The togs of war

There's not much he doesn't know about US military uniforms and ephemera from 1900 to 1945.

To enter his treasure trove of a shop, Norman D Landing on Alma Road, Winton, is to step into an arcane world in which nearly everything an American soldier would have needed is to hand.

From foot powder to shaving cream, razor blades to records, ballpoint pens, helmets and combat rations there's not much that Ken can't get his hands on.

He's even got books of matches emblazoned with warnings about venereal disease.

When producers of the 2002 PoW film Hart's War wanted authentic uniforms for its star, Bruce Willis, to wear, they turned to Ken.

He spent time on the set of Steven Spielberg's D-Day TV series Band of Brothers; and you remember the shaving mirror that Tom Hanks attached to a bayonet in Saving Private Ryan? Well, that was one of Ken's.

He made sure the principal actors had the correct uniforms for their roles.

He knows the tiniest design details and can tell you the dates on which insignia changed, when uniforms were replaced or redesigned, even how they were made.

For instance, the 45th airborne division used a swastika as a good luck symbol until the War when it was replaced by a yellow thunderbolt.

"When I left school, I trained as a tailor so I've always been interested in how the uniforms were put together," says the friendly 55-year-old.

"The American soldier of World War Two was the best equipped and best prepared of any soldier involved in the War.

"Their clothing was incredibly well made and until 1943 every unit had its own uniforms and specialised equipment.

"There were ski soldiers, airborne troops, mountain troops, infantry, tank and they all had different equipment."

He adds: "After 1943 they tried to standardise equipment and that blueprint is basically what every army in the world uses today."

Let's clear this up right away. Ken is not selling army surplus stock and neither is he selling fashion items.

He may well have a pair of brown officer's shoes that have never been worn; or combat jackets that were never issued, but these things are at least 60 years old and hardly recommended attire for a night at the pub.

You could pay up to £600 for a paratrooper's helmet; while a regular GI's helmet would set you back £135.

Ten years ago the Marine corps rifle bag hanging from the shop's ceiling would have been a holy grail item for collectors, but now fashions have changed. The market is fickle.

"Since Saving Private Ryan there's a lot more interest in the airborne gear," says Ken, showing me a helmet decorated by a ying-yang symbol that was used in the film.

"They like the main actors to be wearing exactly the right gear.

"The extras might have reproductions, but they don't like people to be able to spot mistakes."

While on the set of Hart's War, Ken was invited to a party paid for and hosted by Bruce Willis.

"He was a good man, very generous. What surprised me though is that he's only the same height as me!"

(That makes Mr Willis a good two or three inches shorter that the six foot his published biography claims he is.) Poring over the items in Ken's shop it's sobering to think that many of the uniforms were on the backs of men who played their part in fighting for the freedoms we enjoy today.

But the most poignant pieces are the most personal, particularly an unopened carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes mailed to a US Marine on active duty, but returned to sender as the Marine had been killed before he received his parcel.

"A friend of mine's wife once smoked a cigarette from his collection.

"She had run out and didn't want to go to the petrol station for more at 1 o'clock in the morning, so she opened a pack from his collection of World War Two Army issue cigarettes.

"He wasn't best pleased and I can't tell you what she felt like having smoked one!"

Ken's interest in the esoteric domain of US militaria began some 30 years ago when he bought a Jeep and he was given a US Army jacket to go with it.

After taking his Jeep on off-road trials and really putting it through its paces in the mud, it wasn't long before he had other military vehicles including a Harley Davidson, a GMC 6x6 troop carrier and an officer's Dodge Carryall.

"Although the market for original equipment is shrinking they reckon World War Two US Army veterans are dying at a rate of 1,000 a week these days as these guys are well into their 80s you can get reproduction vehicle parts delivered to your door within 48 hours.

"There are six companies specialising in US military vehicles parts in the UK alone."

Much of Ken's business is through re-enactment societies, military shows and weekend rallies.

The film work has dried up as a change in Britain's tax laws has made US producers look further afield, with many productions now being set up in the Czech Republic.

"There's also been less interest in war films since 9/11," says Ken, who spent five years researching his book Doughboy To GI: US Army Clothing and Equipment 1900-1945.

"They had everything. There was Army sports equipment, record players, toiletries, gas masks for horses and dogs.

"It can get very anorak-y, but I'm still fascinated by it and even though I've been interested since I was 16 I am still finding out new things."