The Woolly Pully: Any Other Aficionados?

[DouglasLees]

I am a massive fan of the Woolly Pully military sweater: I have been wearing them since the 70s both for outdoor activities and at home and have quite a big collection of them, which I wear throughout the cool/cold months of the year. Are there any other enthusiasts on this site? (The nearest equivalent Down Under is the Howard Green.)

 

[oldsig127]

I am a massive fan of the Woolly Pully military sweater: I have been wearing them since the 70s both for outdoor activities and at home and have quite a big collection of them, which I wear throughout the cool/cold months of the year. Are there any other enthusiasts on this site? (The nearest equivalent Down Under is the Howard Green.)

I'm not too sure what you mean about there not being wooly pullys down under. I still have and wear rhree Australian Army issue and one NZ issue (errr, not precisely issued) pully, and yes, that's what we called them in the 70's and 80's.

One is pretty disreputable having been my the second of my field worn items, but the others are all near as good as new. Or better preserved than I, anyway.

oldsig

 

[ngatimozart]

I'm not too sure what you mean about there not being wooly pullys down under. I still have and wear rhree Australian Army issue and one NZ issue (errr, not precisely issued) pully, and yes, that's what we called them in the 70's and 80's.

One is pretty disreputable having been my the second of my field worn items, but the others are all near as good as new. Or better preserved than I, anyway.

oldsig

Ha, I will have to send the cuzzies over to collect the monetary value for the Kiwi one, plus GST, plus interest

 

[ASSAIL]

I'm not too sure what you mean about there not being wooly pullys down under. I still have and wear rhree Australian Army issue and one NZ issue (errr, not precisely issued) pully, and yes, that's what we called them in the 70's and 80's.

One is pretty disreputable having been my the second of my field worn items, but the others are all near as good as new. Or better preserved than I, anyway.

oldsig

I loved them. Having destroyed a number of $300 dark blue uniform jackets in the RAN by standing on the forecastle during replenishment a being covered in sea spray, I arrived in the UK for 3 years course and exchange and immediately “found” a Wooly Pully which was standard work and seagoing rig in the RN and wore them continuously.
I still have two but seeing as the daily temp in Darwin rarely gets below 30 degC they remain in the bottom drawer.

 

[DouglasLees]

I'm not too sure what you mean about there not being wooly pullys down under. I still have and wear rhree Australian Army issue and one NZ issue (errr, not precisely issued) pully, and yes, that's what we called them in the 70's and 80's.

One is pretty disreputable having been my the second of my field worn items, but the others are all near as good as new. Or better preserved than I, anyway.

oldsig

I’m going to PM you about this because I would be interested to see examples of the Aus and NZ WPs. I had understood that the Aus version was known as a Howard Green. I did have one when I was in my early teens (way back in the early 80s) that was made by Auscam: green but a bit lighter if I recall than the British Army WP and with distinctive cammo patches - a slightly different shape from
the British. I liked that jumper and often wore it as an alternative to my British versions.

 

[DouglasLees]

Ha, I will have to send the cuzzies over to collect the monetary value for the Kiwi one, plus GST, plus interest

I don’t think I have knowingly seen the Kiwi version - I would like to for comparison with the UK.

 

[DouglasLees]

I loved them. Having destroyed a number of $300 dark blue uniform jackets in the RAN by standing on the forecastle during replenishment a being covered in sea spray, I arrived in the UK for 3 years course and exchange and immediately “found” a Wooly Pully which was standard work and seagoing rig in the RN and wore them continuously.
I still have two but seeing as the daily temp in Darwin rarely gets below 30 degC they remain in the bottom drawer.

I owe you a reply on another thread: the past few months have been busy and I have neglected this forum. I am hoping to do so over the next few weeks.
You’re right about the Woolly Pully being absolutely marvellous. They are addictive, too: I had my first aged 11 and have been wearing them ever since. I wore one quasi-professionally in the Corps at school at university (olive Army) and Navy, RAF, Black or Bottle Green in my free time. Still do. I tend to alternate between Navy and Black, sometimes Olive. Nice to find other chaps on here who like them as much as I do!

 

[oldsig127]

I had understood that the Aus version was known as a Howard Green. I did have one when I was in my early teens (way back in the early 80s) that was made by Auscam: green but a bit lighter if I recall than the British Army WP and with distinctive cammo patches - a slightly different shape from
the British. I liked that jumper and often wore it as an alternative to my British versions.

