MattS Posted May 13, 2015 Share #1 Posted May 13, 2015 I've had this for years, I think I paid just a few dollars for it. I always assumed it was a mechanic's coverall but a friend was looking it over and noticed a few things I hadn't. First, the shoulder straps were added along with the first lieutenant's bars. Second, there are pinholes over the left chest pocket consistent with pinned-on wings. Third, the metal buttons are not the standard '13-star' type, but are trolley cars (I assume they used what they had on hand). So could this be a theatre modified flight suit, or something else? Shoulder strap: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share #2 Posted May 13, 2015 Holes above the left pocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share #3 Posted May 13, 2015 And the odd buttons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted May 13, 2015 Share #4 Posted May 13, 2015 I would say they were standard USGI HBT coveralls converted to a flying suit...but the trolley button leads me think it is a civvie HBT set of coveralls converted...or the trolley button is a replacement button.... pilots and aircrew wore the HBT coveralls as flight suits at times... dunno why they went to trouble of sewing on epaulettes...??? still a neat piece... I like it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share #5 Posted May 13, 2015 Thanks, I hadn't thought about them being civilian coveralls converted for military use. That might explain why I can't find any trace of a label or other markings inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vintageproductions Posted May 13, 2015 Share #6 Posted May 13, 2015 The trolley button is a specific civilian workwear company. Can't remember which one right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted May 13, 2015 Share #7 Posted May 13, 2015 You have to keep in mind that despite the mass production of WWII, certain items were not always readily available depending where you were at. Rather than a flight suit, I think this would more likely be for a tanker or maintenance officer. Engineer or signal are other possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 13, 2015 Author Share #8 Posted May 13, 2015 I agree Gil, and I think this could qualify as "any of the above". If the pinholes above the pocket were put there 70 years ago (and we can never know for sure), I think a pair of wings is a good guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted May 14, 2015 Share #9 Posted May 14, 2015 It could also be a training uniform for a paratrooper. Except for the lack of an embroidered name it's very similar to the HBT coveralls pictured in this thread: http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/214778-504th-uniform-grouping-from-ns-trader-show-richmond/?fromsearch=1 Note that one of the coveralls in the link is also civilian manufacture. How far apart are the pinholes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 14, 2015 Author Share #10 Posted May 14, 2015 Great find! The holes are about an inch apart. Jump wings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted May 14, 2015 Share #11 Posted May 14, 2015 That would be my guess. Great find! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share #12 Posted May 15, 2015 Wow, thanks for pointing me in that direction! I'm embarrassed to admit this has been hanging in my garage for years because it smells. I should probably knock the spiders off it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 15, 2015 Author Share #13 Posted May 15, 2015 Looking inside, I see two possible laundry marks. One is a standard H8710, the other uses two initials, RM 5184. Any chance one of these cross references with a paratrooper first lieutenant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeuceGI Posted May 15, 2015 Share #14 Posted May 15, 2015 The laundry marks you've got pictured are the enlisted format. An officer's would be along the lines of O-XXXXX. EMs did sometimes get away with non-regulation clothing changes. A book called The Way We Were by DeTrez has photos of the uniforms & gear used by Forrest Guth E/506 who added shoulder straps to his shirts. Another possibility is that they were added post-1947 when uniform regs changed and EM shirts added shoulder straps. Nest coveralls. Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phantomfixer Posted May 18, 2015 Share #15 Posted May 18, 2015 with the pin back style wings hole distance/gap really goes out the window...within reason.... and officers and enlisted...in theater... often wore modified uniforms... especially true regarding flight coveralls/suits...I have seen pilots wearing the HBT mechanic coveralls in flight...and mechanics wearing AN-S-31 flight suits changing engines..and I assume they are mechanics as they are performing MX..and they could have been pilots helping out, as was done early in the war when manpower was low... but bottom line is these are a cool pair of coveralls modified and worn by a Lt. for some purpose...neat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted May 18, 2015 Author Share #16 Posted May 18, 2015 True, and we will probably never know their actual usage in WW2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted October 9, 2015 Author Share #17 Posted October 9, 2015 I've moved these on to ebay in case anyone is interested. http://www.ebay.com/itm/191711931290?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted June 10, 2016 Share #18 Posted June 10, 2016 The comment above about officer laundry numbers is not completely correct. While full officer asns did begin with an O, officer laundry number abbreviations were often done in the same way as enlisted. The second mark shown doesnt refer to a persons name imo. I will have to check, but it looks like a tracking stamp found in airborne related garments that I have traced to the laundry shop at Camp Mackall NC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share #19 Posted June 10, 2016 If you could confirm that stamp, that would be great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siege1863 Posted June 10, 2016 Share #20 Posted June 10, 2016 Here is an example of an officer marking his items using the last name initial and last four digits of the serial number... http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/180520-here-is-something-different/?hl=money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted June 10, 2016 Share #21 Posted June 10, 2016 Those stamps scream "airborne" to me. The smaller style was made by a rotary ink stamp, and is commonly found in M42 jackets and pants. These pictures are from a jacket/pants set that I have. They still had the tags from "Hoffman Cleaners" Camp Mackall NC pinned to them. They have standard laundry stamp name numbers, but another set as well. The second sets correspond to the numbers on the cleaner ticket. This is what I think your second stamp may refer to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted June 10, 2016 Share #22 Posted June 10, 2016 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattS Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share #23 Posted June 10, 2016 Good info! I spent some training time at Mackall Army Airfield in the 90s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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