 95 combat jacket followed this pattern, but omitting the rank tab on the back which tended to snag on rucksacks, camouflage netting and so forth.

See also

• New Zealand DPM
• DPM Parachute Smock
• Canadian Para Smock
  Canadian Para Smock
  The Canadian Parachutist Smock was issued to the Canadian Airborne Regiment from 1975 until the regiment was disbanded in 1995 and to all units of 1 SSF Brigade including the 1st Battalion of The Royal Canadian Regiment based in London, Ontario. Made of 'Reverse DPM' camouflage, it is very similar...