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U.S. Army Fatigue Clothing 1904 to 1919


world war I nerd
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post-3174-0-81531300-1399812362.jpgHere is a frontal shot, standard wwi (I wish I knew the proper model designation my ADD is kicking in) has the early oval elbow patches and lined chest area

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world war I nerd

Mitch,

 

I've always referred to this type of shirt as the 1916 Flannel shinola. However, upon reflection, I have no idea exactly where I came up with that information.

 

Does anyone have any factual information as to what year the olive drab, wool/flannel shirts with the oval elbow patches were adopted by the U.S. Army?

 

If so, please post whatever information that you may have ... thanks.

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We have all seen the M1912 shirt with scalloped back panel, issue shirt in border war time period but I cant find the designation for this shirt. I sifted through QM manuals and munition reports but all I can find are references too Chambray and Flannel shirts, no model. I have always looked for the M1904 blue chambray shirt but have never had the chance at one. Thanks for your thoughts on this piece, it intrigued me enough to pick it up for debate and investigation.

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world war I nerd

Mitch (or anybody else),

 

I too think that the gray flannel shirt was well worth picking up, especially given the fact that it still has the contract tag attached.

What do you know about the 1912 shirt that you mentioned?

 

I ask because I was recently doing some research into the khaki and olive drab shirts issued by the U.S. Army between 1902 and 1919. Here is what I have turned up so far ...

 

I’m reasonably certain that the following list is incomplete, because, although it’s entirely possible, it just seems unlikely that the flannel shirt remained unchanged between 1910 and 1917. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Olive Drab & Khaki Flannel Shirts

 

Specification No. 502, adopted on February 14, 1900

 

Specification No. 572, adopted on May 14, 1902

 

Specification No. 662, adopted on May 3, 1904

 

Specification No. 994, adopted on August 21, 1908

 

Specification No. 1092, adopted on October 18, 1910

 

Specification No. 1287, adopted on ??, ??, 1917

 

Specification No. 1387, adopted on October 17, 1918

 

Specification No. 415-3-1387, adopted on May 10, 1919

 

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I just picked up a brown cotton 1910 uniform with strange darkened buttons on the trousers. The discussion on the odd buttons on the fatigue uniforms reminds me of them. I'll see if I can locate some pictures.

 

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  • 2 years later...
Cobrahistorian

Hey all,

 

This thread has been an education! I am currently working on designing our Coast Artillery gallery for the ADA Museum. I'd like to have an original, early denim uniform on display. Did the 1918 pattern brown denim uniform see service in France?

This shot shows F Battery of the 52nd CA in action in 1918, are these uniforms brown or blue? And what color uniform is the guy second from the right on the gun platform wearing? I have access to both types of uniforms in the Army collection, I just want to get this correct for our WWI railway gun exhibit.

Thanks!

Jon

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Cobrahistorian

This looks like he's got two large chest pockets, buttoned cuffs and a pullover button front. Comparing the tonal values in the uniform and the gun carriage behind him, it seems to be of a similar tone, leading me to believe this is a brown 1918 pattern uniform.

 

Can anyone confirm?

Thanks!

Jon

post-5470-0-74550300-1476372516.jpg

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Cobrahistorian

Considering that's an M1918 8" railway gun, my assumption is this is either very late-war (only 3 got overseas before hostilities ended), or a postwar shot.

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world war I nerd

I've been meaning to come back & update this thread with new information, but never got around to it.

 

Anyway the following may help clarify things:

 

In August 1908 a Blue Denim Working Jumper was adopted for the members of the Coast Artillery Corps. The 1904 pattern Brown Cotton Duck Fatigue Coat & Trousers were prescribed for all remaining branches of the Army.

 

In September of 1910 the Blue denim Working Jumper was adopted for all branches of the U.S. Army. It was identical in all respects to the 1908 pattern Blue Denim Working Jumper

 

In October of 1917 a new pattern Blue denim Working Jacket was adopted for all branches of the U.S. Army.

 

In July of 1918 yet another pattern made from Tan Denim (or possibly Tan Cotton Duck - I'm not sure which) Working Jumper was adopted for all branches of the U.S. Army.

 

Period photographs show that all three patterns of the working jumper & working jacket were worn during WW I.

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world war I nerd

Period photographs of the (from left to right) 1910 Blue Denim Working Jumper, 1917 Blue Denim Working Jacket and the 1918 Tan Denim Working Jumper

 

Drawings courtesy of the S. McGeorge collection

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

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world war I nerd

1908 Working Trousers: Blue Denim with suspender buttons

 

1910 Working Trousers: Blue Denim with suspender buttons

 

1918 Working Trousers: Tan Denim without suspender buttons

post-5143-0-91963200-1476380041_thumb.jpg

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world war I nerd

Along with the 1917 Blue Denim Working Jacket the Army adopted two types of Blue Denim Overalls:

 

High Bib Overalls, Specification No. 1274, adopted on October 20, 1917

Waist Band Overalls, Specification No.1275, adopted on October 20, 1917

 

Other than their name specification number and adoption date, I have no additional information on these Army issued working garments.

 

These images, I suspect, are of the Waistband Overalls (left & right) & the High Bib Overalls (center).

