Philippine service White Linen Trousers.

[US Victory Museum]

During the Spanish-American War, the US Government contracted with companies in British Hong Kong to

produce khaki uniforms, as well as a smaller number of white uniforms for use in the early campaigns of

Philippine occupation.   Certainly as time passed, additional white linen uniform clothing was procured

locally.   Because this type of clothing does not follow any military specifications, it can only be identified

by the buttons also used by known artifacts originating from the Philippine campaigns.

 

As I have stated, the material is linen, not twill; therefore, it absolutely is NOT part of the early white

Marine Corps uniform.  

 

The trousers have two vertical side pockets, without rear or coin pockets.  Gold buttons are sewn

to the exterior of the waist, and along the covered fly.  Although dingy, these are clearly white, and

not faded white either.   The material is very lite and would be more comfortable to wear in hot

climates, unlike the khaki cotton twill.

 

 

[US Victory Museum]

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[US Victory Museum]

END OF POST.

[CAC1901]

Nice. Some of the troops headed there in 98 - 99 were lucky enough to procure the 1880's US white linen blouse and trousers. Eventually more were shipped there. Your pair, without lookin at the QMD manual to compare, appears to fit the QMD specs. I've had examples like this and invariably they were of the US pattern. But out of Id'd groupings I've had or seen white blouses and trousers made of a lighter sometimes almost sheer white cotton fabric. Usually these had abalone or bone buttons but were of patterns that loosely fit the QMD pattern. However the QMD patterns so closely followed general mens clothng of the era these lighter weight white suits were almost certainly made in the Phillipines or perhaps Hong Kong. You see a lot of troops wearing them when garrisoned in and around Manila or posts. They don't show up 'in the field' much.