The desert and what it demanded
The Western Desert campaign was fought in Egypt, Libya and the surrounding desert between 1940 and 1943. The climate was hot by day and very cold at night, and water was short. Uniforms had to cope with both extremes, and they had to be practical in a place where laundry and replacement kit were difficult to get.
Because of this, British desert clothing combined light tropical items for the day with heavier wool for the night. The mix changed as the campaign moved and as supply improved.
Khaki drill: shirts, shorts and trousers
Khaki drill (KD) was the standard tropical cotton uniform. Shirts and trousers were lightweight, and many men wore open-necked shirts with short sleeves or long sleeves, depending on the time of day and their unit’s orders. Officers and some other ranks also wore bush jackets with four pockets.
Short trousers, known as shorts, were worn by many men in the early desert period. They were cooler than long trousers, but they left the legs exposed to sun, scratches and insect bites. Many units later returned to long trousers, particularly as the campaign moved to other theatres. The 7th Armoured Division, known as the “Desert Rats”, is one of the units most often linked with desert dress.
Headgear: pith helmets, side caps and scarves
Pith helmets were worn early in the campaign. Side caps, sometimes called Field Service caps, were worn later and by many men in the field. Berets were worn by some units. Some men wore a local-style scarf, often called a shemagh, to protect the neck and face from sand and sun.
Check any headgear against a reference, since the same style was worn across several theatres and periods. For the British Mk II steel helmet, see World War 2 military helmets.
Webbing and boots
Standard 1937 webbing was adapted for the desert. It was dyed a sand or light beige shade rather than the bright white blanco used in some other theatres. The colour is one of the best ways to recognise desert-issue webbing, but sun-fading and later dyeing can change the appearance of a surviving set.
Footwear included ankle boots, worn with puttees or canvas gaiters. Other ranks generally wore black boots, while officers often wore brown boots where regulations allowed. Check the boot type and the maker’s marks against a reference.
Cold-night layering
Desert nights could be very cold, and soldiers often layered their clothing. Woollen battledress, greatcoats and blankets were used at night or in the early morning, sometimes alongside lighter tropical kit. A complete desert kit often included both types, so a collection that has only light items may be incomplete.
The Desert Rats and their insignia
The 7th Armoured Division became known as the Desert Rats. Its formation sign is associated with the jerboa, a small desert rodent, and insignia of this kind can be found on surviving uniforms and equipment. Units and formation signs changed over time, so check the date and unit before you assign a badge to the desert campaign.
Collecting and identifying desert-issue items
A few checks help when you are looking at desert-issue kit:
- Colour: desert webbing and other items were often dyed sand or beige. Compare the shade with museum examples, and allow for sun-fading.
- Labels and dates: check the labels and contract marks. Tropical items should have marks that match the period.
- Reproductions: khaki drill shirts and sand-coloured webbing are widely reproduced. Look at the stitching, the cloth and the labels.
- Units: match insignia and unit titles against reference books rather than assuming a desert origin.
- The other side: Italian tropical kit from North Africa turns up in the same collections. See Italian WWII uniforms and insignia.
Record what you find, and check whether a set is complete before you assume it represents a specific unit or date.
Related reading
For the wider collecting context, see the British and Commonwealth militaria collecting guide. For the same war in other theatres, see British and Canadian WWII uniforms. For airborne camouflage, see Denison smock identification.