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The Ike Story


Sabrejet
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Ian!

 

I was just now able to catch up to this post. I will echo what everyone else has said about your stellar presentation on the evolution of the Ike. I especially like what you have done with the USMC Ike - very nice!

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notinfringed

Great thread. Very informative :thumbsup:

I have two odd ball Ikes that picked up last year that are somewhat unique, and may help add to this discussion:

The first one has no insignia on it unfortunately, but is taylor made in Japan:

post-2011-1305449141.jpg

post-2011-1305449164.jpg

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notinfringed

This is the tag from inside the inside pocket of the Ike in the last post:

post-2011-1305449317.jpg

 

The next Ike has no tags in it at all. I am guessing it is a cut-down 4 pocket, but I really don't know. It was used by the Augusta Military Academy. There is a similar one that I found a photo of online on display at their museum:

 

http://www.amaalumni.org/Museum/PhotoAlbum...ic=DSCF5267.JPG

 

Here is the ike that I picked up:

post-2011-1305449526.jpg

Thanks Ian for a great topic

Levi

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  • 1 month later...
This is the tag from inside the inside pocket of the Ike in the last post:

post-2011-1305449317.jpg

 

The next Ike has no tags in it at all. I am guessing it is a cut-down 4 pocket, but I really don't know. It was used by the Augusta Military Academy. There is a similar one that I found a photo of online on display at their museum:

 

http://www.amaalumni.org/Museum/PhotoAlbum...ic=DSCF5267.JPG

 

Here is the ike that I picked up:

post-2011-1305449526.jpg

Thanks Ian for a great topic

Levi

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This is a great thread for me as the IKE jacket is what I am currently researching.

 

Thanks so much for it.

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Really great thread... Nice collection...

may I have a question? Is it chronological? I always thought that the US Ike jackets have been first and than the EMs begun to shorten 4 pockets to look "more modern"..? Maybe I just did not understand well :)

 

Is there any photo of a Ranger in ETO jacket? (I mean 2nd or 5th Bn)

 

Btw one B13 officer jacket size 38 is ending on ebay in 28 hours... no bids on 250USD. Really cool stuff!

Frankie

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Thanks for your comments. Good question re the cut down jackets! I believe that USAAF officers took to doing this pre-Ike as they liked the style of the British BD, which is why many converted service coats have retained the British-style buckled waistband. As for EM's cut-downs it's one of those "What came first...the chicken or the egg?" questions!

 

Sabrejet

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Following are some of my examples of Ikes. These pictures have all appeared previously on the forum. With all the stuff currently piled in my uniform room, it's impossible to get to most of the to take new shots.

 

Top is a khaki cotton 1st Get Ike. Bottom are two shots of a Marine-worn Australian-made Ike.

 

post-1107-1309727508.jpg

 

post-1107-1309727514.jpg post-1107-1309727518.jpg

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Top is a standard Marine Vengergrif Ike jacket. This one has a custom ribbon rack. At the bottom is an Army enlisted Ike that was worn by an officer. The Army Ike has a bullion shoulder patch, Unassigned Officer lapel BOS insignia, Gaunt Major's leaves, and British-style tailored trousers.

 

post-1107-1309727675.jpg

 

post-1107-1309727680.jpg

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Thanks for your comments. Good question re the cut down jackets! I believe that USAAF officers took to doing this pre-Ike as they liked the style of the British BD, which is why many converted service coats have retained the British-style buckled waistband. As for EM's cut-downs it's one of those "What came first...the chicken or the egg?" questions!

 

Sabrejet

 

Thank you for answer... I am pretty sure the egg was first! but not sure if the egg is Ike or the cut down ;) I think your version sounds believeable :) btw one beautiful cut down officer jacket with british style waistband is now on ebay too :)

 

Frankie

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Thank you for answer... I am pretty sure the egg was first! but not sure if the egg is Ike or the cut down ;) I think your version sounds believeable :) btw one beautiful cut down officer jacket with british style waistband is now on ebay too :)

 

Frankie

I have several officer's AAF Ikes that were cut down from 4-pocket blouses....they still have the blouse labels in them. I also have some that were tailor-made as Ikes from chocolate material. Mine are not all AAF though. I have a couple infantry, and a couple tank destroyer officer Ikes as well.

