Canada. A Denison Smock Of Sergeant Gus Parker,1St Canadian Parachute Battalion, D-Day Invasion

This is the Denison Smock used by airborne forces. It is fabricated from a thick windproof cotton and bears a camouflage print that exhibits bold "brush strokes", in dark green and brown on a khaki field. The pattern was officially known as Drill No.4 Camouflaged. It is designed in a pullover style, with a square-cut collar, the inside of which is lined in an Angola Drab. The shoulder straps incorporate the same camouflage pattern as the rest of the smock, the left strap with an original olive green plastic button sewn in place, the right strap with a replacement magnetic patterned metal button held in place via a screwpost.

The front has four large and deep square pockets, one on each breast and one of each side at the hip. Each pocket has a fold over flap, with a single brass snap receiver marked "NEWEY PAT.201430-22" on the pocket and its brass cap affixed to the flap, to secure the pocket closed. Sewn in place above the left breast pocket is a three-colour embroidered type I Canadian Parachute Regiment Badge ("Jump Wings" issued to Canadians in November 1942). The smock is stencilled in black ink "PARKER" between the wings and the left breast pocket. Just below that same left breast pocket appears a 50 mm (w) x 20 mm (h) patched hole, with a large patch sewn in place on the inside, the patch fashioned from a re-purposed "tailpiece" that was detached from the smock. The functional zipper comes with a khaki cotton pull-tab, the zipper beginning at the edge of the collar at the neck line and terminates at the mid-breast. There are six positions between the two front lower pockets where brass snaps for the tailpiece once resided and have been deleted, as evidenced by the khaki stitching. It is missing its tailpiece flap which was attached to the rear skirt of the smock and subsequently used to patch the hole below the left breast. The tailpiece was intended to be drawn up between the legs of the wearer and fastened to the inside of the front skirt by six brass snaps, placed in pairs of three. There are single brass snap receivers below remaining each lower pocket. Each armpit comes with six reinforced ventilation holes. The smock is dual stencilled in black ink "PARKER" with his service number "SB53689" between the shoulders across the back. There is a single brass snap at the waist on the right side, marked "NEWEY PAT.201430-22", as per the snaps on the pockets, the snap on the left side having been lost to time.

In addition, on both sleeves above the cuff, there is an embroidered Warrant Officer 2nd Class rank insignia sewn in place. Each cuff comes with a tab with a reinforced button hole, for adjustment at the wrist, the left sleeve with three olive green buttons, the right sleeve with a single olive green plastic button. Inside, there is a side entry pocket sewn in place just inside the zippered opening on the right side. Just behind the right waist pocket there is a 65 mm (w) x 50 mm (h) white cotton manufacturer's label inscribed "Dension Airborne Troops / Height 5 ft. 9" - 5 Ft. 11" / Breast 37" - 39" / L. SILVERSTON & SONS LTD", dated "1943" and numbered "607". Immediately to the left, it is stamped in black ink with the British Broad Arrow acceptance mark, the Broad Arrow surrounded by a "7" above, a "W" to the left, a "D" to the right (WD = War Department) and "402" below. The smock measures 540 mm across the shoulders x 780 mm in length overall, exhibiting light soiling throughout, with tears in the fabric evident to the right of the right waist pocket and on the left cuff. As worn.

Footnote: Sergeant (Warrant Officer 2nd Class) A.G. "Gus" Parker, "A" Company, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion "was wounded in the stomach right through a German belt buckle he had liberated" during the D-Day Invasion, as noted on page 335 of the book entitled "Boys of the Clouds, An Oral History of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion 1942-1945" by Gary C. Boegel. He was subsequently invalided to England, where he recuperated at No.11 Canadian General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) at Taplow, England in June 1944. Parker is remembered with honour on a Commemorative Brick on one of the Juno Beach Centre's Memorial Kiosks in Normandy, France: Kiosk K-12, Panel 3, Position 141.

In July 1943, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was dispatched to England and came under the command of the 3rd Parachute Brigade of the British 6th Airborne Division. The Battalion then spent the next year in training for airborne operations. Major differences between their previous American training and the new regime included jumping with only one parachute, and doing it through a hole in the floor of the aircraft, instead of through the door of a C-47 Dakota. On the evening of June 5, 1944, the battalion was transported to France in fifty aircraft during Operation Overlord (the D-Day Invasion). Each man carried a knife, toggle rope, escape kit with French currency, and two 24-hour ration packs, in addition to their normal equipment, in all totalling seventy pounds. The battalion landed one hour in advance of the rest of the brigade, in order to secure the Drop zone (DZ). Thereafter, they were ordered to destroy road bridges over the river Dives and its tributaries at Varaville, then neutralize strong points at the crossroads.

In addition, the Canadians were to protect the left (southern) flank of the 9th Battalion, Parachute Regiment during that unit's attack on the Merville Battery, afterwards seizing a position astride the Le Mesnil crossroads, a vital position at the centre of the ridge. Lieutenant Colonel Bradbrooke issued the following orders to his company commanders: "C" Company under Major H.M. MacLeod was to secure the DZ, destroy the enemy headquarters (HQ), secure the southeast corner of the DZ, destroy the radio station at Varaville, and blow the bridge over the Divette stream in Varaville. "C" Company would then join the battalion at Le Mesnil cross roads. "A" Company under Major D. Wilkins would protect the left flank of 9th Battalion during their attack on the Merville Battery and then cover 9th Battalion's advance to the Le Plein feature. They would seize and hold the Le Mesnil cross roads. "B" Company under Major C. Fuller was to destroy the bridge over the river Dives within two hours of landing and deny the area to the enemy until ordered to withdraw to Le Mesnil cross roads.

The Battalion landed between 0100 and 0130 hours on June 6th, becoming the first Canadian unit on the ground in France. For different reasons, including adverse weather conditions and poor visibility, the soldiers were scattered, at times quite far from the planned drop zone. By mid-day, and in spite of German resistance, the men of the battalion had achieved all their objectives; the bridges on the Dives and Divette in Varaville and Robehomme were cut, the left flank of the 9th Parachute Battalion at Merville was secure, and the crossroads at Le Mesnil was taken. In the following days, the Canadians were later involved in ground operations to strengthen the bridgehead and support the advance of Allied troops towards the Seine River.

This smock was introduced after direct copies of the German "Step in Smock", which had short legs attached as part of the main body, were initially used. These were officially labelled as "Jacket Parachutists" and were used from 1940 to 1942. In 1942, the "Smock Denison Airborne Troops" was introduced and this version dispensed with the legs and instead utilized a "tailpiece" which was attached at the back and fastened underneath the crotch to the front of the garment. This tail prevented the smock from riding over the head of the wearer when parachuting and could be undone upon landing. The smock was cut to generous proportions, as it had to fit over the wearer's normal battledress. It consisted on a camouflage print that exhibited bold "brush strokes", in dark green and brown on a khaki field. The pattern was officially known as Drill No.4 Camouflaged.