Belgium

Belgian Forces fighting alongside the Allies during World War Two included two airborne units, the Belgian Independent Parachute Company, and a Belgian Special Air Service (SAS) Squadron. Both units wore British-made Denison parachutist smocks in a unique, hand-painted "brushstroke" camouflage pattern that later spawned a large branch of derivative patterns that are still used today. Following the war, the Belgians reproduced several variations of the brushstroke pattern, which continued in use primarily with Airborne and Commando units well into the 1970s. Alongside the brushstroke pattern, Belgium also introduced its own indigenous camouflage pattern, nicknamed "jigsaw" for its resemblance to multicolored pieces of a puzzle. This pattern has continued in usage with Belgiam military forces (in various incarnations) into the present era, and variations have also been produced for her former colonial possessions in Africa.

Belgian Camouflage Patterns

• British WW2 Denison smock (2nd pattern) brushstroke camouflage, worn by members of the Belgian Independent Parachute Company and SAS Squadron.

• A 1950-dated Belgian manufactured copy of the British Denison smock in early copy of the brushstroke pattern. This pattern would have been in service from the very late 1940s until circa 1952.

• Another early pattern is the two-color "waves" scheme of large russet brown amoebic shapes on a grey background. This pattern was worn by some members of the Belgian Volunteer Corps ("brown berets") serving in the Korean War, and probably saw limited service with airborne units, but is likely to have been completely phased out of production and usage by 1953.