British Army and RAF contract numbers Part 2: A/78/CLO... used from 1961 to 1980

In about 1960/1961 the contract code on uniform labels etc changes from 6/CLO/... to A/78/CLO...

With the A/78/CLO/... codes the manufacturers of a specific item are ordered sequentially by contract number. So, for example:

A/78/CLO/31615/DC69(1), Trousers Combat, (1960 Pattern), H.Lotery & Co Ltd.
A/78/CLO/31616/DC69(1), Trousers Combat, (1960 Pattern), CW Son Ltd                            
A/78/CLO/31617/DC69(1), Smock Combat,    (1960 Pattern), James Smith & Co (Derby) Ltd. RHYMNEY                      
A/78/CLO/31617/DC69(1), Smock Combat,    (1960 Pattern), James Smith & Co (Derby) Ltd. STAVELEY                    
A/78/CLO/31618/DC69(2), Smock Combat,    (1960 Pattern), J.Mandleberg & Co Ltd

Using the above sample we can see that:
1. the smock and trousers of the 1960 Pattern Combat Uniform are a single contract item.
2. each manufacturer has it's own contract number in sequence.
3. manufacturer's with multiple factory locations still use the single contract number.

A/78/CLO... contract numbers can be more difficult to date as they are less likely to have a date on the label or pheon marking.
This can make dating a specific item difficult, below is a rough guide to year dating A/78/CLO... contracts, the contract numbers are the earliest I have found for each year so the list indicates the earliest the item could have been manufactured:

1961=    78/CLO/0324/CT4A
1962=    78/CLO/0764/CT5A
1963=    78/CLO/1748/CT4B
1964= A/78/CLO/5459/CB(CT)3B
1965= A/78/CLO/11101/CT5A
1966= A/78/CLO/14293/CT5A
1967= A/78/CLO/17352/CT5B
1968= A/78/CLO/22922/CT5(A)
1969= A/78/CLO/25321/CT5B
1970= A/78/CLO/30999/DC67
1971= A/78/CLO/33475/DC69(1)
1972= A/78/CLO/37681/DC69(1)
1973= A/78/CLO/40658/CB(CT)2C
1974= A/78/CLO/42217/CB(CT)
1975= A/78/CLO/45147/CB(CT)2B
1976= A/78/CLO/48022/CB(CT)2B
1977= A/78/CLO/52214/CB(CT)2B
1978= A/78/CLO/53062/CB(CT)2A
1979= A/78/CLO/57092/CB(CT)4A
1980= A/78/CLO/58000/CB(CT)2B = this is the last, highest numbered A/78/CLO... number I have found and the item was relabeled to the CT2 type code.

In 1979/1980 the contract numbering system changed to CT2, CT3, CT4 system.