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Question on wool Army blankets.


JimM
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Was going thru my Army blankets today and have these questions:

 

1) typical green wool but has a 3" black stripe along each end, 3" wide and about 8" from the ends.

Some folks say this is (maybe) a hospital blanket, no other marks.

 

2) one is the typical material but seems more brownish that the usual dark green.

 

3) I have heard that the WWI balnkets were a much coarser material ?

 

4) One (only one) has letters 'US' printed in the center. When were they marked this way ?

 

5) none of mine have a manufacturers white tag, but I do have a nice Australian one with tag dated 1942.

 

Thanks for any help or opinions.

JimM

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The one with black stripes is probably USMC. But it is usually a greener wool than a WWII army blanket which is more drab in color. A WWI army blanket is a similar drab color to a WWII blanket but the weave is more course and more visible.

 

-Matt.

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Here is a collection of several blankets: Top left to right: 1940 dated army blanket. WWII USMC. 1944 Army Medical blanket. Civil war - Span-Am war blanket (it is not a 1904 blanket).

 

Bottom row is all WWII army blankets. The one 2nd from left maybe an officers as it is more of a gray shade and very soft.

post-137-1349236692.jpg

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Thanbks MattOravik, very helpful ! Yep, one with stripes is darker, so USMC. Are the darker green ones with "U S" Vietnam period ?

Did WWII blankets ever have "U S" marks in dark ink ? If so where ? Good to know the lighter ones are WWII.

Much appreciated,

JimM

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  • 2 weeks later...
Did WWII blankets ever have "U S" marks in dark ink ? If so where ?

 

Hi Jim. I have a WW2 blanket with 'US' in black ink right in the centre and going by memory, about 6" tall but not solid, the 'US' is an outline. Here's the label.

 

armygear006.jpg

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We still have a ton of these in use in the prisons. I don't remember seeing any with the stripes though. I'll have to take a look at them.

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Thanbks MattOravik, very helpful ! Yep, one with stripes is darker, so USMC. Are the darker green ones with "U S" Vietnam period ?

Did WWII blankets ever have "U S" marks in dark ink ? If so where ? Good to know the lighter ones are WWII.

Much appreciated,

JimM

 

Like this one? I always thought the ones with black *printed U.S. in the center were definitely modern...but I am not positive now. A while back I saw one with the black printed U.S. (looked exacly like the one in the auction below) but it also had a QM tag and date of 1935. It wasn't a M1904 with stripes on each end mind you, it was plain OD. I was very confused by that blanket and still am. I hope someone else can shed some light on this subject.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Army-wool-blanket-/221139306546?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item337cee0832

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It wasn't one made for the CCC or something was it?

 

They used a different contract prefix, you can find wool straight leg trousers made for them too.

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I have a WW2 blanket with 'US' in black ink right in the centre and going by memory, about 6" tall but not solid, the 'US' is an outline. Here's the label.

 

armygear006.jpg

Was Specification No. 8-111-A made of elastic rubber? :) It contains type 1 and 2 blankets, and even type 12?

 

It wasn't a M1904 with stripes on each end mind you, it was plain OD.

Blanket researchers indicate that there was no such thing as M1904 blanket, generally speaking there was no "M..." nomenclature for those blankets.

 

Regards

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