Hi all.

I was just wondering if anybody knows, did the 6th fallschirmjaeger regiment in carentan around 6 june 1944 wear the " jump smock" that encloses the upper legs, or were they equipped with regular camouflage jackets? The reason i ask is that I am making the dragon 1:35 'hedgerow tank hunters' kit, which has the figures wearing the jump smocks that enclose the upper legs, but when I visited the Dead Man's Corner museum in normandy, which has numerous examples of original 6th FJ smocks, none were worn like that.
Thanks!

The later style jumpsmocks could be buttoned around the legs to enclose the upper legs AFAIK.

In a pic of about a dozen FJ prisoners in Normandy, no two of them are wearing the same type smock or jackets. Even though the pic is in B/W you can spot the difference between splinter patterns, water patterns, green background color, tan background color, and older all-over reed green. If Frenchy is seeing this maybe he can pull up this pic. Their uniforms were not uniform!

Thanks guys! Yes, it is the style of jump smock that moletnik mentioned that I was meaning-the one that buttons around the thighs. The figures I have are all wearing this style of smock yet AKAIK there were none of these in the museums in normandy. I understand that in combat, uniforms are not always uniform but was there a later style of FJ smock that didn't button up or enclose around the upper thighs? Does anyone knowIif bith types of smock were used at the same time around June 1944? The actual camouflage pattern is not so important.

Thanks!

All jump smocks or "bone sacks" as the paras called them had the ability to be buttoned around the legs. Some paras chose not to button them. I would not be too concerned with what you see in museums as they don't always have the correct stuff.
You may also be confusing the luftwaffe ground troops smocks with the pure para smock?

Hello there,

To concur with the above, the early smocks were "step-in", the later ones buttoned up. These later ones would be much more appropriate for FjR6 in Normandy.

The Dragon Hedgerow Hunters set has, IIRC, the proper button-up smocks so you're OK with them.

For comfort the buttons were often left undone, which is a preferred method of display in museums at least partly down to preservation. Each time you do and undo a button it stresses the fabric and thread. Just check out the price of an original Fj smock to see why you wouldn't want to do this too often...
As Jerry stated, the Luftwaffe field jacket was different and not intended for Fallschirmjäger.

If you Google Alexander Uhlig you'll see a good group photo, I think it's the one Biggles refers to, showing men of FjR6 although I think it may be some time after Carentan, not sure.

By the way, a friend of mine who was in FjR6 told me the main thing they kept in the big patch pockets on the thighs was apples.

Hope this helps,

Sean

Thanks so much Sean50! Your info is very much appreciated. I have done a bit more research and I believe (but may be wrong) that the earlier step-in type is a 'Type 2' and the newer ones are 'Type 3'?