Wool Service Coat (Class A) used as field uniform?

[tonkatsudonuts]

I've often read that in the interwar period, the Olive Drab Wool Service Coat, what we may think of as the 4 pocket Class A uniform, was supposed to serve as both a dress and field uniform. However, given that these philosophies are very opposed, and that warfare was changing, development started on the more modern M41 as a field garment to replace it.

 

My question is, are there every any photos of the Service Coat even being used in a field context, say during a training exercise or anything? I don't think I've ever seen any actual evidence of this other than sources saying it in reference to the development of the M41. Most photos I see are of soldiers wearing their Olive drab flannel shirts and wool pants, their khaki suntans, or early fatigue uniforms like the denim pullovers.

 

As a sidenote, I also read that many were sent over as emergency cold weather clothing, along with m41's, arctic m41's, and overcoats for the battle of the bulge, but were ultimately rejected as not being usable for combat. What happened to these coats?

[DocCollector1441]

The M1926 coat was initially intended for use in the field and was used that way into the late 1930s. As far as I know (and I could be wrong) the Parsons jacket that replaced the Class A coat for field use wasn't put into service until 1938.

 

Here is a picture of a tank crewman using his in the field.

[tonkatsudonuts]

Thank you, thats a very nice photo. While it does seem silly to wear a tight coat and tie, especially compared to the later developments like the m43 system, I guess its not a far cry from the WW1 era high collar jacket, or the tunics of many other nations.

[DocCollector1441]

The concept of a separate dress uniform is relatively new in military history. The Germans dropped their dress uniform at the beginning of the war amd the British never had a proper dress uniform during the war. 

[tonkatsudonuts]

The fabric chosen for the service coat, and for that matter the 1944 Ike jackets is so baffling, even knowing that. They seem so thin and liable to damage, compared to other wool uniforms of the era which seem heavier and more resilient to the conditions of the field.

[Paul70]

I read that the higher ups were still vacillating over its use in the field. That why the four pocket went from a conforming back to bellows (for better arm movement) back to a flat back style. 

[PQD]

On 7/12/2020 at 2:46 AM, DocCollector1441 said:

The M1926 coat was initially intended for use in the field and was used that way into the late 1930s. As far as I know (and I could be wrong) the Parsons jacket that replaced the Class A coat for field use wasn't put into service until 1938.

 

Here is a picture of a tank crewman using his in the field.

The so-called Parson’s Field Jacket was not in production until 1940, and these were just an initial small production before a spec. number (20) was even assigned.