Further to conversations that were started at DragonCon this year I'd like to start a discussion about the possibility of a UKCM dress uniform. This is not the khaki Service C's which some of us have already. This will be a uniform based upon the Royal Marine No1 Dress Blue uniform (unless general consensus decides differently).





So, I want ideas, opinions, feelings, impressions and points of view from everyone.

My personal thought is to take the lead of the USCM dress uniform but with a British twist

Remove ALL Royal Marine insignia - buttons and RM shoulder flashes
Right arm - Lion Patch
Left arm - Rank patch (and perhaps the UK Flag above? Or individual country patches?)
UKCM Delta pins on the collar (perhaps we can arrange a new run for those that missed out from the last one)
Wings and ribbons on left chest

Should we have the white belt?

Blood stripes or not?

One uniform for all and not worry about differences for enlisted/officers, just have the rank show the difference - enlisted on the sleeve, officer rank on the epaulettes?

And now let the petty arguing begin!

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

Not sure that the Royal Marine uniform is the right way to go. Wouldn't the US one like Kev's not only match globally for everyone but also it is generally acknowledged that the film Marines are a based on the USMC not the RMC.

It could be blinged-up the same as above. UK flags etc.

Edit : Oh and berets, red berets look cool

RM No1 dress and USMC Dress Blue are very similar apart from the red edging.

The idea is to have something that is British, rather than just putting UKCM patches on a US uniform.

I'll quit the UKCM if you make me wear a beret!

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

You make a good point, would look more uniform across the board. And berets, hell yes. Seeing this is pretty far off the movie canon beaten track, it'd seem to make sense to have a unified look with the USCM lot, specially for the likes of dragon con when you're all lined up together, no?

But that said, i came here to dress up in M3 armour and rock a pulse rifle, so dress uniform is a bit far for me, but that's my opinion none the less!

_________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum
SFC Steve "Fireball" Parsons - A08/TQ1.0.52150E1
69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homers Heroes

I see your point but if the marines in the film are based on the USMC then why do we have a UKCM with our own patches ? seeing in the film half the actors were British and Canadian , i had always seen the USCM as a global unit and most likely had regiments in other countries ... just my two cents

_________________
Pfc Glenn Allen ,
1st Batt. 69th Regiment,
Homers Hero's..
Drops so Far.... 29 and counting

Personally I don't see the USCM as having anything to do with the present USMC it's my belief that they are seperate entities and that the USMC still exists at the time of Aliens

_________________
SSgt Kris "Bloodsucker" Kobus, VAS.
A09/TQ2.0.12136E1

I ALSO think thought, that the BDU's should be different..........

But hey ho, i suppose we are using the same MTP's in middle east? I'm never sure? :/

-Callum

_________________
Sgt C. Kee-McParlin
A05/TQ1.0.02160E1

13th Regt. 1st Batt. 'Freebooters'

Though MTP is based on Multicam it's not the same. Multicam doesn't have black in it for a start.


Good stuff, guys! Keep it up but if you're going to say 'I don't like this' you need to explain what you'd like instead. I can't read minds.

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

Possible a different branch (space / ground ? ) but Gorman has the EGA on his hat so there is definitely a link there.

Also at no point in the movie are they called ... United States colonial marines.... Just Colonial Marines , (who says that the US in USCM stands for United States ?) yes i know Gorman wears the marine badge on his cap ... but he is wearing a RUC cap ...I think we should have our own UKCM dress Uniform , based on the UK marine uniform that way we have our own Identity , after all we have our own Patches ...

_________________
Pfc Glenn Allen ,
1st Batt. 69th Regiment,
Homers Hero's..
Drops so Far.... 29 and counting

And a very close approximation to a USMC Service "C" uniform ......

Does anyone know if there Is a difference between the Royal Marine No1 dress and the standard Army one ? (other than twice the cost)

The RM jacket has buttons on the pocket and the Army one doesn't?

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

What you can't sow a button on ?

Looking through Google images they look the same, not sure if the cut is different ?

Edit:

I'd rather just see standard CM combat outfits as they're the most recognisible (and even then, people have been fooled).
Hate to say, but unless the average viewer knows to look real close at that tiny little sewn on badge on yer arms or whatever, everyone *does* look like just a bunch of currently serving military personnel in Service Cs.
I think that, unless someone is as much an avid fan of the film as we are, they won't have a clue what's being worn or why.

Makes it feel quite meaningless, IMO, like having a joke that only you understand and have to explain every time you tell it.

I'm of the same opinion I'm afraid.

Be it USMC dress blues or British Army Royal Marine number 1's, I personally think its all a step too far. Now we're going out of the realms of the film and turning into the wearing of fancy uniforms. No one will know who you are and more likely to attract unwanted attention. The service C uniform is a good example of coming to a natural concensus, and using what we know has given us a good 'non-combat' uniform and staying within the context of the film. Just my own personal opinion of course

At this rate I'll be able to wear my old number 2's and my real medals lol. Although I'm a little bit older now

_________________
Cpl Ade Philpott
A08/TQ1.0.62145E1
UKCM XO 501st Regt. 1st Batt. The Bucketheads

"Game over man!"

Nail, head

_________________
Si vis pacem, para bellum
SFC Steve "Fireball" Parsons - A08/TQ1.0.52150E1
69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homers Heroes

Same opinion here too

Its not something thats seen on screen, and is just too easy to mistake for a real uniform. I feel quite uncomfortable wearing the service C when im at dragoncon due to how similar it is to the real thing, and id feel the same here wearing something so close to our forces uniforms.

