Questions About the United States Navy Peacoat

[spoonbelly1950]

 

[spoonbelly1950]

 

[spoonbelly1950]

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[spoonbelly1950]

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This is my newest addition - US Coast Guard WWII Peacoat size 46 Long. Not in perfect condition. but Excellent. IT WEIGHS A TON!! I now have 2 Meltons, 2 WWIIs, and 7 Kerseys.. I just hope {"m all done.. I have no more room in my woolens closet.

 

[VansonRider]

SUPER nice!!
I have two from ‘68 that must have shrunk while in the closet… 46 is a harder to come by size! Been on the look out for a 44 on the Bay, on and off, I still hope to whittle my self back down, but enough to see most are in the 38 and 40 sizes, with a few 42s in the mix.
Love that Kersey wool!

 

[spoonbelly1950]

SUPER nice!!
I have two from ‘68 that must have shrunk while in the closet… 46 is a harder to come by size! Been on the look out for a 44 on the Bay, on and off, I still hope to whittle my self back down, but enough to see most are in the 38 and 40 sizes, with a few 42s in the mix.
Love that Kersey wool!

I think I saw some 44s on ebay today

 

[Vodzilla]

WW2 test fit. Excuse the Crocs and dirty mirror. Lol

 

[coelophysis]

Hi guys I have a question. I recently bought a ww2 peacoat and there is no name on the tag. That made me wonder why some military issue coats don't have names in general. Is it that the person who it was issued to simply never bothered to write their name in? Could it have been military surplus that was purchased by a civilian?

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

Hi guys I have a question. I recently bought a ww2 peacoat and there is no name on the tag. That made me wonder why some military issue coats don't have names in general. Is it that the person who it was issued to simply never bothered to write their name in? Could it have been military surplus that was purchased by a civilian?

Not sure about all military but if not ordered to, as was in Boot Camp for me, why bother??

Answer: smart guys know it’s harder to wear a stolen jacket if someone’s name is on it.
Key word being smart guys.
But then….
B

 

[Peacoat]

WW2 test fit. Excuse the Crocs and dirty mirror. Lol

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Sleeves are long, but otherwise it looks good. If you have the sleeves shortened, please ask the tailor to save all of the extra material inside the cuff. That way when you sell it and someone like me with long arms buys it, they can let the sleeves out again.

 

[Vodzilla]

Sleeves are long, but otherwise it looks good. If you have the sleeves shortened, please ask the tailor to save all of the extra material inside the cuff. That way when you sell it and someone like me with long arms buys it, they can let the sleeves out again.

Thanks for the tip.

 

[coelophysis]

Did WW2-era peacoats come in short and long sizes? Or did the length of the coat correspond directly with the chest size? I'm looking for one with a 20 inch pit-to-pit but they have all been 31+ inches long so far.

 

[spoonbelly1950]

Did WW2-era peacoats come in short and long sizes? Or did the length of the coat correspond directly with the chest size? I'm looking for one with a 20 inch pit-to-pit but they have all been 31+ inches long so far.

I don't know if this helps but - A 20 inch pit to pit should yield a size 38 (chest) peacoat. 38s are probably the most common size. I have 2 WW2 peacoats. I'm pretty sure they are both size 46, or possibly 48. The sleeve length on both is 26 while the body length on both is 34. I believe these two are 1 inch longer in the sleeves then my regular length size 46 peacoats. They are also 1 inch longer in body length then my regular size 46 peacoats. I think it would be safe to say that Long sizes existed back then. Unfortunately most of the size tags are missing on most WW2 era coats. And also unfortunately Long sizes in WW2 peacoats are Very Rare!!
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Did WW2-era peacoats come in short and long sizes? Or did the length of the coat correspond directly with the chest size? I'm looking for one with a 20 inch pit-to-pit but they have all been 31+ inches long so far.

 

[coelophysis]

I don't know if this helps but - A 20 inch pit to pit should yield a size 38 (chest) peacoat. 38s are probably the most common size. I have 2 WW2 peacoats. I'm pretty sure they are both size 46, or possibly 48. The sleeve length on both is 26 while the body length on both is 34. I believe these two are 1 inch longer in the sleeves then my regular length size 46 peacoats. They are also 1 inch longer in body length then my regular size 46 peacoats. I think it would be safe to say that Long sizes existed back then. Unfortunately most of the size tags are missing on most WW2 era coats. And also unfortunately Long sizes in WW2 peacoats are Very Rare!!
{

Thanks for your input, yeah I imagine short and long sizes existed back then but I couldn't be sure. It sucks how, as you mentioned, most of the coats are missing size tags, and the coats that did indicate the size on the breast pocket tag didn't have an S, R, or L next to them.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Thanks for your input, yeah I imagine short and long sizes existed back then but I couldn't be sure. It sucks how, as you mentioned, most of the coats are missing size tags, and the coats that did indicate the size on the breast pocket tag didn't have an S, R, or L next to them.

I imagine when originally issued the coats probably had detailed size tags attached but were removed either by the sailor on receiving the coat or the supply sergeant when handing over the coat. I have seen unissued wartime items in books etc which have extra tags attached (either by staples or string) which would obviously have been removed before use, so I imagine the same sort of thing applied to peacoats too.

