British Leather Jerkin – 1942

Original WWII British Leather Jerkin. The jerkin is in very good condition, with all buttons present and the leather remaining very supple. It retains its original maker’s label, which is marked “Jerkin, Leather, No. 2 Camouflaged,” size 2, manufactured by Cookson & Clegg Ltd. and dated September 1944. Interestingly, it is quite common to encounter these standard brown leather jerkins with labels referring to the garment as “Camouflaged,” despite the jerkin itself not having a camouflage finish. The same pattern of labels continued to be used on these garments. Leather jerkins were practical pieces of British Army clothing, providing an additional layer of warmth while leaving the arms unrestricted. They saw widespread use during the Second World War, particularly in colder conditions and among troops performing duties where freedom of movement was important.

British-pattern leather jerkins were also widely used by Canadian troops during WWII, making surviving examples equally interesting to collectors of British and Canadian wartime equipment.