Centurion1982 Posted July 24, 2020 Share #1 Posted July 24, 2020 I’m trying to restore the uniform of captain Robert Calder. Robert was KIA and is buried in France. I would like to bring his restored uniform to his grave in France later this year. Besides the insignia, the uniform is missing a belt. I would like to add a belt to this uniform. What kind of belt do I need to add to this uniform? Would this be a garrison belt? There is no size label in the uniform. What is the best way to figure out which size belt I need for this uniform? Thanks, Marcel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 24, 2020 Author Share #2 Posted July 24, 2020 A picture of Robert wearing his uniform Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2020 Share #3 Posted July 25, 2020 14 hours ago, Centurion1982 said: A picture of Robert wearing his uniform In this photo Calder looks like he's wearing it as a student at a Military School, Uniform same looking as a actual army officer.s one, with a Brown Leather Garrison Belt, that's where the brass hooks are for, note the cap device and collar insignia, not Infantry Crossed Rifles (He wss an Infantry Officer) nor the standard U.S. Army Officer cap Device. This belt seen would not be the type worn later by him, what was worn was a simple matching cloth belt with open faced brass buckle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2020 Share #4 Posted July 25, 2020 https://www.honorstates.org/index.php?id=120690 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #5 Posted July 25, 2020 Thanks for your replies. You’re correct this is a picture of his training period. Would this be a correct belt to restore the uniform? The color isn’t matching, so I have to find a matching one if this is the correct type of belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted July 25, 2020 Or is this be the type of belt which need to be added? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #7 Posted July 25, 2020 On the collar of the uniform are marks of the infantry crossed rifles insignia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #8 Posted July 25, 2020 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 25, 2020 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2020 The first cloth belt with the flat buckle would be correct. Referencing the holes in the lapels, are you 100% sure he was an infantry officer? If not, the orientation of the holes might be for armored force brass being straight across as opposed to the offset nature of the posts on infantry brass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #10 Posted July 25, 2020 Thanks Thats due to the wrong angle of my picture. The holes look to be diagonal on this new picture. Calder was within the 46th Infantry Battalion. I therefore think the infantry crossed rifles insignia were previously mounted to this uniform. Agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #11 Posted July 25, 2020 These are the mark on the collar of the uniform Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GIKyle Posted July 25, 2020 Share #12 Posted July 25, 2020 I agree- and more so after that second photo where the ghosting of the infantry brass is quite clear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2020 Share #13 Posted July 25, 2020 What are the labels in this coat centurion. It may be a later coat he wore, and the brass hooks were for the Sam Browne Belt, making it an early Officer Coat. In fact the belt he's wearing in the photo may be a Sam Brown Belt, but doesn't seem to have the cross strap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 25, 2020 Share #14 Posted July 25, 2020 Can you post a clearer photo of him? The Cap Device, it might just be the blurryness of the photo, but so far it dosent look like the U.S. Officer cap device. And a superb shot of the full Sam Browne Belt, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #15 Posted July 25, 2020 The uniform is dated 3-2-1940 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 25, 2020 Author Share #16 Posted July 25, 2020 The complete group photo. I don’t have a higher quality of the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 26, 2020 Share #17 Posted July 26, 2020 4 hours ago, Centurion1982 said: The complete group photo. I don’t have a higher quality of the picture. Yep that's a Military Academy, the Cap Device tells us that, which one???? The insignia on the lower lapels kinda looks like Engineers, but hard to tell from this distance.And note that only two cadets has the cross strap for his Sam Browne Belt, maybe these two wear commanders. By the date on the tag you posted inside the coat indicates this was his in the school, the buttons may or may not of been Federal (U.S. Army Eagle Buttons), if they were not Federal and were school buttons, he no doubt upgraded them to Federal to continue to wear this fine coat when he repoted for duty as a commisioned U.S. Army Officer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 26, 2020 Share #18 Posted July 26, 2020 Examples of ROTC and Military Academy Service Cap Devices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted July 26, 2020 Share #19 Posted July 26, 2020 You want the cloth belt with the rectangular buckle. The oval buckle came out with the "new" version of the officer's four pocket blouse which did away with the seams on the chest. Captain Calder would have been deceased before he could have acquired one of the new uniforms. The Sam Browne belt was done away with just prior to Pearl Harbor if I recall correctly, but they were still worn by various ROTC units and academies after the US Army suspender the wear. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 27, 2020 Author Share #20 Posted July 27, 2020 Thanks!Where can I find such a cloth belt (size 38) for sale?Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patches Posted July 29, 2020 Share #21 Posted July 29, 2020 On 7/27/2020 at 2:45 AM, Centurion1982 said: Thanks! Where can I find such a cloth belt (size 38) for sale? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Tried looking around for originals, but no dice so far, I knew it would be hard to find item. However as a last resort, they do make Reproductions, one company at least. And though we always love to see and get original items, this would be one option. https://www.wwiiimpressions.com/products/belt-coat-officers-dark-shade-replacement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 29, 2020 Author Share #22 Posted July 29, 2020 Thanks I found this one a demaged uniform which is for sale. Would this be a correct belt to add to the uniform? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion1982 Posted July 29, 2020 Author Share #23 Posted July 29, 2020 Or this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted July 29, 2020 Share #24 Posted July 29, 2020 Yes, that is the right belt. I hope the colors match! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmar836 Posted July 29, 2020 Share #25 Posted July 29, 2020 Yes. I have one or two that came with the hooks and cloth belts and the color match isn't perfect. In, say, 1940 when a guy picked one of these up, did it come with a cloth belt or was it expected to be worn with the Sam Brown belt exclusively. The early officer book implies that IIRC. I always figured the cloth belts were picked up later when regs changed and that is what accounted for the slight mismatch in the gabardine color. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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