HBT Jacket,Inspector rejected?

[Chindit]

Hello all,

I have a question(s) that I have been pondering for years about a mint, 1942 HBT jacket in my collection.

 

The jacket has some sloppy sewing on the button holes at the end of the sleeves; and two of the front buttons don't line up with the button holes. One button is about 1/2 and inch off, and the other button is close to an inch. when buttoned the jacket has a slight, but visible bulge.

 

Since this jacket was mint when I found it, is it possible that it was rejected by an inspector? Would a rejected item be marked somehow (note the spec tag is clean with no writing on it)? Or would a "defect" such as these--even if noticed--- be considered insignificant, particularly in a work/combat uniform?

 

Any thoughts would certainly be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Joe

[Chindit]

Just thought I would re-post this and perhaps get some thoughts. Thanks.

[Allan H.]

You ask an interesting question an I will see if I can provide you with some insight. Typically, in WWII, uniforms that had issues like the ones you've stated would have normally been reworked to meet the specification if that was possible. Often times, the buttons would just be repositioned to match the button holes. Sometimes, the uniforms would be deconstructed and then reassembled to fix the issues that the uniform item had at inspection. My guess in this situation is that the HBT jacket passed inspection and was shipped to a depot for issue out to the troops. My assumption is that the guy who got the jacket didn't like how it fit, so it was left in a foot locker or duffle bag and simply never worn.

 

Sometimes, uniform pieces that did not meet the specification would be shipped out to prisons for the inmates to wear. During the war, very little clothing would have been simply rejected and thrown away since it could be salvaged for other purposes. Even with combat worn clothing, pieces that could be salvaged would be salvaged and used to repair other pieces of clothing. This is one of the reasons that you will sometimes see different shades of materials being used on the same piece of clothing.

 

Allan

[Chindit]

Thanks for that info Allan!

[patches]

Would these have Tack Buttons or Sewn Buttons?

[Chindit]

Hi Patches, the jacket has the metal star buttons.

[patches]

Hi Patches, the jacket has the metal star buttons.

Right. a little hard then to replace the positioning, as when these type buttons are removed there are a torn hole. Maybe the one point Allan made on the non military use of something like this will be it.

[Chindit]

I probably should have added for clarification that the button that is the most off, almost 1 inch, (and therefore the most obvious) is the one next to the bottom of the jacket. To a quick look none of the mis-alignment is obvious. Only when buttoned does the bulge appear toward the bottom.