Lawdog Posted December 31, 2016 Share #1 Posted December 31, 2016 Newest addition to the uniform collection is this original and very salty US Army frog skin camouflage, one piece cover all combat uniform. This specific one piece coverall was manufactured by the United States Army in the early half of the Second World War for use by the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific. This is the reversible green side to tan side. The US Army version was green side only and was used for only a short period of time in the European theater following the D-Day invasion after several GI's were lost to Friendly Fire incidents when they were mistaken for Waffen SS. The Marine Corps also used these in the PTO, but for only a very short period of time, because the uniform was hot and cumbersome. They opted instead for the 2-piece HBT camouflage which was then seen throughout the remainder of World War II. This is an extremely rare example of a seldom seen combat uniform, and I am extremely proud to have it in my collection! Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Devil Posted December 31, 2016 Share #2 Posted December 31, 2016 VERY nice example! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted December 31, 2016 Share #3 Posted December 31, 2016 Nice I have never seen a green side only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Posted December 31, 2016 Author Share #4 Posted December 31, 2016 Nice I have never seen a green side only. In doing my research, I found several examples of Army vs Marine Corps versions. When the Army made these for the Marines, the Marines specifically requested the reversible pattern for use in beach/jungle operations. (Because Marines are special) By the time the Army got around to using these in Europe, they discovered that, strangely enough, the French/Belgian/German countryside was fairly void of deserts and beaches, eliminating the need for reversible camo. Its kind of like anything below my belt line. I havent seen what's down there in years...but I know from experience it exists. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted December 31, 2016 Share #5 Posted December 31, 2016 That would be an intresting study...the coveralls I mean. I have had sets with and with out suspenders as they were removed at some point and even though the coveralls are two sided it wasnt a practical design to reverse them or a true reversible in my thinking as there isnt a set of pockets inside and difficult to use pockets when reversed. I currently own one set but have had around 20 over the years and up graded and down sized to one.Even owned one set cut down to a shirt.At the Front actually bought my size 42-44 set to make the repros from they offer.Ones I had with tags in were all army contracts but I never recorded the dates or makers as it wasnt a concern then or no data bases were being collected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted December 31, 2016 Share #6 Posted December 31, 2016 In doing my research, I found several examples of Army vs Marine Corps versions. When the Army made these for the Marines, the Marines specifically requested the reversible pattern for use in beach/jungle operations. (Because Marines are special) By the time the Army got around to using these in Europe, they discovered that, strangely enough, the French/Belgian/German countryside was fairly void of deserts and beaches, eliminating the need for reversible camo. Its kind of like anything below my belt line. I havent seen what's down there in years...but I know from experience it exists. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Please show the green sided coveralls. I would love to see Coveralls.....Green side print only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digi-shots Posted January 1, 2017 Share #7 Posted January 1, 2017 Very nice, great find! If I'm understanding it right, the ones shown (two sided camo) were made by the Army but used exclusively by the Marines. It looks like the snap buttons up the front are plain. What do the sleeve cuff buttons look like ? Embossed stars? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share #8 Posted January 1, 2017 Very nice, great find! If I'm understanding it right, the ones shown (two sided camo) were made by the Army but used exclusively by the Marines. It looks like the snap buttons up the front are plain. What do the sleeve cuff buttons look like ? Embossed stars? Thanks! And youre correct. These one piece coveralls were not produced by the Marines, but by the Army FOR the Marines and made in the reversible pattern. Cuff Buttons..... Suspenders cut out on tan side, as was common Only other marking; 38R stamped inside under thr collar Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted January 1, 2017 Share #9 Posted January 1, 2017 I am confused. Its a beater cammo coverall. $300 bucks if that on a good day. Where is the single sided special suit ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 1, 2017 Share #10 Posted January 1, 2017 Im curious as well. Just want to learn If there is information out there I would like to see it as it hasnt been addressed as far as I know in the publications by the authors who researched the material and in the 47 years of digging through piles of stuff I havent seen it all and like to see anything new that surfaces. Were these trial patterns or experimentals?We have seen pictures of camo coveralls in early Army trials of camoflage but little information The only single sided I have seen are those that are commecial hunting clothing from the 50s or 60s and they do have 13 star buttons on at times but are not issue or military.I have a shirts