earlymb Posted November 4, 2018 Share #1 Posted November 4, 2018 Just for Show & tell, this TAP 47/56 jacket in Lizard-pattern camouflage was given to me by a friend recently. It's a large size but with the short sleeves that seem to be common with these jackets. A nice original example made by Pauwels. The matching trousers should be heading my way when my buddy digs them up. Two of the four pocket flaps are in a slightly different colour-tone than the rest of the jacket, as can be seen in the pic. I have decked it out with the following equipment on a torso stand (all original): - Mle.50/53 belt with press button and 2nd type buckle;- Mle.50 suspenders;- A pair of WW2 US M1 Carbine pouches, modified by the French army by adding a D-ring at the back;- Mle.51 bidon (canteen) with the early brown cap in a Mle.52 carrier with 2 snaps; - Jump wings, made by Drago of Paris (un-numbered); - Camouflage 'sniper' veil/scarf, a French-made copy of the WW2 British veil; - Not in pic: a few pairs of Mle.52 'buckle' boots, 2nd and 3rd patterns. I have some more equipment on my wishlist to add, like an Mle.49 chapeau de brousse (either khaki or green), M53 bandage pouch marked 11/48, a pair of 'Pataugas' (jungle shoes) and a pair of ammopouches for the MAT49 SMG. Some of those items are hard to find, some very easy. My buddy said he also has an Mle.51/56 TAP helmet and some webgear for me so I'll see. The Pataugas are still being made by the original contractor (Palladium) as sneakers, so I'll buy a new pair if I can find them in the correct colour and size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boy Howdy Posted May 1, 2021 Share #2 Posted May 1, 2021 FYI- Today's Palladiums are made in China. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlymb Posted May 2, 2021 Author Share #3 Posted May 2, 2021 They copied the model fairly soon, it was also the standard model used by the NVA during the Vietnam war and I believe the Chinese military still issues it. Palladium itself is still in business with slightly updated versions of the original design Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now