If people want to do one then we certainly can't stop you, but I'll be sticking to the Service uniform I think

_________________
M/SGT Rich Hyatt-Dowling (Retd)

UKCM Black ops

I'm fascinated to see this thread pop up since I've long had a few ideas for Extended Universe UKCM uniforms based around the Royal Marines. However I largely kept them to myself as the general consensus in the past appeared to be based around Screen Accuracy and Canon stuff.

Also reading what has been posted by other members so far regarding potential for mistaken identity and Walter Mitty accusations I find myself erring on the side of "don't do it" especially since a good friend of mine is a serving Royal Marines Senior NCO and I would never want to do anything to offend him although I suspect he would probably piss himself rather than BE pissed!

Also this has the potential to become a quite expensive costume to create particularly if your body size/shape is not "standard issue" and with quite limited opportunity to wear it!

Finally the more choice of different costumes there are available the less uniform we become as a group and thus less identifiable as who we are so on the whole I think this is probably not the best idea. However we are also not dictatorship so if you want to invest the time and money and run the associated risks go ahead.

Now in the spirit of Devils Advocate and because I might try this in 1/6th scale as it's cheaper and less contentious! I would suggest;

Dress Blue Tunic with all trace of Royal Marines removed which raises the question what buttons would be used in place of RM buttons?

RM Shoulder titles can be replaced with UKCM titles, available from Moosh89 on Shapeways I believe.

RM Collar badges replaced with UK Delta pins
OR if individual country identity is required then you could have the delta on one side and national identifier (perhaps Patron Saints cross) pin on the other.

No patches on sleeves except NCO Rank. To me the whole point of British Dress uniforms is they DON'T look like Christmas Trees with patches everywhere. OH yes and any NCO rank to be British Apex DOWN Chevrons! (If you watched The DaVinci Code I could make a joke about British NCO's being C*&ts not P£$%ks! )

Wings and ribbons on left breast.

Trousers with Blood Stripes (Would you also allow for the Hadrians Wall crew to wear a kilt as they often do with Service C's?)

Plain White Web Belt with Brass Buckle (like 37 Web style) since I am guessing a UKCM Belt Buckle would be prohibitively expensive. Then again as mentioned earlier if you have the cash and or talent fill your boots and make a UKCM Buckle!

Now we get to a really thorny one and I suspect one which will cause most discussion so I'm not going to express any preferences just lay out some thoughts about Headgear!

I'm pretty confident no-one will want to wear an RM Pith Helmet as worn by the Bootneck Bandsmen and on Ceremonial Occasions.

The Cap Vicky showed is referred to by my friend as the "Milkmans Cap" but does have a suitably smart look.

The beret which Vicky has already expressed a dislike of is rarely worn with Dress Blues, mainly in posed "I just graduated Lympstone" portraits for the family. Also the beret could be a bone of contention with some since a Bootnecks Green Beret is not just a hat but signifies the wearer has passed the Commando Course, trainees at Lympstone wear Navy Blue berets on those occasions requiring one.

Red berets while they may look smart could cause even more trouble in certain quarters than a green one!

Also will there be freedom for the Wall Crew to wear a Glengarrie or Tam O'Shanter if they prefer?

Finally when an approved headgear is chosen you will need a UKCM Lion Cap badge since what would be the point of putting a USCM Eagle on a British uniform? I've wanted one of these for a while anyway!

Well that's my thoughts for now so let the flames begin!

_________________
Cheers

Winch

"Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow I shall fear no evil for thou art with me. And together we'll kick ANY bugs ASS!"
You know who you are!

Nor does MTP

_________________
"The other Gareth"

well from when I used to do ww2 airsoft there were a few times when I was just in jump pants/blouse and envelope cap that I felt walty , I think any uniform that is based off a current service one would have the same effect with a greater chance of upsetting someone . (happened one new years eve while dressed as ghost from modern warfare ) ,so I think I would only wear the m3 armour etc .

All good points, guys!



We dress up as soldiers. There's always going to be a touch of Walt about us.



Agreed. It would probably be something only worn on special occasions, for example, the DragonCon AL meal or perhaps the parade. I love the look of the USCM Dress Blues and think it would be great to have our own version of them.



I was thinking just plain silver buttons. It's yet another step to take it away from being a real military uniform.



I have to disagree here. We want people to be able to see at a glance that this isn't a real uniform. The more patches the better IMHO.



Yup! And traditional headwear if they wish.



This is also another reason why I wouldn't be happy wearing a beret. They represent something greater than the uniform on it's own. Just like wearing medals that you haven't earned, the beret is a badge of honour for those who have completed the selection courses for their regiments.



This is one of the reasons why the dress uniform was original considered... just so we have an excuse to make UKCM cap badges.



Shush, you! I meant dark drown. It looked black on my monitor!

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

The same way I feel !!!!!

Cheer's Steve

_________________
Sgt Steven 'DATA' Pasek
A04/TQ8.0.24476E3
1st Batt. 69th Regiment, Homers Heros..

OK, I'm curious. Is the issue with the fact that it's a Royal Marine uniform or that people just don't want to do a dress uniform?

Personally, I see it as no different to any of the Extended Universe stuff that other fandoms do. It makes sense that the USCM would have a dress uniform. The UKCM is already EU so why not have fun with it and make some new costumes?

And please don't use the Service C's as an example. What most of us wear is already far enough away from the canon uniform seen on-screen that it's already in the realms of EU.

_________________
"You know, you blow up one sun and suddenly everyone expects you to walk on water."

I'd love to see a dress uniform, however i might / might not do one mind you.

My only issue would be uniformity (No point having a none-uniform uniform)

It resembling too closely a current uniform ((not that I think that serving or ex-serving people would find it offensive (in this county) as I think they would spend most of their time taking the piss)

Hense my attempt to point you away from the peeked cap as that is one of the key element of a 'real' uniform

But hell girl you do what you want, I'll fight all day for your rights too.