CW4AFB Posted February 27, 2018 Share #1 Posted February 27, 2018 Man, sometimes calling these things uniforms (meaning all the same) is a misnomer--- whenever I add a new one to my collection, I give it a good lookover to see what is hidden--- sometimes I find buttons that open to reveal pictures, or a stash of cigar bands, or train tickets etc, but this one today is way different-- the front pockets on the trousers -commercially made in Wash DC--felt funny when put my hands in them--so I turned the trousers inside out and look at what I found---the tailor (or the soldier) had used the heavy coarse bank bags used to carry coins to either strengthen the pocket or reuse some material that was lying around. It reminds me of the stuff we used to buy in Korea in the early 80s---you'd get a suit that was perfectly tailored and then you'd look in the sleeve lining and there would be all sorts of different material and colors--nothing wasted...ever... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Keith Posted February 27, 2018 Share #2 Posted February 27, 2018 Pretty cool actually! Thanks for posting it. BKW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BILL THE PATCH Posted February 27, 2018 Share #3 Posted February 27, 2018 That is pretty cool, Sent from my XT1031 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huntssurplus Posted February 27, 2018 Share #4 Posted February 27, 2018 Too bad it didn't come with the silver! Really interesting though! Thanks for sharing!Hunt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everforward Posted February 27, 2018 Share #5 Posted February 27, 2018 Pretty neat Al....never seen that before either..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlewilly Posted February 27, 2018 Share #6 Posted February 27, 2018 I have a couple pockets that have been reinforced by extra material, but nothing this unusual. I agree with Hunt! This is a great example, even without the money! MHJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share #7 Posted March 2, 2018 This thread of unusual features finally reminded me of another uniform I have with a unique feature also--- as you can see, it is a nice, standard 5th Amphibious Corps sergeant's coat-- no ribbons, no EGAs, just a name and a nice twill patch--- but when you look deeper into the inside of the coat, look what you find---the tailor has used scraps of two-side camo HBT cloth to seal the lining. Anybody else have anything like this in their collection? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 2, 2018 Author Share #8 Posted March 2, 2018 and from the pocket on the other side--with the green side out---The more I think about it, the more I like this---it shows real frugality during time of war and that nothing should be wasted...a lesson for all of us... Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted March 2, 2018 Share #9 Posted March 2, 2018 Al, I have a WW2 Marine uniform with the same type of 2 sided camo being used on the inside to reinforce seams and such.. Very interesting and agree with all comments that nothing was wasted during wartime.. Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikie Posted March 2, 2018 Share #10 Posted March 2, 2018 Man, sometimes calling these things uniforms (meaning all the same) is a misnomer--- whenever I add a new one to my collection, I give it a good lookover to see what is hidden--- sometimes I find buttons that open to reveal pictures, or a stash of cigar bands, or train tickets etc, but this one today is way different-- the front pockets on the trousers -commercially made in Wash DC--felt funny when put my hands in them--so I turned the trousers inside out and look at what I found---the tailor (or the soldier) had used the heavy coarse bank bags used to carry coins to either strengthen the pocket or reuse some material that was lying around. It reminds me of the stuff we used to buy in Korea in the early 80s---you'd get a suit that was perfectly tailored and then you'd look in the sleeve lining and there would be all sorts of different material and colors--nothing wasted...ever... Is that the silver lining I'm always hearing about? I love seeing stuff like this. Thanks for showing it. Mikie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 3, 2018 Author Share #11 Posted March 3, 2018 Al, I have a WW2 Marine uniform with the same type of 2 sided camo being used on the inside to reinforce seams and such.. Very interesting and agree with all comments that nothing was wasted during wartime.. Leigh Leigh--same thing happened during the Depression---they recycled everything--the wax paper bags that cereal came in were transformed into sandwich baggies, scrap wood was harvested for nails---we could learn a lot from them still today on how to save and conserve. Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MastersMate Posted March 4, 2018 Share #12 Posted March 4, 2018 Concerning nothing being wasted in wartime, an item from the Coast Guard Bulletin of February 1943 announcing the new uniform for Coast Guard shore establishments. It seems that the availability and the quantity of material in the sailors uniform was a consideration in adopting the new style uniform.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettow Posted March 4, 2018 Share #13 Posted March 4, 2018 Unserviceable cotton uniforms were used to supply Crane and Company with raw materials to make paper for US paper money during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share #14 Posted March 8, 2018 Unserviceable cotton uniforms were used to supply Crane and Company with raw materials to make paper for US paper money during the war. Lettow--that's pretty cool--I never knew that....I thought it was pretty cool that the AEF collected campaign hats from units arriving in France and re-pulped them to make slippers for hospital patients...waste nothing... Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted March 9, 2018 Share #15 Posted March 9, 2018 I've seen one other usmc uniform with camo used in places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 9, 2018 Author Share #16 Posted March 9, 2018 I've seen one other usmc uniform with camo used in places. Well that makes three of us--so obviously, it was more than a "just this once" occurrence... Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 20, 2018 Author Share #17 Posted March 20, 2018 And now I'm doing it again----going through the uniform of an Advance Sector Doughboy, I found this unintentional anomaly --- the original manufacturer has inadvertently sewn the bottom corner of the trouser pocket to the opposite upper corner---creating a very hard to use triangular pocket---so the real questions are: 1. Why didn't the soldier cut the thread and give himself a functional pocket---Wouldn't you? The pants are well-worn so it's not like he got these thrown at him on the way out the door at the Demob station. 2. What kind of Quality control did the manufacturer have if his folks were sewing pockets together? Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share #18 Posted March 22, 2018 It's now officially a conspiracy---look at the inside of the front pockets of these commercially-purchased trousers---what the heck is going on with all of these unique things inside WWI uniforms?---What did Pershing know? and when did he know it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted March 22, 2018 Author Share #19 Posted March 22, 2018 and the other front pocket is made from material that says "Manufactured by Cotton Mills 30 Yds" Talk me off the ledge and tell this normal re-use of material.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CW4AFB Posted May 20, 2018 Author Share #20 Posted May 20, 2018 BTT--still curious to see if others have found similar unusual features in WWI uniforms... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrwocco Posted May 24, 2018 Share #21 Posted May 24, 2018 CW4AFB- Thank you for sharing. These are very interesting finds. I have a tiny collection and had no luck flipping the pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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