Official name was "Howard Green" if I remember correctly. I don't recall it being called that in daily use, except maybe by a QM. The Auscam ones appeared after I left, and the body is more khaki than the greenish Olive Drab I wore. The Kiwi ones were darker, greener, and if my wife's photo from those days is evidence, had no elbow patches.

oldsig

 

[oldsig127]

Ha, I will have to send the cuzzies over to collect the monetary value for the Kiwi one, plus GST, plus interest

Good luck. I'll refer them to the Kiwi who liberated it for me. He still owes me for a new pair of GP boots.

oldsig

 

[DouglasLees]

Official name was "Howard Green" if I remember correctly. I don't recall it being called that in daily use, except maybe by a QM. The Auscam ones appeared after I left, and the body is more khaki than the greenish Olive Drab I wore. The Kiwi ones were darker, greener, and if my wife's photo from those days is evidence, had no elbow patches.

oldsig

Yes. The Auscam I had was sort of between Olivr Drab and khaki - not quite either but a nice blend. I’d actually like to get another one in a large size to add to my collection of military knitwear!

 

[ngatimozart]

Official name was "Howard Green" if I remember correctly. I don't recall it being called that in daily use, except maybe by a QM. The Auscam ones appeared after I left, and the body is more khaki than the greenish Olive Drab I wore. The Kiwi ones were darker, greener, and if my wife's photo from those days is evidence, had no elbow patches.

oldsig

The Kiwi ones especially from the 1970s and 80s were jungle green colour. That was the official colour and they didn't have pads of any kind. Very warm too. In 1978 when the RNZAF issued its new uniform, the winter jersey was similar to the army jungle green jersey in design and thickness, but didn't have the ties at the collar. It also had epaulettes on it. It was a dark almost navy blue in colour. The summer weight jersey was thiñner but same colour and similar pattern. The RNZN also has a jersey of the same pattern and thickness to the RNZAF winter one. In fact the only difference between the two is the colour with the RNZN jersey being a dark navy blue. None of the jerseys have pads, but comfortable as though.

Good luck. I'll refer them to the Kiwi who liberated it for me. He still owes me for a new pair of GP boots.

oldsig

Haha, much liberation and rehoming of govt stores has occurred over time.

 

[DouglasLees]

The Kiwi ones especially from the 1970s and 80s were jungle green colour. That was the official colour and they didn't have pads of any kind. Very warm too. In 1978 when the RNZAF issued its new uniform, the winter jersey was similar to the army jungle green jersey in design and thickness, but didn't have the ties at the collar. It also had epaulettes on it. It was a dark almost navy blue in colour. The summer weight jersey was thiñner but same colour and similar pattern. The RNZN also has a jersey of the same pattern and thickness to the RNZAF winter one. In fact the only difference between the two is the colour with the RNZN jersey being a dark navy blue.

I’d be very interested to see photos of the RNZAF and/or RNZN winter jerseys you describe?

 

[ngatimozart]

I’d be very interested to see photos of the RNZAF and/or RNZN winter jerseys you describe?

I don't think I have any photos of the jungle green jerseys and I will see if I have photos of the other 2. Most of my photos are packed up in boxes.

 

[Blackshoe]

I have a copy of the USN's version, along with the rarer Submarine Sweater (even though I was never a submariner). The woolly-pully is meh; the submarine sweater is very warm.

 

[oldsig127]

I have a copy of the USN's version, along with the rarer Submarine Sweater (even though I was never a submariner). The woolly-pully is meh; the submarine sweater is very warm.

I doubt if anyone in Australian, NZ or the UK service would mistake any of those for woolly pullys. Perhaps the similarity is like that between a baseball and cricket bat, both bats, but definitely ot the same thing.

oldsig

 

[Lucasnz]

The white submarine sweater was worn by small boats crew (IPC, Lake Class and Survey personnel into the early 1990's) in the RNZN. Not sure when it was withdrawn.

 

[DDG38]

I still have 2 from my RAN service and they were always called woolly pullys during my time. Took one to Iceland last year and did a great job !

 

[ASSAIL]

I can’t remember when Wooly Pullys we’re introduced into the RAN but they weren’t there when I left for course and exchange in ‘76 and they were there when I returned (I think) in 79.
Before that white SM polo necks were in use in some MWVs. We had them in the “Snail” HMAS Kimbla (open bridge/Southern Ocean) during my time there In ‘71.

 

[DouglasLees]

I remember that the first (Army) Woolly Pully (WP) I had in the mid-70s was more khaki than olive and had thick reinforced cuffs. The turn-back cuffs came in slightly later: my second Army’s WP had them in the late 70s and it was around that time that I had my first Navy WP as well. They didn’t have shoulder straps: those came in right at the end of the 70s/start of the 80s. At school and university I wore WPs with shoulder straps for Corps and without them (just shoulder and elbow patches) in my free time.
The RN WP I’m wearing in my profile photo is the standard post-1980s with shoulder straps and shoulder/elbow patches.