How skinny were sailors during WW2?

[louie]

When I went in the Marine Corps in 69 I wore size 30 pants, and a 36 blouse. My shirts were 14.5 x 32 I weighed around 155 when I go out, and was bigger then when I went in. I was not the skinniest guy by a long shot. Most guys in WW2 to VN at least were still pretty much on the thin side. Like one person said, hard to believe very little in the way of fast food back then. Most of the time you ate at home. All you have to do is look at documentaries from Marines in the Pacific or Vietnam without shirts due to heat and start counting ribs. Also today many troops work out and get buffed out. Rarely, and I mean rarely did you ever find guys in the gym. The gyms were Spartan, and only the few guys who wanted to be Mr. Atlas went there when they were on liberty. You went to town to drink and chase women, not sweat in some stinky gym. Also, most seemed to smoke, and that kills your desire to snack all the time. They even gave us free cigarettes in the C rations, and at that time smokes cost around 25c a pack and cheaper by the carton. All of these things keep the pounds off. The last thing is that Navy chow was the best by far!! When I was in the Naval Hospital in Balboa, we at times had steak and eggs for breakfast!!!! I couldn't believe how much better Navy chow was to Marine so called chow!

[BowlofRice]

Thought I'd chime in as size is a topic I'm quite interested in - I like to try my uniforms on from time to time; so I only buy what fits me. And that way, I don't accumulate stuff as quickly because my size is slightly less common!

 

For the record, I'm 5'8, 190 lbs, 40R chest with a 34 waist. Not much by today's standards, but I surely would've been big for WW2. I find it's much easier to find WW2 Army uniforms in size 39-40, whereas most WW2 Navy jumpers are a 36 or thereabouts. I have dozens of service coats and Ike jackets that fit me; whereas I only have around four Navy jumpers that do. (CPO jackets are very common in my size; but that's probably because most Chiefs were older and thus bigger). WWII USMC stuff is worse, my size is the largest one that wasn't custom made (6-M) and I can't seem to find that size anywhere.

 

Did bigger guys just end up in the Army? Feels that way.

[I Hate Moths]

No one has considered the position of waist measurement. Back during WWII the pants came up very high on the waist, more like at the belly button. The Battledress, and cropped Ike jackets come up pretty high on the waist.