Lightweight service dress known as “T-dubs” (bush uniform) were issued for parades in the summer months. In the early 1960s, battle dress was replaced for field wear by the combat uniform, often referred to merely as “combats”.
One of the first postwar uniform innovations was the introduction of the bush uniform in 1949. This uniform was essentially an updated version of the war time khaki drill uniform. It consisted of a jacket, long trousers, short trousers, shirt, hat, and brassard (a band worn on the sleeve, typically having an identifying mark and worn with a uniform). A woman’s version of the jacket and trousers was also produced in relatively limited numbers.
Made from cotton drill material, “bush” dress was dark olive green and was immediately popular as it could be worn as either a field or fatigue uniform or starched and pressed for garrison wear. The jacket had an open collar and four patch pockets. The jacket could be worn as a shirt, with the sleeves rolled. A separate belt of the same material was supplied.
The new brassard (band worn on the sleeve) was much larger than the war time issue and could accommodate a shoulder title, formation badge and rank insignia. The brassard was worn on both arms or only on the right arm, according to local dress instructions. The bush uniform was worn as a summer field uniform until the introduction of the combat uniform in the 1960s. It was worn by the Reserves as a field and garrison uniform as late as 1974.