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1st Pattern HBT shirt 4th/45th Inf Div patches


Crasher
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Came across this at a local MVPA meet and purchased it from one of the vehicle owners. I'm not sure he entirely realized the specifics of what he had. Excellent condition 1st Pattern HBT blouse, with a 4th ID patch on the left side and a 45th ID patch on the right side. Both patches appear to be wartime. There was a later '50s "US Army" black and gold tap sewn over the left breast, but I removed that.

 

The added epaulets are a curiosity. I remember not too long ago someone had a pair of 1st pattern HBT coveralls that had added epaulets on them, and 1st LT bars sewn on - presumably the epaulets were added because they were distinctively officer-related, like the field shirt. I'm wondering if this is perhaps a similar case. The ones here appear to be made of HBT of the later darker shade, but neither the shirt nor the epaulets show much fading. Remarkably so, considering how susceptible these early ones were to fading.

 

Perhaps best of all, it's a 42R. You don't see many that big these days, of any HBT pattern!

 

13483131_10106383491364031_5089579054098

 

13458736_10106383485405971_3199003957006

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Also, there appears to be initials inside of "D.A.M." However, I don't find any matches when combined with the laundry mark of M8753.

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Captainofthe7th

How about David Arnold Mathewson Jr.?

 

Army register shows a matching service number. I think he received a Commendation Medal for WWII and a Bronze Star in Korea. I will look through my 45th Division records later. When I first saw this I thought maybe it was Korean War era even though it is the early style uniform, so the US Army tape was probably appropriate. You actually see a lot of these 1st Pat in the mid-50s.

 

Rob

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You found a match! I searched the online database for the laundry number but didn't see anything.

 

Yeah, it does seem surprising that so many of the 1st Pattern items were still being issued, you would have thought they'd blown through the stock during WWII since they changed the pattern so quickly. Perhaps it was because it bore some resemblance to the cotton sateen shirt they started issuing, and the last version of the HBT shirt, where they made the pocket much smaller again. But the epaulets still don't make much sense unless it was an officer.

 

Thanks for the help!

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Neat jacket. I had a fully patched 1st pattern HBT jacket from a 628th Tank Battalion vet that wore it in Germany during the early 1950s. It's a shame you removed the Army tape, as it was probably completely original to the jacket.

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The tape seemed out of place on a 1st-pattern HBT shirt. I do still have it, though.

 

In a brief search, I don't see any time when the 45th ID fell under the 4th Army. I assume this means the right-shoulder patch must be a prior-unit insignia, like on the service jacket. That seems odd, though, on a field shirt.

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Captainofthe7th

Mathewson served in the CBI during WWII and returned to the States where he was at Ft. Sill most of the time following the war. There's also mention of 6th and 7th Armored Divisions between 1945 and 1949. Being in Oklahoma I assume he went to Korea with the 45th Division and came back to Ft. Sill which falls under the 4th Army area of operations. There's a lot of newspaper articles about his service, but the trail goes cold before Korea.

 

Not too unusual to see the combat patch on a fatigue shirt like this, especially during this era.

 

Rob

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Mathewson served in the CBI during WWII and returned to the States where he was at Ft. Sill most of the time following the war. There's also mention of 6th and 7th Armored Divisions between 1945 and 1949. Being in Oklahoma I assume he went to Korea with the 45th Division and came back to Ft. Sill which falls under the 4th Army area of operations. There's a lot of newspaper articles about his service, but the trail goes cold before Korea.

 

Not too unusual to see the combat patch on a fatigue shirt like this, especially during this era.

 

Rob

Was this guy an officer or an EM Rob?

 

Fort Sill by the way reeks of Arty, bet this guy was an Artilleryman, and in those days Non divisional Artillery Battalions at Sill fell under 4th Army, only in the early-ish 60s did 4th Army give up command and control, this was to III Corps, 1962, it was then that III Corps was redesignated as a Tactical Field Corps or STRAC, and III Corps Artillery was reborn.

 

The mention of the 6th and 7th Armd Divisions 45-49 would be an error, at least after 1945, but again nether of these two where at Ft Sill in any event. These divisions are inactivated in 1945, the 6th in September 1945 at Cp Shanks NY, the 7th October 1945 at Cp Patrick Henry VA. Both of them will see reactivation, but that ain't till 1951, 6th at Ft Leonard Wood MO, the 7th at Cp Roberts CA, both cadre strength Training Divisions.

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Captainofthe7th

Oops, you're right! He was with Armored Divisons in 1942. He was an officer.

 

clipping_5674371.pdf

clipping_5674362.pdf

clipping_5674353.pdf

 

http://valor.militarytimes.com/recipient.php?recipientid=140652

 

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=49258325

 

 

 

Remember, this is still a hypothesis. The initials match and the laundry mark matches. If you can confirm he was with the 45th, I'd say it's about 100%.

 

post-3190-0-42545300-1466731709.jpg

 

 

Rob

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The tape seemed out of place on a 1st-pattern HBT shirt. I do still have it, though.

 

In a brief search, I don't see any time when the 45th ID fell under the 4th Army. I assume this means the right-shoulder patch must be a prior-unit insignia, like on the service jacket. That seems odd, though, on a field shirt.