 

Photos courtesy of the John Adam-Graf collection

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Cobrahistorian

Thanks for the clarification. I saw Steve on here earlier. Gotta drop him an email.

This is the M1918 jumper we should be getting for the exhibit. The trousers are the earlier pattern, but brown with suspender buttons.

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world war I nerd

Very nice Cobrahistorian, with the exception of the working hat, of all the garments issued during WW I working / fatigue clothing are among the most difficult to find.

 

I too noticed Steve poking around while I was posting! In fact, it was Steve who provided me with drawings and specification numbers that were used to update to this post ... Thanks again Steve.

 

When you have the jumper & trousers in hand would it be possible to post photos of the fronts & backs of both garments and a few close ups of the details such as tags or labels, cuff openings, buttons, etc?

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  • 2 months later...
Cobrahistorian

We'll be getting both brown and blue jumpers and hats, but there were no brown trousers in the Army Museum System...

 

 

Until now.

 

These walked into my office this morning. Original 1918 pattern.

I'm about to go on leave, but will post some detail photos when I get back after New Year's!

 

Jon

post-5470-0-60668000-1482270054.jpg

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Brian---if we're confused by this, so were the soldiers and quartermasters of 1917-18. here's a small episode that happened to the 37th Division while they were at Camp Lee (after leaving Camp Sheridan) that I found when I was writing "To Hell with the Kaiser"

 

"It soon became apparent that no one in the 145th Infantry Regiment had been issued a serviceable set of overalls in accordance with Army policy.

 

This was quickly remedied by the Camp Lee quartermaster staff providing each soldier a set of brown denim overalls. The soldiers had barely enough time to pack away their new overalls when they received orders to dig them out and turn them back in; brown overalls were only supposed to be issued to engineer units not infantry units.

 

They returned the brown items and were issued blue overalls the next day. Two days later they received orders, without reason associated, to turn in their blue overalls.

 

The day before the 145th was scheduled to leave Camp Lee and head to the port of embarkation, they were again informed no soldier would be permitted to deploy without a set of overalls.

 

Now completely out of time for a meaningful issue, the soldiers were given a set with no attention to size or fit and some received theirs as they were marching in formation to the train."

 

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

regards, Al

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Does anybody know if the white trousers worn by the man on the left side of the photo is wearing the trousers that formed part of the Stable Dress and worn with the Stable Frock posted by US Victory Museum or are they just a dirty pair of bleached canvas Summer Trousers?

And here's my confusing input on the white uniform/stable dress--these Battery A guys appear to be armed with the Vickers 2.95 inch (75mm) Mountain Gun that was issued to the Army in the Philippines (and the Punitive Expedition)--note the variety of uniforms---my Fort Lee contacts led me to believe that the white uniforms were stable uniforms but some of these guys clearly have collar disks and the sample seen here earlier didn't even have a collar---suggestions?

Al

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post-2235-0-82161500-1483042187_thumb.jpg

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world war I nerd

Al, You're description of the chaos in regard to getting the men of 37th Division properly equipped for overseas service dovetails nicely with other similar accounts of division & regimental supply sergeants & Quartermaster personnel doing likewise in preparation for embarking for overseas service.

 

Literally dozens of inspections were held in camps prior to leaving for the Ports of Embarkation, where upon arrival Embarkation officials held countless additional inspections. Apparently it was critical that each officer and soldier had in his possession every article of clothing & equipment on "the list", right down to the lase button and extra shoe laces, prior to sailing for Europe. No exceptions were allowed.

 

I recall one supply sergeant's frustration when the day after each man in the company had been inspected and all clothing & equipment was present and accounted for. Much to the sergeant's amazement the very next day men turned up in his office without hats, needing leggings or requesting mess kits, etc.

 

In respect to the white uniforms in the above photo ... they are wearing faded (or bleached) 1911 Khaki Cotton service Coats and Service Breeches, not white canvas stable frocks or trousers. The practice of boiling khaki cotton service breeches and canvas leggins in salt was popular among the enlisted men. According to one soldier, white breeches and leggings were considered to be "more dressy". Other accounts stated that the garment were boiled with salt in order to make a raw recruit look more like an old hand.

 

Here's something I'd not seen before. Just recently I encountered not one but three images of pinstripe overalls being worn on the Mexican border in 1916 and in stateside training camps circa 1917-1918. My guess is that these were not regulation issue. I suspect that they were purchased in the civilian marketplace to augment Quartermaster supplies or as an emergency measure during the Army's clothing shortage of 1917 -1918.

 

The first example is worn by the passenger of MG Motorcycle No. 2 somewhere on the Mexican border, presumably in 1916.


Photo courtesy of the John Adams-Graf collection

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world war I nerd

The second example (borrowed from Ebay) is worn by the third soldier from the left. The photo was likely taken at a stateside training camp in 1917-1918. I've not been able to identify the white caps they are wearing: ball caps, painters caps, fatigue caps, cooks caps?

 

PS, at the moment I'm unsure what folder the third example of pinstripe overall ended up. As soon as I come across it again, I'll post it.

post-5143-0-24331600-1483065405_thumb.jpg

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  • 3 months later...

Here is an image of a fatigue detail in overalls taken in the Philippines in 1908. The men are part of Battery F, 5th Field Artillery.

 

post-203-0-65574200-1491592687_thumb.jpg

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