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HELP PLEASE what is this ugly officers WAC uniform?


ScottG
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So this came over from our recent museum clean out and I am not able to find anything like it... The color is pretty hideous and it appears to have a matching skirt and another that is in another almost equally ugly shade of baby s**t brown. It has the name of the former owner embroidered along the inside of the jacket so perhaps someone can find info about her? Thanks in advance for any information. Scott

 

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Scott, is that green on the epaulettes or just photo color off?

I have seen that shade on a ANC dress after a lot of fading and somewhat on a "pinks" skirt. Could be just a weird civilian women's organization too. I'll look in my references. That piping, if green, signals something else.

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Jeffrey Magut

Eleanor Standard is listed among the nurses of the 17th General Hospital Harper Unit leaving Detroit for Overseas, according to photos in the Reuther Library at Wayne State University. 17th General Hospital served in North Africa and Naples, Italy in WWII.

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Thanks Jeffery, makes perfect sense given where the uniform came from. So now the question is what is the proper name for the uniform? I am not finding anything about it online or elsewhere and no pictures of it in use. Scott

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WWII Legacy Girl

So it's definitely ANC (Army Nurse Corps) or WAC by the pattern. The color is awful LOL. Can you tell me what the material is? I'm honestly wondering if she dyed it after the war for civilian use or if it's just really discolored or maybe some weird prototype.

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Its worsted wool and not re-dyed or even faded. It was made this way and I believe we may even get another. It will be interesting to see if its from the same nurse... The area in the museum we are cleaning out is pretty cramped so its possible that this is the only one and I just saw it in different locations in the sort process. I will know more in about two weeks when we pick up the next load.

I probably should have been more clear in the initial post. I was pretty sure it was ANC, what threw me off was the color, the green piping, and the fact that I couldn't find another one like it on line, in a book or here in the reference section. In time I will get more info on Eleanor and that might help solve the mystery. Thanks for all the info so far. Scott.

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It has the appearance of "step out" attire, often worn by officers when not on duty....Some were one pieced with the top and skirt as one....May have been a different color, than dyed for use after the war, Bodes

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Well, I guess it doesn't matter how many times I say it isn't dyed, everyone still speculates... So, once again, it isn't dyed, its made from worsted wool and all of the coloring is uniform ie, there are no areas underneath where the color is more vivid or different. Likely it is just a tailor made uniform for an officer that is cut to military regulations. I will know more if there is another and it belonged to either the same nurse or someone completely different. Scott

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Well, I guess it doesn't matter how many times I say it isn't dyed, everyone still speculates... So, once again, it isn't dyed, its made from worsted wool and all of the coloring is uniform ie, there are no areas underneath where the color is more vivid or different. Likely it is just a tailor made uniform for an officer that is cut to military regulations. I will know more if there is another and it belonged to either the same nurse or someone completely different. Scott

I didn't read the whole thread, so whatever...However, since it has what appears to be faux chest pockets, I still lean towards it being made for off duty wear, Bodes

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I do not believe this is an ANC uniform. The ANC had maroon piping not green. I did a search on "Utah Tailoring Mills Fashion". They made custom fitting clothing for individual clients. They also embroidered the client's name on the dress label.

 

While officer's sometimes had custom tailored uniforms, I believe this was a custom dress she had made to look similar to her uniform but was not her actual uniform. The green piping just leads me to not lean towards an ANC uniform.

 

Kat

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I didn't read the whole thread, so whatever...However, since it has what appears to be faux chest pockets, I still lean towards it being made for off duty wear, Bodes

My point in responding to you was that it was abundantly clear that you didn't read the thread. I posted the item seeking info and I am always up for learning something new and being corrected, I even enjoy a good debate regardless of the outcome. So, if my response offended you it was not my intent. If it causes you to read before engaging the keyboard, then I am happy, if that is offensive, then "whatever".

As for faux pockets, that was governed by the WPB regulation L-85 which mandated no more than one pocket inside or out of women's clothing, so nothing to do with this being on or off duty wear. Scott

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I do not believe this is an ANC uniform. The ANC had maroon piping not green. I did a search on "Utah Tailoring Mills Fashion". They made custom fitting clothing for individual clients. They also embroidered the client's name on the dress label.

 

While officer's sometimes had custom tailored uniforms, I believe this was a custom dress she had made to look similar to her uniform but was not her actual uniform. The green piping just leads me to not lean towards an ANC uniform.

 

Kat

Eleanor was a nurse and did serve overseas. Interesting about the Utah Tailoring MIlls and while her name is embroidered on the inside, it is not on the label. She does however have her name written on the label. At this point I am still thinking that she had it made from available materials to wear as either an off duty dress or perhaps even a duty dress for her overseas assignments in North Africa and Italy. We will likely never know for certain. Thanks for looking into the tailor. Scott

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Scott

 

I would venture to say this is just a custom tailored version of the green service uniform using the available materials.The initial uniform(as i understand) for the Army Nurse Corps was a blue service uniform but it was short lived.This uniform was trimmed in the dark maroon color on the shoulder straps and the cuff braid in the same color.I notice on your uniform its the same color of green on the cuff braid and shoulder strap.Makes more sense for a green service uniform to have that color.

 

I dont have my officers guide in hand but recall there was some referance to the types of material to be used and it had to meet or be of acceptable quality.I think this is what we see here is a tailored made jacket of materials that meet the requirements.Its obviously official as it meets the cut and pattern of the green service uniform and has the regulation buttons.

 

Im sure you have seen this site.It mentions the shortages and short comeings of the blue uniform.If she was a very early nurse this may have been the best thing available to her or made to the specs known at the time prior to more standardization.

 

http://www.blitzkriegbaby.de/anc/anc3c.htm

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  • 2 months later...

So, this week while working on the museum clean out, I found the other ugly brown uniform that I previously mentioned. it is the dress and it is for the same woman. It has no maker label... I knew there was another, it just took time to locate it again. Scott

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Interesting thread and I hope you find more information on the uniform. You may have seen this already, but here is a series of photos showing the nurses from Harper University Hospital in Detroit that were part of the 17th General Hospital. Eleanor is one of the nurses, but I am not sure which one.

 

https://digital.library.wayne.edu/search?q=%22eleanor+standard%22

 

As a side note, maybe the uniform was worn while at Harper, almost like a cadets uniform? Something that distinguished those who volunteered from the other nurses.

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Thanks Beast, I was aware of the Wayne State archive but I had not seen those photos. It certainly begs some more research there as we have many of Eleanors uniforms and will be incorporating them into a display. We also have several items from Base Hospital 17 from WWI. Scott

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  • 2 years later...

Here is a thought. Maybe the green is for Motor Pool/ Transport? I think the Red Cross had green for Motor Pool/Transport ? As for the color of the uniform. I have seen that plenty of times over the years. I never gave it a second thought.

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