 

[coelophysis]

I imagine when originally issued the coats probably had detailed size tags attached but were removed either by the sailor on receiving the coat or the supply sergeant when handing over the coat. I have seen unissued wartime items in books etc which have extra tags attached (either by staples or string) which would obviously have been removed before use, so I imagine the same sort of thing applied to peacoats too.

Oh I see, peacoats having extra tags attached does sound plausible. Thanks for your reply, time for me to keep searching for a short coat.

 

[spoonbelly1950]

I imagine when originally issued the coats probably had detailed size tags attached but were removed either by the sailor on receiving the coat or the supply sergeant when handing over the coat. I have seen unissued wartime items in books etc which have extra tags attached (either by staples or string) which would obviously have been removed before use, so I imagine the same sort of thing applied to peacoats too.

The size tags were square tags which were sewn right under the coat hook. My two coats have the sewing stitches still intact. If you look on your coats you will probably find them also on the top of the lining right under the hang up hook (loop). I've only seen a couple of coats with these tags on ebay.

 

[Peacoat]

The size tags were square tags which were sewn right under the coat hook. My two coats have the sewing stitches still intact. If you look on your coats you will probably find them also on the top of the lining right under the hang up hook (loop). I've only seen a couple of coats with these tags on ebay.

I call these tags Inspector tags as the name of the inspector signing off on the garment is at the bottom. During WWII most were inspected by J. O.* They are made of what feels like heavy paper, and are the first thing to deteriorate on the coat. It is handy to have the size in that location as the supply clerks can easily find the size they are looking for.

In boot camp, they first measure the recruit, determine the size he needs, and then pick out the proper size peacoat. Simple to find the size by just looking at the tag in plain view and not have to open the coat to find the tag on the inside breast pocket.
_______
* If I were a true researcher, I would have researched J. O.'s back story and presented it as an addendum. Alas, I will leave that for another researcher in another time.

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I call these tags Inspector tags as the name of the inspector signing off on the garment is at the bottom. During WWII most were inspected by J. O.* They are made of what feels like heavy paper, and are the first thing to deteriorate on the coat. It is handy to have the size in that location as the supply clerks can easily find the size they are looking for.

In boot camp, they first measure the recruit, determine the size he needs, and then pick out the proper size peacoat. Simple to find the size by just looking at the tag in plain view and not have to open the coat to find the tag on the inside breast pocket.
_______
* If I were a true researcher, I would have researched J. O.'s back story and presented it as an addendum. Alas, I will leave that for another researcher in another time.

Hey @Peacoat how are you?
I have a followup question.
Did the Navy or Army, Air Force for that matter, measure recruits in boot camp and tailor their coats, uniforms to fit?? Or was that just a Marine thing?
I always wondered.
Bowen

 

[Peacoat]

Good question. I just don't remember for my uniforms in basic, but I know they weren't tailored. I think we were quickly measured and then the supply clerk grabbed the uniform parts and put them in the growing pile we carried to the next station. What we had is what we got.

It seems that when we were getting close to graduation from flight school, reps from the contract uniform supplier came in and measured us for custom uniforms. Those were the greens and the dress blues. Back then the dress blues were used for formal occasions. It was the same as black tie in the civilian world.

I wore my dress blues on several occasions. I remember wearing my greens twice: once when I was presented a medal by the Colonel and once, maybe twice, when I was Aerodrome Officer of the Day at Hunter Army Airfield. A fancy title for Officer of the Day. And not nearly as much fun as being Officer of the Day at the airfield (Holloway) in Vietnam. Mostly it was boring, but when we got hit, it came alive and was lots of fun.

All of my combat had been in the air; so being on the ground during an attack was a different animal. By that time I had become an adrenaline junkie, and being on the ground as the Company OD during an attack was a kick in the pants. I had a jeep, a driver, and a radio so I could quickly be where needed. Will never forget the voice of one of our tower guards on the radio. I could tell he was on the verge of panic, so we headed his way. His was the farthest tower on the perimeter, and the isolation was getting to be too much for him and his tower mate.

After the challenge and response, I climbed into the tower with them and asked what was the situation. He said, "Sir they are right out there and crawling this way." I wasn't too concerned as we were all well armed and had an M-60 as the tower weapon. Fortunately, I had my 7 X 50 binoculars with me and checked the area. I saw some bushes that weren't moving and that was about it. I handed the binoculars to him, and he made several sweeps of the area before he was satisfied.

Because he had calmed down, his next request surprised me: "Sir could you stay with us for just a little while longer?" I had become his father figure. I was a 22 year old W-1 (although I was the acting Company Commander) and represented all that which was safe and secure to him. As there was no other place I had to be, I stayed in the tower with them for about 30 more minutes, letting him scan the area with my binoculars.

I should say that these guys weren't members of our flight crew. They probably were Company clerks of some type who had never seen combat. Fear is a terrifying thing for those who experience it for the first time. For those of us who experience it on a regular basis, it is easily controlled.

At the end of the night as OD, we write a report of what happened, our actions in response thereto, and any recommendations we have. My recommendations were that all bushes and other growth be eliminated within 300 yards of the perimeter and that binoculars be issued to the tower guards at the far end of the perimeter. Don't know about the binoculars, or if that was even feasible, but within 3 days, all of that scary vegetation had been removed. It was originally removed, but over time it had regrown.

Wow, I didn't mean to write all of this, but once I started, the memories of that night so many years ago, came flooding back, and it was just as clear to me as it was that night.