Is this the real deal.

[pmshindy]

Fellas,

 

I purchased this M-43 Jacket over a year ago off of Ebay and the gentleman told me it was the real deal. Just like the type used in Market Garden by the 101st. With my limited experience with authenticity on the matter, I would appreciate your opinions.

 

Thank you,

 

pmshindy

Paul

 

 

 

[pmshindy]

More photos.

 

thanks,

 

pmshindy

[doyler]

Flag is not one I like to see.Niether the oil cloth or light cotton gauze as seen on period jackets.The flag appears to be the ones encountered that were available from the home front.I have a few on black wooden sticks with a gold finial on the top.These came from my granparents and they used them to wave in parades and send offs at the bus station during the war.Just me but the spec tag is way washed out and I would expect to see the same aging on the patch and flag.

[Polygon]

I can't say I'm too convinced- you see a lot of these at gun shows where people take average looking M1943 field jackets and patch them up to become, voila, a Market Garden paratrooper jacket.

[LTGSANCHEZ]

Ditto. Not convinced. Check out some examples of known period flags. If they were sewn on during the war then they look like hell now, as they didn't hold up to well. I have two uniforms that have evidence of the flag having been sewn on but its no longer there. Also, if you're buying something with a flag sewn on the sleeve on EBAY, just make sure the flag doesn't have 50 stars...

[pmshindy]

Knowledge is Key for sure. Expensive lessons to learn, but from now on I will be better informed thanks to the likes of everyone on this site.

 

pmshindy

[cpatrick]

Another thing to keep in mind. As everyone here well knows, virtually all soldiers that jumped at MG wore the M43, as opposed to the M42. Most of these jackets were worn through the fall, and that winter, during the Battle of the Bulge. To find a Market Garden jacket that looks as pristine as that is going to be pretty hard. These things had the hell pounded out of them. I would venture to say that most M43's that have a 101st patch was likely put on after Market Garden, probably sometime in 1945 - Not to say that the MG jackets don't exist, because they do. Just very few. Hence the reason why these command such prices.

 

Chris

[LTGSANCHEZ]

Just to add to a previous post... The arm flags were also issued on cotton and was british made in addition to the oil cloth and gauze-type fabric.

[glenm]

Just to add to a previous post... The arm flags were also issued on cotton and was british made in addition to the oil cloth and gauze-type fabric.

 

Oh, is that right? Any proof of that Lt.... or any knowledge of who used such things?

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[LTGSANCHEZ]

Oh, is that right? Any proof of that Lt.... or any knowledge of who used such things?

 

Cheers,

Glen.

 

Rentz's book - "Geronimo" has it listed as such.

[glenm]

Rentz's book - "Geronimo" has it listed as such.

 

Hi Lt,

 

That's what I thought you'd say, sorry. Unfortunately he was talking out of his backside over that one as well as many other things in that book....

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[Kurt Barickman]

Documentation is the key to these M-43s supposedly worn during Market Garden. I wouldn't touch one without documentation. I only had one that came in a rather large grouping all to the same man with heavy wear to include a REAL pair of 101st rigger modified 43 style pants to include his dogtags, jump boots (he was jump qualified as well), photo album, glider/jump wings, discharge and German items. All to a B/327 trooper. This grouping is now in the hands of a well known airborne collector who is a member of this forum. Anybody can take a M-43 jacket (which is not rare) and doctor it up. Unfortunately, US airborne is a faked up as German SS and Fallschirmjager items Hate to sound so negative but unfortunately it is the case anymore especially with the stuff on Ebay anymore.

 

 

Kurt Barickman

[LTGSANCHEZ]

Hi Lt,

 

That's what I thought you'd say, sorry. Unfortunately he was talking out of his backside over that one as well as many other things in that book....

 

Cheers,

Glen.

 

Thanks. That's probably why I agreed at first. And then following up after checking out Rentz's book did I add that the cotton armband exist.

 

I withdrawl said previous comment until further notice!

[LTGSANCHEZ]

Documentation is the key to these M-43s supposedly worn during Market Garden. I wouldn't touch one without documentation. I only had one that came in a rather large grouping all to the same man with heavy wear to include a REAL pair of 101st rigger modified 43 style pants to include his dogtags, jump boots (he was jump qualified as well), photo album, glider/jump wings, discharge and German items. All to a B/327 trooper. This grouping is now in the hands of a well known airborne collector who is a member of this forum. Anybody can take a M-43 jacket (which is not rare) and doctor it up. Unfortunately, US airborne is a faked up as German SS and Fallschirmjager items Hate to sound so negative but unfortunately it is the case anymore especially with the stuff on Ebay anymore.

Kurt Barickman

 

Agreed. I now use eBay as a source for field gear or individual items. Any items with documentation or part of a grouping I try to steer clear of... Sounds like a good grouping, wish I got to see it!