Uniform, Herringbone Twill,
Light-shade, M1942 Jacket, Herringbone Twill, Light-shade, M1942
Trousers, Herringbone Twill, Light-shade, M1942
Cap, Herringbone Twill, Light-shade This page was last updated:
January 22, 2013
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The Army decided that the M1941 HBT uniform was not practical enough as
a utilitarian garment. The early uniform lacked any real storage
capacity for the person. The Army quickly adopted a new vision for
the fatigue uniform design which would eventually span for over a
decade. The M1942 fatigue uniform was developed for a much better
ease of wearing concept as well as having very large volume cargo
pockets on both the jacket and trousers. The M1942 uniform
continued as a sturdy shell garment to cover the
regulation woolen OD or cotton khaki uniform during work details or
field training. It would also be worn into into battle during the
mid WWII and later campaigns of the pacific
war.
The
HBT or Herringbone weave pattern was introduced as the first ever "rip
stop" type of fabric. It was robust, held up and performed well
under use and distressed conditions, and was comfortable for the wearer.
It consisted of a button front cargo pocketed jacket, cargo pocketed
trousers, and a frontal visored cap.
The cap was only protective of the wearers face. The earlier daisy
mae was not practical for wearing under a helmet but this HBT cap was. Hat is ventilated with eyelets
on both sides. This uniform was initially produced in the same
sage shade of OD #5 as pictured hereon. Eventually, it would also
be produced in a darker version of OD #7.
This uniform saw service in all theaters
of operation in WWII, with most notably in the Pacific and in the
European theaters. From Luzon to the Beaches of Normandy the
cotton HBT was very practical and comfortable. The uniform also
saw service during the Normandy campaign as a Gas protecting garment
soaked in the noxious CC2 Anti-Gas impregnate.
Accurate HBT fabric does not exist on the
commercial textile market so we contracted with a domestic American fabric mill
to produce the best most authentic HBT fabric available anywhere on the
planet. It is durable and hefty and wears hard just like the
originals. We dyed the fabric in the authentic sage shade of Olive
Drab #5, otherwise known to collectors as "light shade".
The dyes used in dyeing the fabric are mil-spec so they are very
colorfast. The
buttons are restrikes of the WWII era Burst of Glory 13-star metal
buttons with black metal tacks which affix them. Construction of
the garment is accomplished with mercerized and glazed 100% cotton thread
matched for gauge and dyed in the
appropriate shade of OD authentic to the uniform.
Be advised the fabric used in these garments has a residual shrinkage of
about 1" in the waist and chest. Shrinkage should be considered when
sizing.
Jacket, Herringbone Twill, Light-shade, M1942
Price $90.00 ea.
2-pc uniform ensemble available further down page.
