British Equipment in World War II
Battledress was an innovative concept in its day, the most modern and rational combat uniform adopted by any European power: It was more economical than the old long tunics worn by other armies; and a great deal of thought had gone into its design, down to the level of exactly what could be carried in which pockets. Production of the original pattern of BD, often erroneously called 1937 pattern, started in 1938, but issue in quantity did not begin unti11939. Typically, this soldier in early 1939 has been issued the new BD but has yet to receive the 1937 pattern web equipment; he makes do with 1908 pattern, identical to that issued during the Great War except for the entrenching tool and its helve, which had been discarded during the interwar period. All buttons on the BD were of the concealed “fly" type; they were normally of dished brass, with the exception of those for the epaulettes, which were soon replaced by composition button with a metal shank.