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USMC - the WW2 camo cover debate


ArchangelDM
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ArchangelDM

Well I have a Cover from a Korean War Vet who served from 1950-52 (and was wounded) and his cover was stamped with that same EGA.

Hey frogskin

if you can please post it up , would love to add lots of non slit covers to this discussion

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The majority of EGA stamped covers I have seen are on non slit covers. I don't know if this is helpful, but it may put a timeline into perspective.

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Brian Dentino

All, I am pretty sure mine is not stamped......too heavy/thick and lacks detail. Almost looks like someone used a stencil or some sort of template and black paint/marker?

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ArchangelDM

The majority of EGA stamped covers I have seen are on non slit covers. I don't know if this is helpful, but it may put a timeline into perspective.

I would agree

A lot of them are , but as Brian has mentioned I have seen a few that are without the slits and stamped.

Im still going with the theory of the non slit covers being very early and then being redesigned early on creating a cache of this being stored away . Some making it out to front lines then the Marines favoring the new design for foliage, then seeing them in use for Korea - leftovers from WW2 and large caches of them found.

 

Thats just my theory

 

Dean

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ArchangelDM

All, I am pretty sure mine is not stamped......too heavy/thick and lacks detail. Almost looks like someone used a stencil or some sort of template and black paint/marker?

Yours is 100% different to the EGAs on a 1953 Camo ,

I agree yours looks like a template and then painted.

Ive seen these on other early covers , when people see them they immediatly jump to the conclusion they are post war, but I believe they started late WW2.

Marines also used to wear there EGA pins/Brooch on there uniforms and helmets.

Why not paint an EGA

 

Dean

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USMC-RECON0321

These large EGAs on the covers are typically dated to around the Korean War era, interesting

 

 

Well I have a Cover from a Korean War Vet who served from 1950-52 (and was wounded) and his cover was stamped with that same EGA.

 

Frogskin,

 

I'm not saying it didn't happen, matter of fact, I'm sure plenty of helmets had all sorts of EGA's personalized on them in any conflict the Marines have been involved in.

 

I just showed a picture the other day of me and some of my Marine buddies in Desert Storm (1991) with a mix of EGA and no EGA on our helmets and Boonie covers. Some had it and some didn't.

 

I'm also sure you're correct in dating your cover to your Korean War Vet. But my point was, you stated "These large EGAs on the covers are typically dated to around the Korean War era", basically dating any cover with the larger EGA to the Korean War era only and was just wondering what you were basing that info off of?

 

Kind of like the debate, full of opinions on SLIT COVERS vs NO SLIT COVERS in WWII that has people now doubting or passing up non-slit covers as a post WWII item even though plenty of evidence has been provided they did exist.

 

Or another example, I've heard people say for years; "All USMC covers with an EGA are from the Korean War"! But I just provided a picture dated November 1953 showing not one helmet cover out of 300 had an EGA stamped on it. And these are Infantry School Marines fresh out of boot camp with all recently issued gear, uniforms etc. So when did the USMC require the EGA on the cover? Who knows... it may have always been just a few here and there and never a regulation thing.

 

So back to dating the larger EGA. Does anyone know where the larger EGA stamp originated from or when it first came out? Was it even an official stamp, or was it a personalized stamp made by a specific unit or individual Marine? If it was a Corps wide produced and issued stamp, AND you can find out the date it was first made available to the Marines, then that would be proof of a "start" of a time line to apply to them.

 

My point being, we need to be careful about turning hearsay, opinions or guesses etc... into fact or regulation when certain things may have just been a personal choice or done out of regs.

 

Troy

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Government Issue

Well said Troy. Nothing is truly proven, and we still have a lot to learn. I'm a little perplexed by this thread though, as I've never heard that people were asserting that the non slit covers weren't used in WWII as stated here. They definitely were. There's enough photos out there in books and such to support their use later in the war as members have stated. Here's a great example that was directly related to a 4th Marine Division Saipan and Iwo vet's group. You may have to make an account with advance guard to see it in their database but here is the link: http://www.advanceguardmilitaria.com/ItemDetailRD/V33514/WWII_USMC_Sergeant's_Trunk_Group_Wounded_and_Decorated_at_Iwo_Jima_&_Saipan

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there is no spec sheet for the covers without slits only the ones with silts has been produced and dated sept 1942 - so if the no slits were earlier then when? - I think the ones with slits were first

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  • 2 months later...
ArchangelDM

there is no spec sheet for the covers without slits only the ones with silts has been produced and dated sept 1942 - so if the no slits were earlier then when? - I think the ones with slits were first

I suppose the real question is then why introduce without then go with the slits in 1953

 

I believe someone said near the end of the war due to shortage of money and time they abandoned the idea of the slits to make them easier to produce.

 

Possibility as IMHO most are seen late 44/45

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Cap Camouflage Pattern I

post-153751-0-24571800-1527694881.png

here is a close up of one of the previous ones, the other 2 were too low resolution to be conclusive IMO. I see slits on this one, I won't circle them so you you guys can make up your own minds.

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Lucky 7th Armored

Bad picture but dated 1942 top right corner on the left page. Button holes mentioned E-2a. I dont know what reference book this is from but I just have it saved in my files.

 

Posted Image

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My theory on the Non-slitted covers:

 

They were factory mistakes (meant to be slitted not Unslitted) and were left inside the factories until late 1944.

 

Remember this is just a theory and I can be completely wrong.

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This photo, shown colorized in Post #59 has been shown to be a No Slit helmet cover in use on Iwo Jima in this and other threads. It is in fact a 9-42 Spec. type with the foliage slits. Heavily blown up here to get a slightly better view in comparison to the other shown by Cap Cam Pat 1.

 

This photo is an excellent example of what I was referring to in this particular thread in Post #17. Look at how he has applied his helmet cover with the crown pleat very far forward. The foliage slits run diagonally very low in front to very high in back.

 

By comparing spacing on the two sides I think a great chance that those two seen on the left side are actually the second pair back, the front top in the fold and the front bottom at or under the rim. At the top right it appears to show the third one back very high, making the last one nearly at the top rear of the shell. Just my opinion....

 

post-98601-0-83572800-1528063948.jpg

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I've posted this one before but here it is again. We've come to the conclusion that it was Used by the One of the Recon battalions

This is a 2nd Marine Division marking. You'll see them colored yellow for the 8th regiment and blue for the 6th.

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Non Slitted on Iwo. There is an HD image of this but I can't find it.

post-98601-0-84252700-1513569800.jpg

This one has slits as seen in the rethinking the norm thread.

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  • 5 months later...

USMC EGAs Stamped on Camo Helmet Covers

 

Hello,

 

I know there has been debate about when EGAs were first stamped on camo helmet covers and whether it was done in WWII. I wanted to share this picture I just came across, which shows the larger style EGA stamped on helmets being worn in the fall of 1953. The photo is from one of the graduation annual type books and is for the Second Battalion, Platoons 375 and 376 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California. I thought it is an interesting photo. I have a helmet with the same style of stamp on the camo cover.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

 

 

 

 

 

post-180255-0-56866300-1541634928_thumb.jpg

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