BULGARIAN EARLY COMMUNIST CAMOUFLAGE COAT and PANTS UNIFORM

We present you a rare Bulgarian communist camouflage uniform.
At the end of 70s Bulgarian army raised a special commando troops for which were created the first type camouflage uniform set consisting of a jacket and pants. By then only the camouflage paratrooper suits from '50s were known as official army camouflages. Naturally the new uniform succeeded the paratrooper pattern, which the communists copied from the WWII German "splinter" camouflage.

The camouflage uniform was developed in two models. The first one had a short jacket convenient for both summer and winter seasons (such is the set we offer today). Later was created another longer zipped jacket, appropriate for the coldest winter conditions.
Both models were made in limited quantities, only for the officer's stuff of the elite communist paratrooper officers, landing troops and intelligence agents.

The coat has a thick winter lining made of wool, which is attached to the coat by means of buttons. Thus the coat can be worn both in cold and warmer weather conditions. On the shoulders are placed removable arm straps, on the chest are sewn two flap pockets. An interior pocket was specially designed as gun holster for TT (Tula Tokarev) or Makarov pistols. The coat buttons are made of bakelite, having the communist symbol - the five-pointed star.
The pants also have winter removable lining . Two pockets; elastic on the bottom legs.

The set was designed in 4 main sizes. The one we offer here is of size 3 - L, intended for a person who is 170-173 cm / 66,5 - 68" tall. If you need another size, please, write us.

Biggest size 4 is also available - jacket and pants without lining, measures:

- for the jacket: shoulder to shoulder , taken on the back - 53 cm / 21" ; from arpi to armpit - 67 cm; length , measured on the back - 67 cm / 26,4" ( Jacket is of short line, as pants are high in waist)

- for the pants: waist: 103 cm / 40,6" ; inseam - 76 cm / 30"

For the paratroopers and officers of the landing troops these uniforms goes with leather paratrooper helmets which you can find at our other auctions and store.

This communist uniform is very rare, in never-used condition. Don’t miss it!

Bulgarian Camouflage History
The camouflage uniforms in the Bulgarian communist army are rare to find and are intended to be used at training demonstrations by paratroopers, landing troops and some high-ranking officers.
The first camouflage uniforms used in the Bulgarian communist army are the camouflage coveralls M1953 with a splinter pattern. After the Warsaw pact there occurred the necessity of modern camouflage uniform for the special forces and paratroopers.
For that purpose, at the beginning of the 1960s there was sewn a very small number of camouflage uniforms like one of the jacket models we offer. The pattern is of the splinter type, and the model was employed for a short time only.
In 1968 there was introduced another coveralls model intended for paratroopers, intelligence staff and border guards. This type of coveralls is characterized by the so-called “frog” pattern.
At the same time there started to be employed another camouflage coveralls: with yellow pattern, imitating the DDR uniform. These coveralls were the only available camouflage uniform up to the 1980s.
In 1986, according to the army trend at the time, there was introduced a camouflage uniform of 2 parts: jacket with pants with the splinter pattern. This uniform was to serve the needs of the elite forces when necessary but it was not that widely employed in the Bulgarian communist army either. On the small labels indicating the size of the jackets one can notice sometimes the year of fabrication: 1987.