Camouflage HBT Uniform - 2 piece

[rankin508]

 

I need some info on a camouflage jacket I recently bought. I thought it was a HBT camouflaged jacket but it turned out to be another jacket. It looks like it's British made, twill-like material and it has the standard battledress buttons on it. The outside of the jacket has a lighter greenish camouflage pattern and the inside has a brownish camouflage pattern. On both sides are pockets, so 4 in total. I can't find a label or other markings. Jacket seems to be treated with some chemical agent and smells a bit awkward.

[rankin508]

Some more pictures

 

 

 

[Andrei]

This is a British made US Army camo jacket of WW2. It was issued for a short time to US troops in Normandy then taken off the field because of similarity with the SS camo. The US made is hard to find in good condition but a British made onelike yours is a gem! Good luck finding the matching British made trousers.

I know there is a picture of a Legion paratrooper wearing this jacket in Indochina, I will look for it in my files and post it.

[Schnicklfritz]

This is interesting to see because of the discussion of the Austrialian made USMC helmet covers. I didn't know the British made camo US uniforms. It looks like the camo is on twill. I have heard it stated that ALL US camo printed on anything but Army pattern HBT should be considered reproduction. Obviously there are exceptions to the rule then.

[rankin508]

I got a PM from a member that this jacket might be a snipersjacket. There is a picture in the book "The World War WWII GI U.S. Army Uniforms 1941-45" in the section France 1944.

[Kration]

This is not just a Brit made HBT camo jacket but it IS indeed a British made ETO Sniper Jacket. A very rare item! I have a perfect example that has a nice tag and reads:

 

BLOUSE,

Suit, Snipers

U.S.A. E.T.O. Spec. No. U/1440

 

M. Belmont & Co. LTD.

1944

[General Apathy]

I live in England and I collected for forty years and I never got one, so ' Top hole ole Man, well done'. I did know a construction worker that did some work at an old guys house six years back, and the house owner had an outside toilet his property was so old, when the construction worker went in there, there was one of these jackets hanging on a nail in the back of the door. It had been on the nail so long the nail had rusted itself through the material. The house owner didn't value the jacket and gave it freely to the construction guy, it was labeled up exactly as in one of the prior posts ' Brtit made sniper etc'. Lightening don't strike twice'.

[rankin508]

Hey, thanks guys for identifing this jacket. So I guess it's good news for me. Is there anything known about the use of this jacket in the ETO or any sources, books, pictures, etc known?

[VALERY]

Here is my contribution to this topic and hope it'll be helpful. I joined two pics from the excellent book printed by La Gazette des Uniformes about the French airborne forces in Indochina.


This display presents a British made camo set. Notice that the trousers are near mint and show the original pattern color. The second presents members from the 10 BPCP (10th bataillon de chasseurs à pieds parachutistes - 10th airborne light infantry (chasseurs) Bn) in Indochina. The far right SSG wears a British made jacket and it seems that his right neighbour too.

 

DEAD LINK 1/15/15

doinworkinvans

[VALERY]

And here is the second pic:

DEAD LINK 1/15/15

doinworkinvans

[rankin508]

It seems that The French army bought these jacket from the Americans as surplus and used them in Indochina.

[Andrei]

Most of the US camo came from US surplus in the Philippine Islands. French Army was in bad need of camo uniforms and heard about huge stocks of WW2 US vintage for sale in the Philippines. The US help thru MDAP supplied mostly weapons and ammo, planes, gas and medical care instruments. The British made jacket pictured in Denis Lassus book was mine. The "beach" side pockets have been removed by the original owner.