Daniel
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 53
- Location
- Denver, Colorado, USA
I was at a thrift store this weekend, looking through endless racks of costumes, when I came across something that looked like a neo-Victorian military stage costume.
Except it wasn't...it was clearly authentic. Fifteen dollars later, I had a WWI-era US Army Winter Service Coat, complete with bronze buttons, and in immaculate condition! There are no tags or stamped markings at all, and I checked inside the pockets, etc. It's either an early Pattern 1912, or a 1918 "secondary standard coat with internal pockets", "manufactured for the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), some in the US and some in Great Britain." For more geeky US Army uniform history, I highly recommend this PDF.
It has neither the single nor double row of stitching to positively identify the 1912 vs. 1917 pattern, but it does have one internal pocket. The lining appears to be either raw silk or linen.
About size 38R, which is my size, but the sleeves are incredibly long. I can roll them internally, however, and it still looks grand. Judging by a top collar button, the original owner was in the 6th Infantry Company, but the Division is unknown.
My oldest thrift store militaria find yet. Sweet!
Except it wasn't...it was clearly authentic. Fifteen dollars later, I had a WWI-era US Army Winter Service Coat, complete with bronze buttons, and in immaculate condition! There are no tags or stamped markings at all, and I checked inside the pockets, etc. It's either an early Pattern 1912, or a 1918 "secondary standard coat with internal pockets", "manufactured for the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), some in the US and some in Great Britain." For more geeky US Army uniform history, I highly recommend this PDF.
It has neither the single nor double row of stitching to positively identify the 1912 vs. 1917 pattern, but it does have one internal pocket. The lining appears to be either raw silk or linen.
About size 38R, which is my size, but the sleeves are incredibly long. I can roll them internally, however, and it still looks grand. Judging by a top collar button, the original owner was in the 6th Infantry Company, but the Division is unknown.
My oldest thrift store militaria find yet. Sweet!
