NI DPM's in the 1990's

Hi

Right I am trying to get together a set of DPM's that would have been worn by BA troops in Northern Ireland in the 1990's. Tough I know because they seemed to wear whatever was issued by the stores at the time!

I have a set of 95 pattern DPM camo shirt and trousers and a 85 pattern coat. I have a 85 pattern flak vest and a 90 pattern chest rig. This is alright in the winter because the 85 pattern coat has shoulder epaulettes that button over the flak jacket and show my rank. But it is June now and I need to loose my jacket. Believe it or not with the current British weather!

My question is this. My 95 shirt has the center slide rank epaulette on it. As I will be S/SGT I have rank slides for the jacket and shirt. If I was a SGT in combat with a flak jacket on where would my rank be shown? I have seen arm patches with rank sewn into the right hand arm on tropics in Kenya is this what they did in NI too? Or do I need to try and get hold of a 85 or 90 pattern old style or mk111 DPM shirt that has shoulder epaulettes for the rank slides?

Cheers

John

Are you doing Post 95 or Pre-95? Arktis RM Smock, Windproof Trousers, OD CBA Armour under the smock and Modified OD PLCE would be Pre-95. Cant say I've seen many S95 Shirts worn in NI, only post 97 time.