Help Me Identify This Khaki Jacket

• Jan 13, 2008

• #1

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eniksleestack

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Santa Barbara, CA

Anyone have the foggiest idea what this is? Seems to be 40s or 50s era based on the cut and buttons. The thrift store I found it in has plenty of vintage US Army/ Navy/ Air Force militaria come through it but also some nice European, Middle Eastern and Asian stuff. Only tags in it are the 38L inside the collar and a lower interior waist one that is completely faded away. I read in another thread about an Air Force tropical jacket but I've never actually seen one of those and its hard for me to believe this is Air Force. Looks military though.

Any ideas? [huh] I just love it when the thrift store spits out weird stuff. Thanks for everyone's help and brain power in advance.

 

• Jan 13, 2008

• #2

Trotsky

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'50s and '60s USAF Khaki jacket, used, I presume, in tropical stations. Not a bad find in the least.

 

• Jan 13, 2008

• #3

Flitcraft

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Only issued for a short time...

relatively rare. Good find!

 

• Jan 13, 2008

• #4

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eniksleestack

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Thanks! I had a feeling that's what it was. I'm having trouble finding a period picture of one of them being worn. Anybody have a picture or a link to a good Air Force collectibles resource site? Thanks again.

 

• Jan 14, 2008

• #5

Story

I'll Lock Up

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Flitcraft said:

relatively rare. Good find!

Click to expand...

No kiddin'? That's what I'm wearing in that kitten shoot.

 

• Jan 14, 2008

• #6

Flitcraft

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Rare because no one really liked them and they mostly ditched them as soon as they were phased out. They weren't issued for very long and weren't very popular.

 

• Jan 14, 2008

• #7

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Alan Eardley

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I find the similarities between different nations' military clothing interesting. Battle dress is an obvious example, but then so is tropical kit. I've never seen on of these before, but in some respects (pockets and gusset) it's very like the British tropical jacket from the same era, with French epaulettes and US buttons.

Would it have had a belt?

Alan

 

• Jan 14, 2008

• #8

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Doc

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Try these photos on for size. The first photo is of 142nd General Hospital in Calcutta (circa 43/44). Col. Howard S. McConkin (right) and Lt. Gen. Raymond A. Wheeler (left) are wearing the coat in question.
Second photo is of Brig. Gen. Lewis Pick awarding Dr. Ravdin the Legion of Merit. This is also a China, Burma, India campaign photograph.

So dating this to post WWII is not likely, however it may have still be in use later.

This coat can be mistaken for the Summer Dress Tunic (unofficial army uniform) in some photographs. Most photos of officers in the CBI and PTO seem to wear both jackets without any other shirts under that coat.

I’m rather inclined to believe that this coat may not have been an army issue garment, I haven’t seen enough information to say either way.

 

• Jan 15, 2008

• #9

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pablocham

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I have found a few of those at thrift stores and they never have the belt! Somewhere there must be a guy who has forty of those belts and not a single jacket. Anyway, that is a "Jacket, Man's, Cotton Tan Tropical." And I think the spec number is Mil-J-4954.

 

• Jan 16, 2008

• #10

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eniksleestack

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Santa Barbara, CA

Hmmm.... Now I'm confused.

So what's the consensus, is this jacket from the WW2 era or is it clearly post war? USAAF or USAF? Anybody have pics of it in use during the 50s/ 60s?[huh]

 

• Jan 19, 2008

• #11

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pablocham

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post-war

 

• Jan 23, 2008

• #12

rumblefish

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I have the same one in a 40R.
Here's a shot of the spec tag in mine. Let me know if you want other shots, but it's exactly the same.

[/IMG]
Chris M.

 

• Jan 23, 2008

• #13

Mojave Jack

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Here's a great article about that uniform and other Air Force uniforms.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/1991/0691splendor.asp

My dad was issued the entire ensemble in 1960. We have photos of him modeling all his uniforms on the steps of his barracks, including the bush jacket, shorts, and fiberglass pith helmet. I wore his bush jackets for years before they started inexplicably shrinking more and more!

 

• Jan 24, 2008

• #14

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eniksleestack

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Santa Barbara, CA

That's a great article. I wish there were more/ larger photos, though. Thanks for the link.

Mojave Jack said:

Here's a great article about that uniform and other Air Force uniforms.

http://www.afa.org/magazine/1991/0691splendor.asp

My dad was issued the entire ensemble in 1960. We have photos of him modeling all his uniforms on the steps of his barracks, including the bush jacket, shorts, and fiberglass pith helmet. I wore his bush jackets for years before they started inexplicably shrinking more and more!

Click to expand...

 

• Jan 24, 2008

• #15

TraditionalFrog

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Indianapolis, Ind.

It is indeed an USAF bush jacket.

It was similar to the Airtex jacket used during WWII in the south Pacific area. The airtex jacket is most likely what Col. McConkin and Gen. Wheeler are wearing in Doc's WWII photos.

Nice find!

 

• Jan 24, 2008

• #16

Flitcraft

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You're jacket is post-war...

General's in WWII were given wide latitude in personal dress (Patton, anyone?), so those jackets in the photo could be almost any sort of private purchase (old Ambercrombie & Fitch for instance, or even British aertex, as mentioned).
Later, the U.S. Air Force was intent to find an exclusive uniform for itself. The khaki "bush-style" tropical uniform was one of those failed efforts.
Hope that helps...