 

Unfortunately, with my uniform room in disarray, I can't get to them to photograph them again but they've all been posted on the forum at some time or another previously.

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I found some file photos of some of my Ikes so I'll post them here just FYI.

 

Top is a Captain pilot assigned to the 8th AAF. This one was was not converted but was custom-tailored as an Ike from the start. The bottom one belonged to a 9th AF fighter pilot. It was converted from a 4-pocket blouse and till has the exposed brass buttons and officer's sleeve stripes.

 

I hope I'm not overloading the thread with my Ikes.

 

post-1107-1309908583.jpg

 

post-1107-1309908589.jpg

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At the top is a custom tailored Ike of an AAF SFC and aerial gunner. At the bottom is a cut down 4-pocket blouse that belonged to a pilot in the CBI.

 

post-1107-1309908912.jpg

 

post-1107-1309908919.jpg

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Top is a custom-tailored Ike to a 1LT assigned to SHAPE.

 

At the bottom is another officer's Ike that was custom-tailored as an Ike from the start. This one was worn by an Unassigned officer with SHAPE and European Civil Affairs patches, as well as WW-I and WW-II overseas hashmarks.

 

post-1107-1309909113.jpg

 

post-1107-1309909118.jpg

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At risk of burying the thread in my Ike jackets, this will be the last one (I can't find any file pictures of any of the TD Ikes anyway). this one is an issue-type Vandegrift (Ike) jacket to a Marine Sergeant.

post-1107-1309909531.jpg

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I didn't see one of these on this thread so I thought I post a few pics of mine. This is a "brand new" :w00t: 67 year old Ike. This one was never issued/worn. It still has all of the factory cutter tags still attached. It is still as fresh as the day it was made.

 

Josey

 

IkeJacket003.jpg

IkeJacket001.jpg

IkeJacket002.jpg

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I'll post one more...only because I don't see where any of this type have been posted yet. This has been posted previously some time ago on another uniform thread. It's a Marine officer's khaki wool Vandegrift jacket. This one belonged to Lt Col Olin Beale.

post-1107-1310423140.jpg

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Thanks for a terrific thread. Very helpful. Attached are a couple of photos of a recent garage sale find. Three or four small moth holes, overall good looking jacket.

 

I paid $20. How did I do? I think its a Fifteenth Army Corps jacket, and it seems to be a good quality (nicely lined) 1944 Ike jacket. Ordinance, I guess.

 

I am restoring a 1944 Willys jeep, and I thought to keep this around so that the kids can pose for photos in it. That said, it seems like a nice jacket.

Too nice for that duty? I don't want every Tom, Dick, and Harry climbing into my jeep, but every vet - of any war, and the little kids, are welcome to climb in.

 

Thoughts?

post-24805-1310445600.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...
There's actually one Ike variant which isn't illustrated here...because I don't have one! It's an unofficial variant cut like a regular Army Ike but made of officers' quality Khaki Tropical Worsted, like the suntan uniform. I chased one on eBay once but lost out to a sniper bid at the last minute. Does anyone out there have one they could post?

 

Sabrejet

 

Jimmy Stewart wore one (that I always thought was an official, if short lived variant) in the movie Strategic Air Command".

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When the USAF became independent of the army in '47, a new Ike was introduced in Shade 84 / Air Force blue. The design was very similar to the WW2 Army version except that the side adjuster buckles were replaced by buttons/tabs.

 

post-8022-1302350443.jpg post-8022-1302350460.jpg

Great collection! The Ike jacket that I just recently acquired unfortunately has no identifying makers labels, etc. The only marking is a laundry? number of K6326.

Thanks, KT

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