Definitely one of the strange pieces of military clothing, and certainly one of the wilder designs. These were introduced in WW2 for crew fighting fires, issued to teams on airbases to manage fires from crashed aircraft. I have checked these and the specs for the out thoroughly, and they're listed as being made from cotton and wool only - no nasty asbestos or anything else. These were made in the clothing workshops of the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot, are fully tagged and complete with the cotton outer and wool liner. The white coating on the inner is cellulose, a rudimentary attempt at waterproofing also used in deck jackets.
Condition
Deadstock and perfect
Size
- Tagged a 34
- Waist 34"
- Inside leg 30"
- Outside leg 32"