Summer Service Uniform

[S1991]

Gents,

 

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post my question. If it is in the wrong section, please move it to the correct one.

Currently I am trying to make a display for a WWI doughboy of the 26th Division on the front lines. It would be a display of the battle near Chemin des Dames, which was in July 1918. Therefore I was wondering if the summer cotton tunic could have been issued to them as well?

 

Or would I need the wool tunic and breeches? Any help is much appreciated. Also would this set be a correct WWI issue one?

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

[atb]

You need the wool version. Supposedly, according to multiple sources, very few cotton uniforms were worn in France in the front or rear areas.

[world war I nerd]

In general the 1911 Cotton Service Dress was never an article of equipment authorized for the troops of the AEF. Most Doughboys on their way to France underwent a series of rigid clothing and equipment inspections at the ports of embarkations. There almost every man was issued a brand new set of everything. If cotton service dress was worn, it was traded in for wool before boarding a troopship. Clothing-wise, in early 1918 every Doughboy leaving for France was required to have:

 

One campaign hat or overseas cap

Two flannel shirts

Two woolen service coats

Two pairs of woolen service breeches

One trouser belt or suspenders

Four pairs of woolen stockings

Two sets of woolen underwear (long drawers and long sleeved undershirts)

One pair of woolen gloves

One overcoat

One poncho or raincoat

One pair of russet leather or hobnailed field shoes (later this was changed to one pair of each, and even later that was changed to two pairs of hobnailed field shoes)

 

From what I've read the embarkation officials were very strict in regard each man being in possession of exactly what "the list" said he was to have, right down to extra shoelaces! It wasn't unusual for the men to undergo as many as 12 or 15 clothing and equipment inspection before the ship was allowed to sail.

 

I've probably forgotten something, but that should cover the basics. Anyway, that's why you never see cotton service dress being worn in Europe. Out of the thousands of WW I photos that I've looked at I've only seen two Army soldiers wearing a cotton uniform. One was an officer and the other was an African American stevedore wearing blue denim trousers and a cotton service coat.

 

Here on the forum, I also saw a couple of photos showing a squad of US Marines in France wearing USMC khaki service dress. However, I do believe that they were recent arrivals, and that they would have been issued USMC forest green or Army olive drab uniforms in wool before proceeding to the front.

 

You do see a number of WW I service coats bearing division insignia and discharge strips for sale and in collections. Apparently the cotton uniforms were issued to returning Doughboys, especially those in the south, during the summer months before they were discharged. The woolen uniforms that they wore on the return voyage to the US were, in most cases, turned into the Quartermaster for reissue, at the time the cotton service dress was issued.

[S1991]

Thank you very much for the information world war i nerd! Guess I have to keep an eye out for a nice used wool tunic. However it seems that unpatched ones are pretty tough to find now..

Any ideas where I could possibly find a good one, except on eBay? Any known dealers regarding WWI militaria?

 

Again thanks!

[72psb]

Try the Colonels Cache.Robb is a member here and is great to work with.

Good luck

Bob

[TrenchRat]

Gotta keep an eye out on Baystate's site as well. They get them from time to time...

They too are great to work with...

TR

[4th Miss Cav]

I have picked up quite a few uniforms here in the for sale section and I find these prices are much better than anywhere else. So far I have not been disappointed in anything I have bought off the forum.

 

David

[Buckshot329]

I believe there was a 26th Division tunic on Baystate not too long ago. Very good people to work with, and as said before the forum fs section is a great place to hunt too.

[TrenchRat]

Actually, they just sold one...coat w/ patch and trousers...

[S1991]

I indeed saw the patched tunics, yet for a front display one without patches is more realistic. I also noticed that Baystate had a nice tunic without patches for sale. Yet it was rather in near mint condition.

 

The field gear is all in used condition, so I prefer the rest to be in used condition as well. It should fit within a front line display, one who has already had seen some action so to say.

 

Thanks for all the input gents!

[meffinger]

Hello S1991, your cotton uniform is definitely WW1 era or earlier. Cotton uniforms and leggings were not worn in the AEF theater of Europe. They were worn in the tropical climates of South America and the Pacific Islands. They were also worn stateside in the hotter climates but not authorized for wear in France. However, the majority of troops mustered out of service in the summer of 1919 stateside were wearing cotton uniforms. That is why you will occasionally encounter cotton uniforms with AEF shoulder patches and chevrons. Patches could also have been applied for post war parades and reunions. A proper cotton uniform that has patches and chevrons should have a discharge stripe on them to be worn in public after discharge from the service. If you intend to display a wartime wool uniform please remember they would not have division patches or chevrons on the sleeves. The reason for this is that Doughboys were rotated to the front line trenches every 30-60 days wearing one uniform. In the trenches, troops were not allowed to undress or remove their boots even when sleeping. The reason for this is they had to be ready for an attack on a minutes notice. When the doughboys rotated back to the rear their wool uniforms were removed to be laundered and deloused. They were issued a cleaned or new uniform but they never got back their same old uniforms from the laundry. That is why they did not wear chevrons or shoulder patches at the front. Only rear echelon troops and support personnel would have patches or rank chevrons such as Guards, Train troops, Artillery, Sanitation, Engineers, or Headquarters troops stationed in the rear. Hope this helps......... Michael.