18
LAST OF THE FEW
NAVAL SERVICE VARIANT DPM
The Naval Service will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on the
1st of September this year. It's a milestone birthday, which
will be celebrated with family, friends, and the general public.
Another significant milestone will take place in March. The
Naval Service Variant DPM- (Disruptive Pattern Material) (NSV
DPM) will enter service. This project has been nearly ten years
in the making. The origins of this programme are based in a
desire to rationalise a sailor's kit bag to just two uniforms, a
ceremonial one and one for everything else, because up to
now there were four different uniforms to pack for sea. Which
isn't just a pain to carry on and
off the ship, it takes up room
in cabins where space is at a
premium, and for the Naval
Service it will mean the uniform
quality can be brought up to
modern standards.
A foot in the past,
with eyes on the
future.
As the days of sail gave
way to the days of steam,
and in turn to the internal
combustion engine, as much
as things changed, many
things stayed the same. The
NS dress uniform is typically
only on view during ceremonial
parades these days, yet it is
composed of some items of
kit, which would have been as
familiar to a gunner on a 18th
century ship of the line, as it is
to today's hi-tech mariners. The
silk, the blue jean collar, the
lanyard, the gaiter, and the bell
Able Seaman Karen Casey
Able Mechanician Conducting Rounds
20mm Rheinmetall Training NSV DPM
By LtCdr Cian Ó Mearáin & SCPO/ERA Ruairí de Barra
Photos by SCPO/ERA Ruairí de Barra
