Plate 1

General Duty and Special Uniforms

 

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Sergeant, Summer Lecture Order, mid-1960s-80s

Polyester-wool uniforms became standard general duty dress for the army in the mid­1960s, several years after it had been adopted as a working dress for Department of Supply labourers, a welcome if much overdue change from starched khaki or green drill. It could be worn with short sleeved shirts with open collar or long sleeved with knitted woollen ties which always seemed too short. The lightweight sweater was added for cool weather, however on introduction of the heavy howard green 'woolly pully' this was phased out, leaving too-hot or too-cold options in mild climates. Officer pattern caps with OCS badge were usual headdress, with a khaki or red lanyard, according to class.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporal, Mess and Walking Out Dress, 1950s-mid 1970s

Other rank blues and cap were used as mess and ceremonial dress from OCS's inception. The white gorget patches, and from 1956 their replacement the OCS left and right collar badges, provided the only identification as officer cadets. Ceremonial wear required the addition of a sam browne belt with infantry sword or whitened 1937 pattern web belt, bayonet frog and scabbard and rifle as appropriate. Badges of rank, specialist and skill badges and medals or ribbons were worn as appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Colour Sergeant, Summer Mess Dress, early 1960s-80s

The white mess jacket, an optional summer mess dress as a self-purchase choice for officers, was made available at OCS with a pool of used jackets on loan issue, recycled in succeeding years. It finally became a normal issue for cadets in 1974. It was worn with the usual blues trousers, with OCS collar badges on the lapels, white shirt, red cummerbund and black bow tie, with gold and embroidered badges of rank and specialist badges as appropriate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commandant, Winter Ceremonial Dress, 1950s-80s

Decorative belts for senior officers were introduced as full ceremonial order of dress in the Australian Army in 1951, but were not in common use, as plainness of dress had prevailed since early Federation, particularly after one minister had described some officers at an official function as looking 'like refugees from an hareem'. It was more adapted for use overseas to match the full dress affected by more narcissistic nations, however the ceremonial activities, of military college parades, with full dress visitors, provided some incentive and justification to adopt this more flamboyant rig.