Inquiry - CF gear - circa early 1990's UNPROFOR

[southsaskscotty]

Good evening all, I was referred to this site/forum with an inquiry that you may be able to help me out with:

I am looking to put together a static display depicting our CF soldier circa early 1990's on service with the UNPROFOR in the former Yugo.  What I was hoping that I may be able to ask of the members of this forum is for a list of the correct web and kit, uniform, boots, etc.

Any photos would be very much appreciated.

To my understanding I would need pattern 82 webbing, what components?

uniform, green combats? what would they have been patched with (photos would help immensely!)

boots, mark I's?

Helmet?

Your help is very much appreciated.  Glad that I found this forum! 

 

[dangerboy]

I was in Croatia in 92 with 3 PPCLI, we wore OD combats.  We had sewn on our right shoulder a UN patch and on left shoulder a red and white Canadian Flag.  For boots we were issued Mk 3 boots but a lot of guys wore danner boots. For headdress MCpl's and bellow wore UN baseball caps while Sgt's and up wore UN berets, we had American helmets painted UN blue in the carrier.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

is that the MAXI KITE mounted on that 50?

 

[dangerboy]

Before the Maxi kite, I am thinking it was a called 502 but not 100% certain. I am sure someone remembers the proper name for it.

 

[Kat Stevens]

4 CER (CANENGBAT) wore a brassard with UN badge and Canadian flag patch on the right (I think) arm.  Tan first gen desert boots, or those godawful blast boots.  Canadian steel helmets painted blue, white UN symbol on the front, white "UN" on the sides.  '82 patern webbing, mag pouches and small pack, field dressing left shoulder.  Viet Nam era flak jackets.  Blue ball hats for MCpl and below, berets for all the rest.

 

[medicineman]

CANBAT 1 Croatia '94 - OD combats, Israeli Frag Vests (the stiff ones), field dressings on the side elastics of the vest, bayonet IIRC correctly was on the left side elastic (opposite to fd drsg anyways), blue US helmet, beret for Sgt and above, ball caps for MCpls and below, UN patches right shoulder, big frig off Canadian flag on left (both on brassards), except for some medics who had smaller Canadian flags with their Geneva Cross Hairs on the left (like me  ;D).  Engineers were allowed to wear their bayonets on their chest as we do now on the tac vest.  Our webbing was usually stowed in our vehicle - 4 mags were in the vest breast pockets and one on the weapon.  Boots - combination of MkIII's, green jungle boots and desert boots - engineers often had blast boots.  I don't think I have any pics of me or my partner tooled up unfortunately.

Hope that helps some.

MM

 

[southsaskscotty]

Thank you for your help, it is very much appreciated.

so....
OD combats w/ brassard on each shoulder (UN patch on right Canadian flag on left)

covered with israeli (?) frag vest with field dressing, C7 bayonet and mags

desert boots

topped with the UN ball cap (or M1 helmet blue with UN on each side and emblem on front?)

This set up on a display would encompass our CF soldier standing at the Airport in Sarajevo with Mackenzie?

Now....to track the items down for my display, any suggestions.

Again, all of your help is appreciated.  I can not seem to find a whole lot of information nor photos for this info.

 

[Kat Stevens]

My mistake, we wore the stiff ninja turtle shell flak vest on roto 0 (what a stupid term).

 

[dangerboy]

If you can wait till this weekend I can look to see if I have any clearer photos.  I have to scan them and my scanner won't work on this vista computer so I have to use an older computer.

 

[southsaskscotty]

Any photos would be very much appreciated!  I can certainly wait to the weekend, putting this display together has been in the back of my mind for sometime now, I generally focus on Canadian WWII in collecting but I have a personal connection/nostalgia with CF soldiers that rolled into the Sarajevo airport to reopen for aid flights.

all help is so very much appreciated!

 

[Kat Stevens]

I just went through my tour book, Harmony 92.  There are no really clear pictures of guys all bombed up, as most of them are actin shots in minefields, etc, and early tours over there were pretty relaxed when it came to being kitted up all the time.

 

[medic65726]

There are a number of pictures here-
http://www.espritdecorps.ca/Bosnia%20photos.htm

 

[the 48th regulator]

There are a number of pictures here-
http://www.espritdecorps.ca/Bosnia%20photos.htm

That is Bosnia.

We, in Croatia, dressed with more of a je ne sais quoi.



dileas

tess

 

[Kat Stevens]

He's looking for stuff from when we went charging (okay, crawling) down the highway from Daruvar to camp out at the Sarajevo airport with GenMac.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

I was going to mention that.  If you are looking to reproduce an exact point in time (Gen Mack in Sarajevo) then your kit layout will change dramatically.  I know that my tour's (1993-1994) equipment changed from the 1992 tour's..

 

[southsaskscotty]

Looking for snapshot in history circa Sarajevo airport 1992.  I would like to put a display together of what our CF boys would have been rigged up with standing watching the aid flights on the big Canadian Herc's and that weird looking CCCP plane.

I was able to find a bit of info on this but accounts differ.  From some photos that I have found it looks like green combat pants, desert boots, a blue M1 helmet(?)...this is what I can discern and certainly stand to be corrected or better enlightened.

I am unsure of what shirt would have been worn, from most photos it looks like a t-shirt rather than the green combat jacket?

Also, the frag vest, I have no experience with this what so ever, what am I looking for.  With the frag vest on was there much of the pat 82 kit being worn too?  maybe just the canteen?

Insignia:  From what I can figure there are differing accounts: UN patch sewn on the right shoulder, Canada flag on the left (some accounts of empullets? on the shoulders?)  would there have been rank insignia as well?  OD green sewn on below the UN/flag.

man that is alot of questions. thanks for the replies and trying to help out a very interested civvy like me.

 

[helpup]

WOW, good luck with the info and post a finnished product please.  I get a kick out of the Circa 90's as in my mind that is not history but when you compare what we have now vice then....... I guess it is and do I feel old...................... nah not yet.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

I recommend picking up Gen Mackenzie's book.  There are pictures in it that can help you out for sure, available at chapters.  I have an autographed copy my mommy got for me before I deployed but you can't have it!

The fragmentation vest was kind of a mixed bag.  There were different types kicking around.  same thing for the combat shirts.  We had a version of combat shirt around those days that was more like an admin shirt, it only had breast pockets and could be tucked in.

Good luck.

 

[southsaskscotty]

Don't mean to make anyone feel old!

'circa 1992' is coming up on being 20 years though!  I view that period of the CF as that though, a period, the CF has evolved since then into a new era now.  This ambition of mine to put this together is to pay hommage to that era, that conflict and to a relative of mine who was there.

I have Road To Sarajevo by Mackenzie and it is a fantastic book, very good information on the history.  I will have to back through the photos with a finer comb I guess, but if memory serves me they are b&w but I will have a look!

Thanks!

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I recommend picking up Gen Mackenzie's book.  There are pictures in it that can help you out for sure, available at chapters.  I have an autographed copy my mommy got for me before I deployed but you can't have it!

Peacekeeper?  Not a bad read at all IMO.

We had a version of combat shirt around those days that was more like an admin shirt, it only had breast pockets and could be tucked in.

Those I liked.  Less stuff to get caught getting in/out of the hatch/veh.  Weren't they around for the then-TacHel Obs types?