Hi folks.
The reason i've never joined up to this site until recently is the same reason i've not watched Aliens for 16 years until recently either.
Back when Aliens came out, Film Review ran a competition to win a number of Aliens props.
Think there was 4 or 5 to be won, don't remember them all, but one was Ripley's leather jacket and one was a set of Marine fatigues.
And that's what i won.
They were in my possesion until '93, when i split from my then girlfriend in quite a hideous way.
With the trauma of it all, it wasn't till about a year later that i realised i must've left them behind.
Burnt my bridges good and proper, so never went back for them.
Anyway, time passes, i get married, have children - and avoid the film as its just a reminder of what i'd lost.
As too is the congratulations letter i got from Film Review when i won it.
Anyway, to cut a REALLY long story short, 8 months ago i opened up communications with my ex and, today, went round to pick the outfit up.
It wasn't in the dress box i'd left it in and its grubbier than it was, but i never dared hoped it still existed, let alone that i'd own it again.
So, here it is:





And a close up of the patches. These are interesting as they're glued on rather than stiched:





Buttons are odd as they're quite flimsily put on for an action film outfit:



The question i had back when i first won it is: who's suit is it? There's no clue on the outside (so whoever it was didn't doodle on it like some did) and there's nothing on the inside except for "42" which i'm guessing is chest size.
I'm 6 foot 2 and it fits me perfectly, so assume its a bloke. But who?
Not Apone's as there's no sergent stripes.
He was a smoker - there was still a foil from a cigarette packet in the top pocket.
The only other clue could be the Bonhams tag that was in a pocket - "Alien 17" Lot 17 then?



Figuring this is the best place to look for answers - can anyone shed any light?

WOW, awesome story with a great ending.

Mr. Harry Harris would be the man you seek I think.
He should chime in with some drool here shortly

My take on it would be:
1. No chevrons - not sergeant or corporal
2. Which of the cast members smoked?
3. How many other BDU sets have been identified already?

I know Harry has the Hudson armor, not sure if the BDU's are original also.

Send them to me and I'll see what I can find out

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So, that leaves Frost, Crowe, Wierzbowski, and Hudson as candidates.

-Apone, Hicks, and Dietrich are all NCO's and would have stripes,

-Vasquez and Drake only wore the pants

-Ferro and Spunkmeyer didn't wear BDU's at all

Right?

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

I thought Dietrich and Hicks didn't wear chevrons either?

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Actually, I think you're right.

I think we can safely exclude Dietrich, but that may put Hicks back in the running.

EDIT: Wait, Hicks has a Delta patch on the front of his jacket

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"Screen what? I wouldn't know screen accurate if it were driving a bus and ran me over during the parade."

LCpl. Av "Spectre" Taylor
Long Range Infantry Support

Well the USCM and name tapes are missing, so it's possible other patches were removed as well. This could be anyone's.

_________________
"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

It's a long, long, long shot, but you could look for evidence of glue / stitching in the locations of missing patches and see if that narrows it down, for example location of a delta patch? Also, length of the name tags, if stitching holes are present at all?

Failing that, try and screen match the pattern of little bits like pocket flaps..? :/

Your left breast pocket has a fairly distinctive pattern section on it - Try looking for that next time you watch the movie?

_________________
MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

Edit: Sixty and Scapey snuck in while I was typing!!!



Heya dude - Welcome to The Legacy!!!


Don't forget: It could also quite easily belong to a stunt performer.

One option is to watch the movie closely and match the position & orientation of the camouflage pattern elements. My theory is that that particular black/brown/beige/white squiggle specifically on that pocket/shoulder/left knee will only be in the same place on one person's uniform. Camouflage patterns are printed on the rolls of material before it's cut to make the item of clothing - Therefore, no two cabbage garments will ever be the exact same.

It's tedious and tenuous, I know, but it can be done.
If not by you, then one of us with a high resolution, high definition fancy TV set will probably do it!!

We must know!!!!!



Once again, welcome to the forum

Thanks for the info so far guys.
Nope, no sign of any glue marks or stiching where other patches might've been.
Good suggestion about looking out for the ditstinctive left pocket.
Will put the film on in a mo'.
This is a nice close-up of it:



And the right, if its any help:





[/img]

I think there was a famous auction at Bonhams in the eighties, where lots of Aliens stuff went for (what now seem like) giveaway prices. It might be worth tracking down a catalogue and look up the lot number?

