5th Indian Division 1937 Pattern Indian Made Battle Dress Blouse
A recent purchase: an Indian made BD blouse, Economy (?) 1937 pattern. Indian made BD are not the most common to come across, and badged ones are even rarer. The 5th Indian Division signs are the usual Punjab hand made pattern. Buttons are plastic, rather than bakelite, and there is only one inside pocket. Indian production stamps do not sport any date, but according t the British Army year of production codes, N stands for 1943. There’s a small ink stamp with the soldier’s name, Newell, and his serial number, 2377466: according to the Army Numbers Block Allocation, this would correspond to the Royal Corps of Signals.