 

Here are a few other 1st pattern jackets I've seen recently (top two images sourced from recently ended eBay listings, bottom image is of the 628th Tank Battalion jacket I formerly owned):

 

The 1st pattern HBT jackets popped up throughout the 1950s, so a yellow/black branch tape isn't necessarily out of place on one.

post-11320-0-24486000-1466742473.jpg

post-11320-0-91613400-1466742478.jpg

post-11320-0-71883700-1466742712.jpg

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BINGO

 

See I knew he was ARTY, or in this case he segued to AAA, see page 49 under Lieutenant Colonel reassignments, 2332nd ASU (Which means Army Service Unit), found this on the 2332nd ASU HERE, it was apparently stationed at Indiantown Gap) to an RA Instructor with the Pennsylvania National Guard but by the time this listing was out AAA was no longer under CA but FA, and as we see his register he always was FA, I gather several FA officers were just assigned to AAA units post WWII.

 

I think he might be mentioned again, seen hints of 45th Infantry Division Artillery before I clicked on link.

 

http://sill-www.army.mil/ada-online/antiaircraft-journal/_docs/1953/9-10/Sep-Oct%201953%20Screen.pdf

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post-11320-0-91613400-1466742478.jpg

 

This is a real late worn one LB, look at the subdued name tape, post August 1966 till the time the 19th Corps was inactivated at it's HQ at Ft Chaffee Arkansas April 1 1968.

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The tape seemed out of place on a 1st-pattern HBT shirt. I do still have it, though.

 

In a brief search, I don't see any time when the 45th ID fell under the 4th Army. I assume this means the right-shoulder patch must be a prior-unit insignia, like on the service jacket. That seems odd, though, on a field shirt.

 

A serviceable HBT Jacket is a serviceable HBT Jacket to the Army. They don't care if it's "first pattern" or 500th pattern. So, yes, the US Army tape was original to it. In the 1950's HBT's were worn right along side the OG107 utility uniform for both field and garrison wear, complete with all insignia. Shoulder loops (epaulettes are the frilly bullion things you find on dress uniforms) were often added so that Combat Leadership Tabs and Distinctive Unit Insignia could be worn on them, regardless of rank.

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Wow, you guys are a wealth of information!

 

Patches, that example is incredible, to see a subdued tape on any HBT jacket much less a 1st pattern is astounding. It appears it was being worn with OG107 trousers, is that right?

 

B229, the added shoulder loops would make sense if it's true that this gentleman was an officer.

 

Rob, how on earth did you dig up those little bitty newspaper clippings? I'm amazed! Looks like the first one must date to wartime judging from his service record. What a bummer to be kicked back to Capt after the war is over.

 

But still, it seems, no explicit attachment to the 45th, other than the fact that we know the 45th was at Ft Sill, and so was he. Am I right?

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Captainofthe7th

The 45th was just OK National Guard. I don't think they had any assignments to Ft Sill. Patches probably knows ;)

 

For the clippings, I just run a variety of searches on newspapers.com. Last name only within the date range, add a rank Lt., Lieut, Lieutenant, Captain, Capt., Major, Maj., etc., use first initials, use first name, use first name and middle initial, add words like artillery, korea, army...anything I can think of until I get bored, really.

 

Let me know if you need anymore help. He doesn't seem to show up in my 45th Div roster that covers up to Jan 1952 but it's likely he joined after.

 

Rob

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The 45th was just OK National Guard. I don't think they had any assignments to Ft Sill. Patches probably knows ;)

 

For the clippings, I just run a variety of searches on newspapers.com. Last name only within the date range, add a rank Lt., Lieut, Lieutenant, Captain, Capt., Major, Maj., etc., use first initials, use first name, use first name and middle initial, add words like artillery, korea, army...anything I can think of until I get bored, really.

 

Let me know if you need anymore help. He doesn't seem to show up in my 45th Div roster that covers up to Jan 1952 but it's likely he joined after.

 

Rob

Well the deal was when these NG Divisions were federalized the moment they closed at their new duty stations they were gutted, troops sent out, mostly to Japan, (like James Garner, he was a 45th Div Infantryman), some to beef up the two regular army divisions slated for NATO and Germany, the 2nd Armd Div and the 4th Inf Div, so troops came in from all over to replace the losses. That Matthewson was at Sill may be just a coincidence, he may of been sent to the division when it closed at ft Polk, or he maybe as you suggest, he was simply assigned to the division when it was in Japan or later when it went to Korea.

 

Wow, you guys are a wealth of information!

 

Patches, that example is incredible, to see a subdued tape on any HBT jacket much less a 1st pattern is astounding. It appears it was being worn with OG107 trousers, is that right?

 

B229, the added shoulder loops would make sense if it's true that this gentleman was an officer.

 

Rob, how on earth did you dig up those little bitty newspaper clippings? I'm amazed! Looks like the first one must date to wartime judging from his service record. What a bummer to be kicked back to Capt after the war is over.

 

But still, it seems, no explicit attachment to the 45th, other than the fact that we know the 45th was at Ft Sill, and so was he. Am I right?

 

 

B229, the added shoulder loops would make sense if it's true that this gentleman was an officer.

 

It was really an embellishment as B229 stated,irregardless of rank, junior EMs could be seen with them too, MPs did a lot then, in general, a spiffy garrison look typical of the 50s and 60s, and Army Wide..

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