Para Boots - Post Your Pictures

[WWIIBuff]

While awaiting my first book on British Paratroopers (For King & Country) to arrive in the mail, I've been reading as many posts on para items as possible. One thing I noticed that seems to be missing on the forum is any reference on British Paratrooper boots.

Would it be possible for some of you (Ade, Des, etc) to post pictures of boots in your collection and perhaps period photos that clearly show the boots?

Also any information you can share would be greatly appreciated as well. Were there different styles or models? What are features we should look for? And what is a fair price for a pair if they ever turn up?

Thanks

[JEROEN1944]

Well, you can`t find anything about British para-boots, because they don`t exist. Regular army-boots are worn.(ammo-boots). Canadian paratroops sometimes wore US-jumpboots instead off ammo-boots.
Like there American friends and German counterparts they did`nt have specialy made jumpboots, just there ammo-boots.

[WWIIBuff]

Boots

Well that definately explains it. No wonder I couldn't find anything except threads about ammo boots and one with Canadian paratroopers wearing US jump boots. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[Guy]

There was apparently an experimental jump boot which was basically just an ammo boot with an uncured, crepe rubber sole a la brothel creeper. However this was an early innovation that didn't make it past the experimental stage. The story go's 1 company trialled them and they were found to be unsatisfactory. Ken Joyce may well know more as to weather the story is true. As Jeroen says, our paras operated in the standard infantry boot unlike other nations.

Yours, Guy

[mietek]

What about use of the Canadian high boots by British?

Here is quite nice example of boots variety used by paratroopers:

as you could see one pair are high boots, worn without gaitors:


Picture is from magazine published during ww2 and was taken in Africa.

[Gary Jucha]

Confirm

I can confirm the crepe sole issue, as my late father used a set of this type of boots whilst with the Polish Parachute Brigade.

Gary J.

There was apparently an experimental jump boot which was basically just an ammo boot with an uncured, crepe rubber sole a la brothel creeper. However this was an early innovation that didn't make it past the experimental stage. The story go's 1 company trialled them and they were found to be unsatisfactory. Ken Joyce may well know more as to weather the story is true. As Jeroen says, our paras operated in the standard infantry boot unlike other nations.

Yours, Guy

[mietek]

From one more ww2 magazine: Ministry of Information, By Air to Battle, 1945 page 11. Section: The parachute soldier's equipment

"At first his boots were provided with thick crepe rubber soles, but lately this has been found unnecessary, and now ordinary army boots are worn"

However still for me is still open quiestion: what boots were worn by Canadians?

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi John, I wish I had a pair to show.

Several Vets of the XXI recall the crepe sole boots.

Cheers, Ade.

[Capazo]

The Canadians paratrooper worn Us Corcoran Boots because more of them trained in USA's parachutes campament.

[WWIIBuff]

Boots

Thanks for all the comments guys. Ade I wish you had a pair to show as well.

Regarding the boots the Canadian paratroopers wore, Jeroen has a great display and picture on this previous thread of his:
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ght=para+boots

[force136]

Para Boots

My book is just about here ( this Friday 8 August) and I am sure my publisher would not be happy if I spilled everything on this forum however, yes there were British Boots, Parachutist, US Boots, Parachute Jumper, and Canadian Boots, Parachute Jumper to use the proper terminology. Canada was involved in one way or another with all of these. The Brit boots were experimental but that does not mean they were not worn. In fact that British produced thousands of para boots for trials. ( possibly the very boots being worn in the previous photos ) Anyway the entire story of all these boots is in the book. Sorry I cant be more specific but I think this answers questions. The standard boot for operations ie Canadians was the Boot, Ankle and we used them for reasons clarified in the book. (PS Corcoran is a Company name and is not a good term to use when describing the US boot. It was made by many firms with rubber soles made by a few as well. )

Ken

While awaiting my first book on British Paratroopers (For King & Country) to arrive in the mail, I've been reading as many posts on para items as possible. One thing I noticed that seems to be missing on the forum is any reference on British Paratrooper boots.

Would it be possible for some of you (Ade, Des, etc) to post pictures of boots in your collection and perhaps period photos that clearly show the boots?

Also any information you can share would be greatly appreciated as well. Were there different styles or models? What are features we should look for? And what is a fair price for a pair if they ever turn up?

Thanks

[JEROEN1944]

My book is just about here ( this Friday 8 August) and I am sure my publisher would not be happy if I spilled everything on this forum however, yes there were British Boots, Parachutist, US Boots, Parachute Jumper, and Canadian Boots, Parachute Jumper to use the proper terminology. Canada was involved in one way or another with all of these. The Brit boots were experimental but that does not mean they were not worn. In fact that British produced thousands of para boots for trials. ( possibly the very boots being worn in the previous photos ) Anyway the entire story of all these boots is in the book. Sorry I cant be more specific but I think this answers questions. The standard boot for operations ie Canadians was the Boot, Ankle and we used them for reasons clarified in the book. (PS Corcoran is a Company name and is not a good term to use when describing the US boot. It was made by many firms with rubber soles made by a few as well. )

Ken

Well Ken, i ordered your book 2 weeks ago. I`m looking forward to read it.

Jeroen

[Guy]

Many thanks for that Ken, thought you would be the man to know. I echo Jeroens sentiments re your book. In the meantime I found this grainy old picture in the Davis book, I cropped the caption as it is incorrect in light of the information you have just provided.

Yours, Guy.

[force136]

British Boots

Hi Guy

Although I have some documents on the British Boot, Parachutist. I have personally never seen one. I cant tell you if that boot is Para or not, although it likely is. There was no description of the boot. However if it has a rubber sole and is of a higher cut, it probably is a parachutist boot ( or tankers?) Anyway the Brit boot was based on the German boot so they should look similar. If anyone on here can confirm this is the British boot or has pictures, would appreicate it.

Ken

Many thanks for that Ken, thought you would be the man to know. I echo Jeroens sentiments re your book. In the meantime I found this grainy old picture in the Davis book, I cropped the caption as it is incorrect in light of the information you have just provided.

Yours, Guy.

[Guy]

Hi Ken,

Davis simply has it that " Early pattern crepe sole leather ankle boots initially (and that could be the key word) worn by British Paratroopers". Unfortunately that is the only reference and they are not mentioned in the text at all.

You raise a good point re AFV crews as ACI 1969 September 1942 forbade the wearing of hobbs for fighting vehicle crews during training, following an accident. I still suspect these (pictured) are the boots in question but what became of them is another mystery. They ought to be turning up on the market quite regularly but they aren't which sort of begs the question were they destroyed or worn out and not replaced.

My Great uncle who took the Commando course in Scotland at the same time as my Grandfather also mentioned "brothel creepers", so it seems Commandos may have used them too but sadly he remembers very little. I do believe I have seen reference to them in literature pertaining to the commandos though.

Way back in the mists of time I found a pair virtually identical to these in a junk shop. The soles had been exposed to oil or some such and had reacted really badly, my father refused to allow them in the car on the way home . I shall enjoy teasing him about this as they could have been very insrtuctive.

Anyway, sorry not to be more help.

Yours, Guy.