Help with the coveralls in this WWII photo

[stratasfan]

This photo is taken in 1941 or 1942. What kind of uniform coveralls are these three guys wearing? Are they for a certain type of work? Can you tell from this photo if they are officers or enlisted? I don't really know anything about these types of uniforms. What does looking at this picture tell you?

 

Thanks for any thoughts!

Elizabeth

[Rhscott]

Look to be the first pattern Sage Green (light shade) HBT work overalls. Extremely widely issued and used as the blue denim work uniform phased out but the first pattern 2 piece sage green HBT was not fully fielded. Lots of pix of them being used for basic training field wear. Very unpopular in the Pacific due to the 1 piece design. Designed as a mechanic, artillery gun crew etc work outfit but pressed into a combat role till something better was fielded.
Changed in late 42 early 43 to a simplified pattern then that was changed later in 43 to the dark shade HBT. 
All issued patterns of light and dark HBT can be seen thru the entire war mixed together.

[stratasfan]

So, would you say this was basic training? The guy on the left was a bombardier, stationed in the Aleutians until early 1943. So, this has to be before March 1943. Would an officer wear this? I only know these for mechanics in the AAF, but then, I don't know much about them. Very interesting about the change from two-piece to single-piece to two-piece. I could see how the coveralls wouldn't be so popular.

[Rhscott]

You see both officer and enlisted wearing these during field training, gunnery, crew maintenance and just about anywhere you wanted a uniform that you could get dirty or greasy and/or cooler than your woolen service uniform.