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SUITS, PROTECTIVE, ONE-PIECE, IMPERMEABLE


rambob
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Going with my normal theme of collecting uncommon WWII items or common items in uncommon condition, here is a chemical protection suit I haven't seen very many examples of. It is in mint unissued condition and made of a rubberized type fabric that is still as pliable as the day it was made. It is very intricately made with draw cords, multiple buttoning positions on the cuffs, interesting button/strap adjustment at the chin and a flap protected double ended zipper on the front. Quite a few years ago when I heard this was available for sale, I jumped on it and traded something I now regret letting go of, but this item is still a keeper.

 

Bob

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That is a really unusual item, you know thousands were produced but probably had the greesy feel to them so even surplus buyers didn't want them.

Thanks for posting it.

CW stuff is interesting. Thanks God most of this equipment has never needed to be used!

BKW

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Brian, Thanks for the comments. One clarification here is that while a lot of the WWII Chemical Resistant clothing were coated with a sticky, greasy substance, this suit is not. It is made out of the same type of rubberized material as the WWII raincoats. BTW. The darkness in the pictures is slight soiling on the suit not any kind of treatment.

 

Bob

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Beautiful!! I'm a PQD nut so I love to see stuff like this. If I came across something like that,I'd snatch it up too! Thanks for sharing your find. :w00t:

 

 

CR

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craig_pickrall

Bob, that is another very nice item. In the Chem Corp publication you have on it does it mention the intended issue? I wonder if this was for Chem Corp troops that actually handle the nasty stuff rather than issue to every GI that carried a gas mask.

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Craig, Thanks. You are correct in that the intended use for the suit was for soldiers assigned for decontamination of equipment and anything that had been chemically contaminated. The fighting troops had their gas masks, chemical resistant, treated clothing with gas flaps and dubbed boots to keep them "safe". Thank goodness the armys on both sides were too smart to actually use poisonous gas during the war.

 

Bob

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Bob - that's a very neat suit. I'm curious how you stored it all these years since it's still supple and doesn't show any folds or creases? You must have stored it in ideal conditions. Nice :thumbsup:

Terry

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Bryan, Thanks as always Chief. Meatcan, Thanks for noticing that I baby the dickens out of my militaria. I keep this particular item folded up minimally on the original fold lines, inside an airtight storage tote, in a humidity controlled, cool area. That keeps this, my ponchos, rainwear and other rubber components as soft as a babys behind. Take it from me, that air and humidity are your collections worst enemys, no matter what the items are made of!!

 

Bob

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General Apathy

Hi Bob, I have one of these one piece suits the same as the one you have shown, I have never shown it anywhere only to friends and people who I have met.

 

What was good for me was that while I was studying in the Nat. archives in Washington I found a photo in their records showing five or six guys wearing these suits. Two in a Jeep driving forward, and maybe the other three running at the side firing Thompsons in swirls of smoke in a mock battle, they are all wearing early type gasmasks with long hose going into an under the arm filter bag.

 

I think I scanned the image to my last computer and sadly I was unable to transfer images across to this one. :think:

 

Cheers ken

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  • 5 years later...

I just found one of these in a medium. Label says Great Lakes Mfg. Co. Rubber is still soft and pliable, all buttons intact, and cloth straps and waist tie are very clean.

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  • 3 years later...

I've just received one of these suits as well - mine is dated June 12, 1951, made by Skyline Clothing Corp., and is in fairly used shape, with a few holes around the leg drawstrings, a tear on the left waist drawstring, and some minor scuffing here and there, but for $40 total, I don't think that's too bad a price. I may end up doing repairs to the damaged portions (using a damaged M4 or M6A2 Hood as patching material), but for now, I will leave it as is. The generic insulator gloves and M1 Toxicological Agents Protective Overboots pictured are not in any way accurate for this suit, but are just placeholders, since original WWII gloves are scarce and I don't have the standard combat boots and leggings to wear.

Worn here with the M3A1 Army Diaphragm and MIA1 Service Gas Masks.
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norwegian blue

Hello

a very interesting topic, nice to see other collectors of obscure CWS gear

If I may, I'll add my early decontamination suit, which is actually the one seen on Rambob's scan of a CWS manual. The main difference being the uncovered zipper down the front. It is not in the best condition but I love it

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Hello

a very interesting topic, nice to see other collectors of obscure CWS gear

If I may, I'll add my early decontamination suit, which is actually the one seen on Rambob's scan of a CWS manual. The main difference being the uncovered zipper down the front. It is not in the best condition but I love it

 

 

Very beautiful example! Those M1 Impermeable Coveralls are much rarer than the M2 like the rest of us have been posting. Also it is interesting to note the M1 Coveralls were actually developed in WWI (an experimental variant is seen here with Akron-Tissot, Model of 1918, Type 'B' Masks), but it wasn't until 1923 when they could mass-produce and adopt these suits officially. The M2 Coveralls were adopted in 1937, I believe.

 

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  • 3 years later...
On 1/24/2019 at 11:56 AM, norwegian blue said:

Hello

a very interesting topic, nice to see other collectors of obscure CWS gear

If I may, I'll add my early decontamination suit, which is actually the one seen on Rambob's scan of a CWS manual. The main difference being the uncovered zipper down the front. It is not in the best condition but I love it

post-1981-0-44766400-1548348928_thumb.jpg

post-1981-0-15099500-1548348937_thumb.jpg

 

Hello random Bob I have a question would you ever be Willing to sell your M1 impermeable protective outfit Looking for one for a while and I pretty much have every other example of protective outfit was just wondering thanks

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