like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawdog Posted January 1, 2017 Author Share #11 Posted January 1, 2017 Im curious as well. Just want to learn If there is information out there I would like to see it as it hasnt been addressed as far as I know in the publications by the authors who researched the material and in the 47 years of digging through piles of stuff I havent seen it all and like to see anything new that surfaces. Were these trial patterns or experimentals?We have seen pictures of camo coveralls in early Army trials of camoflage but little information The only single sided I have seen are those that are commecial hunting clothing from the 50s or 60s and they do have 13 star buttons on at times but are not issue or military.I have a shirts like this. I'll try and locate again, what I found. Look...I dont profess to be an expert on ANYTHING. In posting, I was echoing what I had discovered in researching an item I knew little about when I obtained it; that is that the early (pre-1943) one sided coverall that was developed was an Army only item, and that as development improved, the two sided version was developed BY THE ARMY, for use by the Marine Corps. I dont own, nor have I ever claimed to own a one sided coverall! This is not directed at you AT ALL, but JEEBUS!!! What kind of person gets this personally fired up over a 70 year old uniform??? Ive been a member of this forum for several years, now and have never witnessed such juvenile behavior, and I would never stoop to such a level that I started running down another collectors item!!! Im proud to share this item visually with other collectors. Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doyler Posted January 1, 2017 Share #12 Posted January 1, 2017 Thanks that would be great information. Im no expert at all and jyst like to learn about new findings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forum Manager Posted January 1, 2017 Share #13 Posted January 1, 2017 There was nothing hostile asked in any of the above comments, that have now been hidden. The pattern that Kammo-Man & Doyler asked about is a very rare pattern and there are not many photos of it that exist. The one sided camo was used in the 1941-42 camo trials and I don't believe used at all during Normandy These were simple questions asked by two members and for some unknown reason you started replying with both barrels blazing. So maybe you should take some of your own advice and engage in civil and adult conversations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
63 RECON Posted January 1, 2017 Share #14 Posted January 1, 2017 To echo the admins post, i do not believe the green only suits were used in Normandy plus the whole fratricide thing is a point of conjecture as no after action reports or QM field trials in the national archive mention blue on blue incidents. The field trial reports mention higher visibility when camouflage soldiers broke cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earlymb Posted January 1, 2017 Share #15 Posted January 1, 2017 While there might have been some one-side camo printed trial versions, I believe the standard coverall is printed double-sided, like the nice specimen in the first post. The are indeed Army items for Army use, but a limited number of marines also did used them, maybe due to a shortage of their own 2-piece camo clothing. As far as I know these coveralls were never designed or aquired by the Army with marines in mind. Some units of the 2nd AD did wear camo clothing in Normandy, but most if not nearly all were the Army 2-piece sets. Despite the popular believe that these troops were sometimes mistaken for SS soldiers and thus encountered friendly fire, it seems the actual reason to withdraw the camo clothing is that this design apparently only works when standing still and indeed even might make you more visible while moving then the standard green & khaki. The coveralls turned out to be unsuited for jungle warfare, mainly because of the need to remove all your equipment before being able to take it off when nature calls... and she will call a lot in that climate. The coveralls were taken in and stored at the dumps in Biak (New-Guinea) where they were bought by the Dutch government in 1945 (I think, could also be early 1946) for use in the Dutch East-Indies. I guess that's the reason these coveralls are uncommon but not exceptionally rare here in The Netherlands, as plenty were taken home by repatriating troops. I have seen quite a few of examples, and while the exact colours of the green side can vary quite a lot (even with mint examples), all had the brownish inside. Also, the fact that the coverall has pockets only on the green side and fixed suspenders on the brown side indicates it was not designed to be reversible. I would however be delighted to learn any new information about this nice item! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garandomatic Posted January 1, 2017 Share #16 Posted January 1, 2017 Funny about these, the 12th armored division used them a good bit, but i think only stateside from photos i have seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bravo2zero Posted January 1, 2017 Share #17 Posted January 1, 2017 There's also a 3rd camo style with an autum/fall and summer print made by the British for the Americans for D-Day only and used by snipers in a twill cotton not HBT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kammo-man Posted January 2, 2017 Share #18 Posted January 2, 2017 I would honestly love to see a pic of anything in Experimental print. being used. Just for the OMG factor. owen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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