Developed during the war, this pattern would become the US Army's standard extreme cold weather parka during the final few years of the war and the early post-war period. Made from a heavy sateen cotton shell, with a long body, wide arms & hood, and a thick alpaca liner, these garments were designed for the coldest of temperatures. Photos show these beautiful pieces being worn in the arctic, and use in the early part of the Korean War before being replaced the M-48 and M-51 parkas. This particular example is the earlier WW2 pattern, with the shell dated August 1943 and the lining being the earlier pattern without a zippered throat closure! Many of these on the market now are post-war made, so nice to have a very clean early matching set.
Condition
Used but absolutely mint. A few small marks to the shell but otherwise perfect. The size label has been cleanly removed from liner.
Size
- Tagged a size medium
- Fits from a modern medium - large - it fits my 40" chest with plenty of room
- Pit to pit 29" (this. is the shell, the liner is 24")
- Shoulder to shoulder 22"
- Shoulder to cuff 25"
- Collar to hem 39"