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WWII Trousers, Field, Wool, Serge, OD-33, 18 oz. Special


rambob
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So there I was in a stifling hot attic, digging trough a trunk filled with a buttload of WWII clothing. Most of it was junk, some gems and then KFC are these?? Two pair of extremely heavy and course wool pants, that I didn't even think were American made. But in looking inside there were the QM tags stitched on a pocket. Surprise, Surprise!! I mean I have owned, seen and handled many dozens of pairs of WWII wool, field pants, of every type but absolutely nothing like these!! These are designated the Wool Field Trousers Special and they have some interesesting characteristics. First off the are really thick, heavy and course wool, basically the same as the Melton Wool Overcoat, that I believe was intended to keep out any gas or liquid chemical irritants and also so they could be easily impregnated with dubbing to make them gas resistant. It makes sense that the thicker and courser material makes this easier. Secondly, they have a gas flap as most Special designated clothing does, to keep the gas out of a WWII privates, privates. Lastly, They also have buttons for trouser suspenders, which I don't know if this is because of the Special designation or because they are REALLY heavy, and need to be held up in combat.

 

I may not get out much anymore, but it still tickles me when I excavate something I haven't seen before.

 

Bob

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After looking at these two pairs of pants again here are some additional details. First, both pairs are absolutely identical, with the identical QM tags, from the same maker. So these pairs were issued to this soldier out of the same bail, at the same time. Secondly, I do no think the buttons I mentioned before are for suspenders. There are six buttons on the inside of the waist band, spaced 4 inches apart all the way around the waist. Coulld they have been for buttoning the shirt to the pants to make a better gas tight seal?? Opinions??

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After looking at these two pairs of pants again here are some additional details. First, both pairs are absolutely identical, with the identical QM tags, from the same maker. So these pairs were issued to this soldier out of the same bail, at the same time. Secondly, I do no think the buttons I mentioned before are for suspenders. There are six buttons on the inside of the waist band, spaced 4 inches apart all the way around the waist. Coulld they have been for buttoning the shirt to the pants to make a better gas tight seal?? Opinions??

 

Since the 1937 pattern wool service trousers were worn as the primary field uniform in the ETO, they were modified as part of the 1943 uniform ensemble to make them more effective in the field. The weight of the fabric was increased to 18 ounce wool in olive drab shade 33, which matches the wool field jacket (Ike jacket), by the way. These are actually pretty common trousers and the only part that makes them "special" is the gas flap. The buttons around the waistband are for suspenders.

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B229, Thanks for weighing in on the trousers. I just compared the pants to two different Ike jackets and I swear, unless it is an optical illusion, the wool on these pants seem considerably heavier. The texture of the wool on the pants is rougher looking than the smoother wool on the jackets, which may be the cause of the illusion.

 

BTW. They may be considered "common", but I know if I had ever seen a pair for sale in my many collecting travels, I believe I would have bought them before now.

 

Bob

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B229, Thanks for weighing in on the trousers. I just compared the pants to two different Ike jackets and I swear, unless it is an optical illusion, the wool on these pants seem considerably heavier. The texture of the wool on the pants is rougher looking than the smoother wool on the jackets, which may be the cause of the illusion.

 

Sorry, I see what I wrote was a bit confusing. I meant that the OD shade 33 color matched the Ike Jacket, not the weight of the fabric. You are correct that the trousers are heavier than the jacket.

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I went through every pair of wool pants I have on hangers, matched with jackets in my collection and there were about 3 pairs of the Special designated Field, Wool trousers. I never unbuttoned them from when they came in with the uniforms to notice the gas flap. And I never noticed the Special designation on the QM tags. So I feel a little embarrassed to have made a big deal about the Special features of the trousers. But none of my existing pairs had the OD-33 designation on them or were anywhere close to the same weight cloth as these two pairs I just got were. So I am going to pick the best pair of each kind of trousers, OD-33 and not, then move them from the dress uniform closet, to the different pattern/model coat rack in the cave.

 

Bob

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 6 years later...

This is resurrecting an ancient thread, but I have a pair of these very heavy trousers, and never saw a similar pair until recently. The only difference is that mine don't have the normal slightly-domed smooth trouser buttons. Mine have buttons that look like the buttons from an M43 jacket, with a rounded ridge around the edge. Extremely heavy wool. I've used them in several reenactments, and boy are they warm.

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