As the US Army mechanised, it looked for garments that would be harder wearing and cheaper to launder. In a 1937 test of denim versus HBT, the hard wearing green twill fabric had triumphed, and the first production garment was a one-piece suit around 1938. However as 1940 loomed and the prospect of war grew, the army knew it would need a cheaply produced uniform, and the complicated one piece was replaced by a two piece suit.
This is an excellent example of the jacket from that two piece suit. Service life for this set however, was not to last long. The jacket, with its shirt style cuffs, pleated pockets and waist ties was encumbered with details unsuitable for rapid mass production. Quickly replaced, and remaining stocks used up as the classic P42 shirt was introduced.
I
t's therefor extremely rare to find an unused and completely outstanding example of this early style pre-war jacket. Dated just months after Pearl Harbour this would have been outdated very quickly. Funnily enough, this was also made by Blue Bell, the company that would go on to become Wrangler!
Condition
This is in amazing shape. The name is the neck shows it's been issued, but the excellent condition of the label show it's unwashed. The side adjust tabs seem to have been carefully removed, but otherwise a perfect piece.
Size Shirt:
- Tagged a size 44, but fits like a modern medium (and looks amazing on!)
- Pit to pit 22"
- Shoulder to shoulder 20"
- Shoulder to cuff 23"
- Collar to hem 25"