Denmark

Kingdom of Denmark

text and photos by Henrik Clausen & Eric H Larson

The first camouflaged uniforms used by the Danish Army were WW2 era tanker suits received from the British government. After the Second World War, the Danish Army was equipped with British uniforms (battledress) and equipment. Later (1958) the M/58 uniform was introduced - a plain green uniform.

The first camouflage uniform developed in Denmark was the T/78 - it was based on the German flecktarn pattern (tested during Truppenversuch 76 in 1976). The T/78 was just a test uniform, but the experiences gained by this uniform were used in developing the M/84 pattern that was introduced as the standard camouflage for the Danish Army in 1984. The M/84 pattern was later made in a desert version as well.

Many different pieces of equipment and uniforms have been made in the M/84 and M/84 desert patterns.

Danish camouflage patterns

• An original WW2 era British Army camouflaged Tanker's suit, designated Kampvognsdragt M/1952 in Danish service.

• A camouflage pattern neck scarf was issued with the M/58 olive green combat uniform between 1977 and 1985. For some reason the pattern is the same as the Norwegian Air Force work uniform, but using different colours.

• The T/78 trial camouflage pattern is seen below. The pattern is the same as the M/84, but the colours are slightly different. According to my information the clothing was made in France, perhaps by Texunion.

• The M/84 camouflage pattern, issued in 1984. Some units used up the stocks of T/78 the next couple of years while other were issued with the M/84 and some still wore the M/58. Updated versions of the pattern printed on ripstop fabric are used with Tropical uniforms and a Balkan jacket. See a list of M/84 items here

• The desert version of the M/84 pattern. This pattern was first issued to UN troops deployed as part of the UNMEE force in 2000 (UNMEE was deployed in Ethiopia and Eritrea). Later this pattern has been used in Iraq and Afghanistan by Danish troops. The pattern is exactly the same as the standard M/84 pattern but with different colours.

• 10th November 2011 the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization ("Forsvarets Materieltjeneste") announced that the new Danish combat uniform Kampuniform M/11 would be made in the Multicam pattern, and the M/84 (both the green and the desert versions) would be phased out with the introduction of the new uniform around 2013.

Other Resources

• Download a pdf with the history of Danish Army uniforms 1945-2008 by Henrik Clausen

Danish Army uniforms 1945-2008