Please read before ordering: These are genuine British military surplus, graded and sold in used condition. Expect honest wear from service. Light pilling, softened wool, faded shoulder straps, and the occasional small factory repair are normal on issued knitwear and do not affect warmth or fit. Anything with holes through the body is pulled before it ships. Because this is graded surplus, each sweater varies a little in shade and wear. Please check our Sizing & Condition Guide at the bottom of this listing before ordering, and note that these knits are form fitting.

The British Army wool commando sweater, better known as the woolly pully, is a genuine military surplus pullover in a roundneck (crew neck) cut and classic OD green. It is heavy rib-knit wool built to British MoD specification, with reinforced patches at the shoulders and elbows and shoulder straps that once carried rank slides.

The Woolly Pully & the British Commando

The commando sweater earned its name in the Second World War, when it was issued to Britain's elite units fighting in the North African desert, including David Stirling's SAS and the Long Range Desert Group. Early versions were a plain wool pullover with a drawstring boat neck. Field use quickly reshaped the design and added the shoulder and elbow patches that took the punishment from rifle slings and from crawling on the ground, along with shoulder straps for rank. What started as special forces kit spread to every branch and rank of the British forces and to allied armies around the world. The design has barely changed in eighty years, which tells you it got the important things right the first time.

Heavy Wool, Built to Last

Wool is the whole point here. The tight rib-knit body traps heat, keeps insulating even when it is damp, breathes far better than synthetic fleece, and blocks wind in a way a cotton sweater never will. The shoulders and elbows carry tougher reinforcement patches, the two spots that wear out first on hard-used knitwear. A ribbed roundneck collar, cuffs, and hem hold their shape and seal in warmth. The OD green colorway is the standard British Army shade and goes with just about everything, which is part of why this sweater refuses to go out of style.

Out in the Cold

This is the sweater people reach for when the weather turns and they actually have to be outside. Wool's warmth for its weight, and its habit of staying warm when wet, make the OD green woolly pully a favorite with deer hunters who want a quiet layer that does not crinkle, with farmers and tradesmen working through a raw morning, and with anyone splitting wood or walking the dog in January. Worn under a shell it adds real warmth without bulk, and on its own it handles a cold garage or a fall evening on the porch. A comparable heavy wool sweater from an outdoor or heritage brand runs well over a hundred dollars. Genuine British-issue wool at surplus prices is one of the best warmth-per-dollar buys in the store.

Sizing & Fit

British military knitwear is cut close, and the woolly pully is form fitting by design so it layers cleanly under a jacket. Most people are happiest going up one from their usual US size, especially if you plan to wear a layer underneath or you prefer a roomier fit. Please use our Sizing & Condition Guide at the bottom of this page before you order.

Short & Sweet

• Genuine British Army surplus, graded used condition
• Roundneck (crew neck) woolly pully in OD green
• Heavy rib-knit wool, built to British MoD specification
• Reinforced shoulder and elbow patches
• Shoulder straps (epaulettes) for rank slides
• WWII commando design, still made to the same pattern
• Warm, breathable, and quiet for hunting, work, and cold-weather layering