Undoubtedly one of the warmest US Army garments ever made. This experimental piece from 1948 was a prototype for the famous M-48 parka, which would see use in Korea. This garment differs from the M-48 in a number of ways, firstly the fibre-glass liner, which would never go into mass production, and offers a crazy level of warmth, and secondly a very tightly woven cotton nylon poplin shell, unlike the M-48's cotton sateen. These garments were made specifically for testing, and would have spent some at the newly opened US Arctic Training Center in Alaska! Again, rare is an understatement, these experimental garments are very hard to find.
Condition
This is honestly in stunning condition. Bar a few light dirt marks I've found only one tiny 1/2" hole in the shell, and one of the button stud fasteners on the right pocket has been repaired. Otherwise it looks to have only been worn lightly. All zippers work perfectly, buttons etc present and correct, and the fur is perfect!
Size
- Tagged a medium short
- Fits a modern medium - XL depending on desired fit - it fits my 40" chest nicely and looks great on
- Pit to pit 30"
- Shouler to shoulder 20"
- Shoulder to cuff 25"
- Collar to hem 40"