Want to buy or sell something? Check the classifieds
  • The Fedora Lounge is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Members in Uniforms Part 2

1961MJS

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,370
Location
Norman Oklahoma
I've seen photos of tankers wearing them (maybe stateside??) as well as other infantry guys next to barracks and such, but it is really hard to tell from some of the ETO photos if they are in fact coveralls or 2 pieces, as the differences are minute and usually hidden under a bunch of other gear.

Hi, it's my understanding that the camo coveralls were worn in the PTO in New Guinea about half way through the war. They were discarded because they were hot and heavy, and because they lacked the means to relieve yourself without removing all of your equipment and the coveralls themselves. The Alamo Scouts used the camo utilities in the PTO. The Marine's used their own camo utilities in the PTO also. The only group wearing the camo army uniform in the ETO did so in France for a limited amount of time. The Waffen-SS also used camo uniforms and our guys were attacked by other US troops who didn't think kindly of the SS.

The USAAF and the rest of the army used Herringbone Twill (HBT) coveralls for almost all activities EXCEPT combat where the lack of a drop seat limited their um, effectiveness. I have a few pictures of Dad in his on Fiji I think.

Later
 

Sgt Brown

One of the Regulars
Messages
154
Location
NE Ohio
Here's me yelling at a pilot!

I love this shot! ;)

Scott

Remnds me of one of the Tuskeegee pilots telling me of the time he brought his plane in all shot to hell. His crew chief was NOT AMUSED with Buddy damaging "his" aircraft. Things deteriorated to the point that the crew chief, wrench in hand, began chasing Buddy round and round the plane while the unit CO virtually rolled on the tarmac laughing!

Tom
 

p51

One Too Many
Messages
1,119
Location
Well behind the front lines!
The only group wearing the camo army uniform in the ETO did so in France for a limited amount of time. The Waffen-SS also used camo uniforms and our guys were attacked by other US troops who didn't think kindly of the SS.
That's the often-told story, but historian Jon Gawne looked into that in detail and found it was a supply and standardization of supply issue more than that. Nobody knows where the "mistaken for SS" story came from as lots of allied camo was seen in the ETO, for example British Paras. They weren't made to turn in their camo smocks for fear of being mistaken for German, were they? And besides, the SS weren't the only Germans with camo anyway, but that's a whole different subject.
 

cco23i

A-List Customer
Messages
472
Location
Phoenix
Remnds me of one of the Tuskeegee pilots telling me of the time he brought his plane in all shot to hell. His crew chief was NOT AMUSED with Buddy damaging "his" aircraft. Things deteriorated to the point that the crew chief, wrench in hand, began chasing Buddy round and round the plane while the unit CO virtually rolled on the tarmac laughing!

Tom

I love stories like that Tom. Heck we had one pilot who didn't keep his hands away from the stick and whacked a buddy of mine almost senseless with a horizontal stabilizer, well Mike had him shut down and proceeded to beat the crap out of him with a tire chalk, we drug him down still swinging and cussing. Yup, that was a wild day.

Scott
 

StraightEight

One of the Regulars
Messages
267
Location
LA, California
Not a uniform, no unit insignias, just Army green for two jerks in a jeep. At the Crisbecq battery near Utah Beach.

DSC_1106.jpg
 

p51

One Too Many
Messages
1,119
Location
Well behind the front lines!
Taken at Armed Forces Day over the weekend:
AFDgroup.jpg

LeeTankTrucks.jpg

And with an Iraqi Type 59 MBT:
Tanks.jpg

And before anyone asks, we had no stinking airsoft guns with us! All out iron is capable of shooting real bullets. I only bring it up because we had a lot of people ask at the event...
 
Last edited:

p51

One Too Many
Messages
1,119
Location
Well behind the front lines!
Me at the recent Reading event:

Me2.jpg
Nice impression, people forget how lax the standards were for pig boat crews. I assume you were portraying someone specific? I hope you didn’t get too much grief over wearing the knight’s cross. I’ve seen people almost get into fistfights over people wearing that at re-enactments. People get oddly touchy about valor decorations being worn, even ones that haven’t been awarded in over 60 years (I’ve never understood that, though).
 

cco23i

A-List Customer
Messages
472
Location
Phoenix
I had to post this one, we were on the maintenance flight after we had worked on the #2 motor of the PV-2D. Yup, I have my "whacked" face going.

Scott

flyinpv2.jpg
 

Stearmen

I'll Lock Up
Messages
7,202
Green Crew

I had to post this one, we were on the maintenance flight after we had worked on the #2 motor of the PV-2D. Yup, I have my "whacked" face going.

Scott

flyinpv2.jpg

Funny, except for the fact you are not green, you look like everyone that flew in that position on our PV2D! I think fumes were comming in through the wings. Lots of breakfasts had to be cleaned up after a morning flight.
 

p51

One Too Many
Messages
1,119
Location
Well behind the front lines!
Nice photo, but how could Desert Storm be considered to last until 2011?? After the Iraqis were pushed out of Kuwait, that was it. Those of us who served in Iraq or Afghanistan were not part of Desert Storm, but of the War on Terrorism.
That was showing the timeframe between then and now, the 20th anniversary. Funny, dozens of people saw this sign, and nobody had the same conclusion you did, but after reading your post, I must admit I wonder why nobody else had the same thought you had!
 

The Lonely Navigator

Practically Family
Messages
644
Location
Somewhere...
Nice impression, people forget how lax the standards were for pig boat crews. I assume you were portraying someone specific? I hope you didn’t get too much grief over wearing the knight’s cross. I’ve seen people almost get into fistfights over people wearing that at re-enactments. People get oddly touchy about valor decorations being worn, even ones that haven’t been awarded in over 60 years (I’ve never understood that, though).

Thanks :) I go as Prien, but because he was promoted out at sea to Korvettenkapitan, and died shortly thereafter - there are no photos of him wearing that rank (but it was his last rank and that's why I wear that rank). Actually no one gave me any problems with my Knight's Cross at all - in fact all the times I've attended the Reading WWII Weekend wearing it, I never had any problems. If anything, people really like my impression - as it's not something that is an 'everyday' sort of WWII impression.
 

The Lonely Navigator

Practically Family
Messages
644
Location
Somewhere...
Wasn't there a large model bust of a U-Boat Captain in that same plaid shirt?

I think I know which one you are talking about. I happened to spy that shirt at the local Salvation Army store just days before the event. It was in perfect shape and I got half off the price. It was much cooler than the shirt I was originally going to wear. All I needed to do was to change the buttons on it.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
109,140
Messages
3,074,934
Members
54,121
Latest member
Yoshi_87
Top