U.S. Field Clothing and Uniforms: WW II
Starting with the array of mounted and dismounted uniforms left over from the pre-war period, stardardization was needed to supply the huge manpower buildup of the pending global war. As the World War II progressed uniforms changed, driven by field experience and also by production requirements for efficiency and the need to preserve scarce materials.
United States Army Uniforms, 1941.
These pages of Olive-Drab.com will cover many of the variations issued and used during World War II, but by no means all. Keep in mind that as new items of clothing and equipment were developed, they only slowly made their way into general use. A year or more could separate the first use of an item by one unit and the receipt of the same item by another unit. Some units were still using pre-war equipment in 1945 while other units had the latest issue.
For an example of clothing issued, click here for the list of clothing for 1943 inductees at Camp Lee, VA.
World War II Field Clothing and Uniforms: Directory
The photos used as examples on these pages are drawn from wartime publications and archive materials wherever possible, to show the clothing and uniforms in use. The few exceptions are current photos of items known to be genuine examples from the war and not reproductions or similar items from other time periods. The same standards apply to pictures of labels or markings.
- World War II Field Clothing and Uniforms -- U.S. Army Ground Troops
- Coats, Wool Serge, OD (Service Coat)
- Coats, Mackinaw (Jeep Coat)
- Overcoats in World War II
- Parkas in World War II
- World War II Mountain Uniform
- Jacket, Field, OD (M41 or Parson's Jacket)
- Jacket, Field M-1943
- Jacket, Field, Lined (ETO Jacket)
- Jacket, Field, Wool, OD (Ike Jacket)
- World War II Wool Field Uniform
- World War II HBT Field Uniform
- One Piece Uniform, Coveralls
- Caps and Hats in World War II
- World War II Summer Khaki Uniform
- World War II Camouflage Uniforms
- Web Trouser Belts, WW II
- World War II Blue Denim Utility Clothing
- World War II Raincoats and Ponchos
- World War II Army Officers Uniforms
- World War II Combat Uniforms & Clothing for the U.S. Marine Corps
- World War II Field Clothing and Uniforms -- Armored Forces
- World War II Field Clothing and Uniforms -- Airborne Units
- World War II Clothing and Uniforms -- Women
- World War II Service Shoes, Combat and Jump Boots
Find More Information on the Web
There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.
For good results, try entering this: army uniforms world war ii. Then click the Search button.
Militaria Bibliography
The pages of Olive-Drab.com that describe U.S. clothing and equipment from World War II have been developed with the guidance of the following list of publications. The two Historical Studies from the Quartermaster General are out of print but can sometimes be found as reprints or as originals from used booksellers or on eBay.
- Clothing the Soldier of World War II, QMC Historical Studies, No. 16, by Erna Risch and Thomas A. Pitkin, Historical Section, Office of the Quartermaster General, September 1946
- Quartermaster Equipment for Special Forces, QMC Historical Studies, No. 5, by Thomas A. Pitkin, Historical Section, Office of the Quartermaster General, February 1944
- Government Issue: U.S. Army European Theater of Operations, Collector's Guide , by Henri-Paul Enjames, Histoire & Collections, February 1, 2004
- Doughboy to GI , by Ken Lewis, Motorbooks International, October 1, 1994
- Grunt Gear: USMC Combat Infantry Equipment of World War II , by Alec S. Tulkoff, R. James Bender Publishing, July 1, 2003
- U.S. Army Uniforms of World War II , by Shelby Stanton, Stackpole Books; Reprint edition, January 1, 1995
