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8th AAF summer uniforms?


renfield
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I know this is sort of a silly question, but I have hundreds of photo's of men in the 8th in England. I have never seen one of a man wearing a tan summer weight uniform. I have one picture with a man in an A-2 and a tan "crusher" cap but that is all. Also I have a post war photo of a member of the 8th in a tan uniform. That is all I have seen. I know the climate in England is cooler,but how much cooler? Any thoughts on this? Please post pictures if you would share them.

Steve

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I know this is sort of a silly question, but I have hundreds of photo's of men in the 8th in England. I have never seen one of a man wearing a tan summer weight uniform. I have one picture with a man in an A-2 and a tan "crusher" cap but that is all. Also I have a post war photo of a member of the 8th in a tan uniform. That is all I have seen. I know the climate in England is cooler,but how much cooler? Any thoughts on this? Please post pictures if you would share them.

Steve

 

It would seem, not only the air corps, but all u.s. army personel, this being that Great Britain, to include England, Wales,Scotland, Northern Ireland was considered a temperate zone that would not necessitate the wear of the khaki uniform. The only possiable individuals that you might see wearing a khaki uniform in the summer of 42,43 44,45, would be your most senior ranking officers not just in the AC but in all the branches, here it most certainly be the khaki tunic and would only have been worn for walking out,some juinor officers would probably wear them too, lets use a example of a army signal corps captain who in the summer of 1943 met this girl, this Bird and is taking her out for a play and dinner, here, he as a officer would have that option to where his khaki uniform, he would not however, be able to wear it on duty or in formation. Perhaps some enlistedmen wore the khaki shirt and trousers for the same reasons, but this is doubtful, it would be more an officer who would do this.

 

This same thing applied in the summer of 1945 in Germany and those parts of France and Belgium that army personel where stationed prior to going home, i have never seen a khaki uniform being worn in this very early occupation period.Once again if it was worn it would apply to officers, for instance IKE is photographed wearing the khaki uniform while shooting the breeze with harry truman, on the occasion of the presidents arrival in Germany to attend the potsdam conference. U.S. army to include air corps, personel stationed on occupation duty in Italy in the summer of 1945 however where wearing the khaki uniforms on a regular basis, not just on passes, but also as a duty uniform if it was so ordered as a uniform of the day.

 

PS Renfield; Do you like to eat insects.... HA....HA.

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Thank you for that answer Patches. What more can be said? I call myself an 8th AAF collector so I should know such things.

These days I limit myself to spiders and flies! I have always been a fan of Dwight Frye.

Steve

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I believe the "Class B" uniform was what was typically worn in warmer climates. Is this correct?

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Class B in the the context of WWII was the wool uniform with or without tie, worn without the tunic, it was worn in temperate area in periods of warmer weather, not in warmer cilmates. The uniform to be worn in warmer climates would be the class C khaki uniform, here warmer climates would mean tropical regions such as panama, hawaii, puerto rico and other islands of the caribbean sea, plus an array of locations in central and south america, that army personel would be station on, it would also be a standard uniform throughout the continental united states in the summer months. Overseas during the war in combat theaters where weather was know to be hot year round, or had longer periods of hot weather normaly not seen in more temperate regions, the more commonly called "khaki uniforms if they where worn, would be worn as a everyday duty uniform by your most rear of rear echelon personel in example,Troops stationed on new caladonia and other islans of the pacific or in your higher command organisations, like 6th and 8th army or MacArthur's GHQ. Troops in europe would be only those in the mediterranean, in example, those troops still stationed in north africa long after the war moved up to Italy. In Italy itself the khaki uniform would be seen only worn by men in the summer of 1944 who where on pass to the larger cities or in the very least areas under strict military police control, such as rear area rest areas ajacent to smaller cities or towns. The men of the air corps at there bases, the 12th and 15th air forces in and around foggia would tend to wear the khaki uniform on a daliy basis more then other army personel. It should be noted that german troops fighting at the front or stationed in rear areas in Italy would wear their tropical uniforms on a large scale with their helmets whether army or parachute, panited various shades of tan/sand colours, this was not only in the late summer of 1943 but also when the weather got colder in the fall, here it would be supplemented by temperate uniform items, and as the year of 1943 came to a close and 1944 began, you would still see quite a large number of tropical items being worn, both army and luftwaffe ground units thoughout the remander of the war could be seen wearing part's of, or whole sets of tropical uniforms.

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Thank you for that answer Patches. What more can be said? I call myself an 8th AAF collector so I should know such things.

These days I limit myself to spiders and flies! I have always been a fan of Dwight Frye.

Steve

 

Thank's.Did you think tom waites spooky performance was chilling in bram stokers Dracula ?

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You asked about tans in the 8th AF. The cycle of training to get to any Air Force started in warm & moderate climates like King City and Stockton California. A second phase of training took place in places like Roswell and Hobbs, New Mexico. In those locations, tans were the order of the day. Pinks and browns were used for dress occasions, but the everyday dress was tan. From those locations an officer would be assigned to an Air Force...and he took whatever uniform he had with him, including tans. If they were going to a cooler destination, including the 8th AF and England, they sent their tans home to mom and got a couple of new uniforms to take along. When they returned, depending on where they were going to be stationed (if they stayed in), they would ask mom to send their tans.

 

My Did returned from England with all heavy wools (browns) and then was sent to Albuquerque, New Mexico! There, he swithched back to tans...after he got them from his mom.

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hbtcoveralls

it is cooler in England. When I went there in July 2006 it was in the low 90s (extreme heat wave) and people were actually passing away from the heat. There, even today, is very little air conditioning in cars, buses, trains or hotels. They just don't need it. So summer uniforms would not have been needed in England.

In contrast, you typically see AF guys from Italy the med area in summer uniforms.

Tom Bowers.

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  • 1 year later...
AverageJoeWWII

What about a combination of uniform ? lets say a Tan summer visor and a chocolate color jacket ?

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What about a combination of uniform ? lets say a Tan summer visor and a chocolate color jacket ?

You mean the Officers OD coat and pink trousers, pink shirt (Pinks & Greens) being worn with the Khaki Officers Service Cap anywhere Army wide in WWII?

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