What can I say about this jacket, quite possibly the most iconic, and certainly one of the most sought after items of clothing from WW2. Designed in 1941 by the then Captain William P. Yarborough, Test Officer for the newly formed parachute divisions. The new jacket featured four pockets, each slanted to allow easy access when wearing all of the required parachute gear, and each pocket with both bellows and a second set of studs to allow for plenty of carrying space. The 8oz cotton twill would be very light, so light infact that following experience of use in North Africa and Italy, prior to the jump on D-Day, regiment riggers reinforced many with grey canvas around areas of wear. These jackets were only produced for a year or so between 1942-43, and would quickly be replaced by the m1943 field jacket, so examples are rare, and with the popularity of airborne/special forces collecting, one of the hardest pieces to find!
This particular jacket is of the early variety, so does not have a label, and features threaded eyelets in the armpits. Later varieties would come with metal eyelets. The main zipper is the classic Crownn zip, and both of the knife pocket zips are Serval. The original belt is still attached, and all poppers and studs work perfectly.
Condition
This is in very good condition. As mentioned above, all zips, studs etc all work great. The colour of the fabric is a very strong tan/brown. The only issues to note are a repair done to the shoulder near the right epaulette and a small hole on the inside of the collar in the same area.
Size
- No tag, but based on previous experience this is a 38
- Pit to pit 20"
- Shoulder to shoulder 18"
- Waist 17" (measured across the belt)
- Shoulder to cuff 23.5"
- Collar to hem 29"