WW1 USMC wool shirt?

[robinb]

It used to be a 4 button pull over shirt but was modified to an open front. When did the USMC start doing this? Is has the elbow patches and nicer cotton lining in the shoulder area.

 

[warguy]

These are very tough to find, took me about 5 years of looking until I found the one for my collection. Mine has a tab at the neck, top button (in other words there is a top button with a wool tab off that with a second button to button the tab under the collar) as well as the round elbow patches like yours and of course the pointed pockets. I believe they introduced this shirt around 1912 and it was in use for a long time, into the 30's I believe. Alec Tulkoff could probably answer that best......where is volume 2 Alec!!! You can see photos of this shirt being worn especially in the tropics through the Banana Wars period.

 

Nice hard to find shirt, congrats. Mine was never altered and is the pullover with button placket. The cotton or muslin lining is a hold over from the old M1883 blue wool shirt worn by the Marines, (Rough Riders) and others in the Span Am war. The lining then was said to add some support to the front two pockets. Kevin

[French Sam]

Hello,

 

Congrats ! Nice USMC wool shirt !

Best regards,

 

FS

[Schnicklfritz]

I have one just like yours that is id'd to a Marine that served from 1927-29. I can't seem to post a link to the thread here, but a search of my content will bring it up. The early ones were pull over with the button closing tab on the collar. I have seen a couple, but they are soooo very rare. Don't have one of the early ones.. yet.

[oakleaf777]

That shirt has been preserved in incredible condtion. Love seeing "Banana Wars" era stuff. Seeing original period uniforms from this era always makes me wonder how could Marines have been able to stand wearing heavy wool shirts in the humid tropical heat in Latin America?

[Schnicklfritz]

That shirt has been preserved in incredible condtion. Love seeing "Banana Wars" era stuff. Seeing original period uniforms from this era always makes me wonder how could Marines have been able to stand wearing heavy wool shirts in the humid tropical heat in Latin America?

Actually, from experience wearing Civil War reenacting uniforms, wool is much more comfortable in warm and hot weather. Cotton tends to hold moisture and be miserable to wear, where as wool wicks moisture away and is very breathable and comfortable.