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WWI FOREST GREEN BREECHES


BEAST
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I picked these up many years ago, but am not quite sure what they are. There are 6 metal buttons, 2 in the front, two in back and one on each hip. These button so that the button does not show on the waist. No tag or stamping that I can find. They are an XL (approx 44 waist). Any thoughts, ideas or SWAGs?

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They are riding pants.

 

 

OK, thanks F.S.

 

Was this design of metal button made only for the civilian market?

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OK, thanks F.S.

 

Was this design of metal button made only for the civilian market?

 

I don't recognize that as any sort of military button design: although it could be non-US. You might want to post this on WAF or MCF: if those are military buttons, someone should recognize them.

 

Private military academies would have used used jodhpurs and you do see the old photos of park rangers wearing riding pants and boots. By the way, riding pants were a required uniform item for West Point cadets until about 1942. I picked up a 1935 pair recently. They also have the laces, but some types of riding breeches use buttons (and, I would guess, some have buttons). Some armies still issued riding pants into WWII.

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Beast,

 

I would have to see them "in person" to make a judgement call, but here are my thoughts:

 

- They are American made: "Soo Woolen Mills" stamp

 

- Early (1917) Red Cross, YMCA, American Library Association, etc regulations called for "Forrester Green" Uniforms (Williams pp 292-305 incl). This could be a pair of breetches for one of those organizations

 

- Size 44 is pretty big. These could be private purchase for a portly WW1 era Marine SNCO--Size 44 may not have been a standard supply size back then, so our putative Gunny might have had to buy his breetches downtown

 

- Naval Aviation also wore Forrest Green uniforms during WW1 (and again later) These could have been for a (again) somewhat portly CPO. Chiefs had to purchase thier own uniforms, especially the very rare Forrest Green ones.

 

- They could simply be civilian riding pants.

 

If the material is smooth, solid color, melton wool, whipcord or serge, then they are probably military or pseudo-military. If the material is more of a tweed (where multiple color threads are blended to form a more or less uniform color) then they are probably civilian.

 

Chris

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Beast,

 

I tend to agree with Chris about your riding breeches. They do seem to be cut in the US military manner but are private purchase.

 

Here is a pair of Quartermaster issue wool enlisted breeches showing the cut.

 

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These are the regulation issue metal buttons that are different than yours.

 

Breeches_EM_wool_buttons.JPG

 

Here is another set of Quartermaster issue breeches in twill showing the same cut.

 

Cav_EM_twill_breeches.JPG

 

Now, here is another set of later summer regulation breeches that show a fuller cut to the thighs. Notice the fly, pockets, and belt loops are the same.

 

Cav_EM_cotton_breeches.JPG

 

Finally, one more pair of issue wool breeches from 1936.

 

Cav_EM_wool_breeches.JPG

 

I hope this helps.

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craig_pickrall

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I can not add anything about the source of your trousers but I can comment on the button. The attached pic is of a similar button from a DEC, 1943 USN contract HBT uniform.

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