US Victory Museum Posted January 27, 2014 Share #1 Posted January 27, 2014 Recently, a friend of mine was visiting a garage sale and telephonedme to say that he had found an old Army duster that I might be interestedin.HELLo-yeah! I'd love nothing more than to drive around a mobile pairof 40mm Boffors machine cannons; nevertheless, I was reasonably certainthat the duster he had in mind wasn't the same Duster that sprang to mymind. Nope, no tracked vehicle for Mikey.He described it along the lines as being similar to the FilsonTin-Cloth Dusters for range work (Cowboy, not Target). For a ten-buck,I told him to buy it and I'd reemburse him when he came over.It turned out to be a pattern 1938 Army rain coat dated Feb. 1941.It is rubber impregnated cloth, which is still very much supple. In looking at photos on the internet, this early pattern has a flapon the reverse side, which was eliminated in subsequent revisions, asmost of the images found by searching google images for WWII army rain coatshowed the latter type.A previous owner stenciled his initial and the last four digits of hisarmy serial number, R-6151. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Victory Museum Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share #2 Posted January 27, 2014 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Victory Museum Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted January 27, 2014 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
US Victory Museum Posted January 27, 2014 Author Share #4 Posted January 27, 2014 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king802 Posted January 27, 2014 Share #5 Posted January 27, 2014 Nice find. Getting these in a nice supple condition isn't so easy. I'll have to dig my two out for comparison. Everyone had one but these are often overlooked in people's collections. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David D Posted January 27, 2014 Share #6 Posted January 27, 2014 Really nice I have not seen to many these days. -Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty R Posted March 14, 2014 Share #7 Posted March 14, 2014 The main thing those so-called rain coats did not do was keep out the rain. They were mainly used as a body cover while marching to the Medics , as a group & in formation, for either a physical exam or "shots" before going overseas or renewing out of date innoculations. As I remember it, the only other things worn while in them was our combat boots & helmet liner. Any of the ones I was issued never repelled the rain. Marty R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty R Posted March 14, 2014 Share #8 Posted March 14, 2014 Sorry--- Forgot to include the main purpose of my above post.... The stencilled "R-6151" is not his Army Serial Number (ASN)... It is his is LUNDRY NUMBER,, It is printed, by the GI, on every bit of his issued clothing, for identicication, where ever he may be stationed throughout his enlistment... At least it was throughout WWll & into the 50's or whenever they started using the SS # as a serial #. It consists of the 1st initial of his last name followed by the last 4 numbers of his 8 digit serial number. Mine was R-**** Martyt R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty R Posted March 14, 2014 Share #9 Posted March 14, 2014 LAUNDRY..... I know I spelled it wrong... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbtcoveralls Posted March 14, 2014 Share #10 Posted March 14, 2014 Thanks Marty, A few years ago one of my friend's re-enactor groups put on a skit at a 30th division re-union. they all dressed in helmets boots raincoats and nothing else. They all marched out during the banquet in this get up and turned with their back to the audience and "presented Arms" for the guest of honor who was a Medic during the war. They called the skit "short arm" and said the men in the audience, all WWII vets, nearly roared with laughter while their wives hadn't a clue. Tom Bowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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