_________________
Mike

"We're not heroes - we're from Finchley"

After watching Aliens many times for information I noticed many odd things.

First the missing name patches. Film makers cut cost anywhere they can. This shirt may have been worn under the armor. Not needing any patches on the chest.

Second. Hicks wore his sleeves rolled up and the flag and USCM patch is all that is seen. No need for a rank patch.

But still a great BDUs and nice you got them back

_________________

A12/TQ1.0.22137E1
PVT. Schmaus, Christopher J.
2nd Batt 6th Regt
USS Tahoma

Had a look at the first CM scenes.
Trouble so far is, when they get their tops on for the first time, on goes the chest armour too, covering up the pockets.
But i get to the part where Frost notices the Motion Tracker picking up Newt for the first time and there's a lovely distinctive pattern on his left arm.
It don't match mine, so Frost is out.
My left sleeve is also quite distinctive (forgive quality - flash on this cameras crap) and looks to me like a face with a long nose and one black eye:



So later on gonna start studying folks' left arms.

Wow, what a great ending to the story.

So glad you've opened up a dialogue with your ex, and that you got your stuff back!

Outstanding.


P.S. By the way, You are a jammy git for winning them in the first place!

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A72/TQ6.6.95356E8





"I plan to live forever.........or die trying!"

Well, I don't know what the hell a jammy git is... but you're one lucky SOB! I'm not usually impressed by tales, but this one's a winner.

The people with the rolled up sleeves had to have cut them, no way they can get that high and tight and small. We've tried

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Rob Slater
A08/TQ2.0.42136E1

Michael Biehn as Hicks wore a short-sleeved shirt. What complicates things is that James Remar wore or had made for him long-sleeved shirts.

I had heard about the Ripley costume in Film Review, it ended up in a Christies sale. Never heard about fatigues in this competition.

I am looking out for a set of original fatigues to go with my armor, so please get in touch if these ever become available.

Lot 17 from Bonhams auction in 1987 was a collection of military uniforms, the Aliens lots started at Lot 104, I would assume this pair got mixed in with the much earlier lot.

Dan

Iam leaning toward bowski or crowe.

That's a wonderful story Manga! Great to know another piece from this movie has survived!


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

dude that is one of the most amazing stories . what are the odds ? not only did she not burn all your stuff ,, but she kept it that long . you may be the luckiest chap alive . go buy a lottery ticket . now

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"I am the ULTIMATE BADASS , state of the badass art"
Alpha squad. Burton's Bandits

Holy crap, that's cool...

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CPL Conley, D. A06/TQ2.0.72147E1



"To err is human; to forgive, divine... Neither of which is Marine Corps policy."
"In Onoraigh Ar Marbh" ~ We Honor Our Fallen

From different jackpots. That way you can clean them all out!

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Squad Leader, 58th Regt., 2nd Batt., "Morse's Marauders" - U.S.S. Azuera
Primary MOS: Rifleman
Secondary MOS: Combat Demolitions

"When the going gets tough, the tough call on the Colonial Marines."

The Bonhams tag is worth something as well, never seen one of those.

Thanks for all the comments and pointers chaps.
Certainly is intriguing, this mystery.
I don't think i have the Film Review edition that had the competition - has anyone? - and can't remember whether it was at the time of the films cinema or video release.
Always remembered it as the cinema release, but if there was an auction of a whole bunch of Aliens stuff, i'm guessing it must've been its video release?
That's odd about Lot 17 being military and not Aliens specific. And it raises the question of how did Film Review get the costumes?
Was it a case of someone from the magazine going along to Bonhams and just bidding on the things?

Anyway, spent the evening sleeve spotting and things are just too dark and folk move too darn fast to tell.
So, changed tack and thought i'd check on the patterns on the trousers.
Again, inconclusive - except to reaffirm that's they're definetly not Frost's.
Neither Hudson's as there's a great shot in the Ready Room of him standing still and his pattern is clearly on show.
Can i ask a favour?
Has anyone got a nice big image of that publicity shot of the Marines and Ripley lined up in front of the Drop Ship?
I've got one, but its in the Movie Magazine and far too small to make anything out.
But a bigger shot could shed some light.

The biggest one I have...

Derek

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Cpl D. Smith CMD
A04/TQ1.0.62147E1


RIP Pvt. Chris Chulamanis A14/TQ4.0.66993E7 You are missed.