The Shirt, Flannel, OD, Coat Style was a fully opening shirt adopted in 1934, with seven buttons down the front and two large chest pockets closed by buttons. During World War II (adopted November 1941) this style was augmented with a convertible collar (i.e. could be buttoned up with a tie or could be worn open) and buttoned gas flaps in the cuffs and inside the front -- with these features the word Special is included in the nomenclature. The Special pattern also included buttons at the back of the collar to attach a gas hood.

In 1938 wool trousers for enlisted personnel were standardized in olive drab, light shade based on a 1937 pattern. These had conventional side and hip pockets (2 each), a watch pocket, and a button fly. The nomenclature was "Trousers, Wool, Serge, OD, Light Shade". An 18 oz. wool was adopted as optimum for weight, warmth, and ease of production. In 1942 a gas flap was added behind the fly (the word Special is added to the nomenclature).

Olive drab wool field trousers developed in 1942-43 were similar in design to the wool serge trousers that had previously issued except for a higher rise and wider seat to address complaints from the field for more room and comfort, especially when worn over "long john" underwear. Adjustment tabs were provided at the waist and cuffs. Wool trousers were issued in 1944 in a darker shade of OD to match the Jacket, Field, Wool, OD (Ike Jacket).

For each of the HBT jackets there is a corresponding pattern of the "Trousers, Herringbone Twill". The first, in 1941 (PQD 42), matched the jacket in the style of pocket and metal buttons. The second (PQD 42A) had cargo pockets with square cut flaps, like the 45B jacket, and a gas flap. With the gas flap, Special was added to the nomenclature. Spec PQD 45C came in 1943 with the only change being the color, now the darker OD #7.

The M-1941 Field jacket, also called Parson's jacket after its designer Major General J.K. Parsons, was not designated as "M-1941" at the time. The M-1943 model was the first to be named by its year of adoption and the model of 1941 was simply known as the "Jacket, Field, OD" or "the OD Field Jacket".

At the beginning of World War II, the U.S. soldier wore a service shoe with canvas leggings. The leggings were difficult to put on and take off and did not provide much protection. The deficiencies in the shoe plus legging led to the development of the combat boot to solve the problems.

The World War II combat boot design evolved from the service shoes used with leggings. The Model 1939 "Shoes, Service, Compositon Sole" was an ankle high shoe/boot made of tanned leather in a dark red color, originally with leather soles, changed to rubber soles after 1940. The same shoe design was modified in early 1943 (called Type III) to reverse the leather (rough side out) and add reinforcing rivets. A simplified version of the Type III shoe was adopted later in 1943 as the "Shoes, Service, Reverse Upper", different from the earlier service shoes in that it was built a little lower with no toe cap and with nylon laces instead of cotton. The latter two types were the most common service shoes of the war.

In the field, all of the service shoes where worn with leggings that extended the shoe up the calf. The leggings had a strap that looped under the shoe in the space in front of the heel. The leggings were laced up with a series of hooks and grommets. At the start of WW II longer leggings were in use in khaki or light OD shades. By 1944 a shorter, dark OD #7 legging was issued. Most ground troops wore the service shoe-legging combination until late in the war. Service shoes continued in use for garrison wear even after tha war. [At left is a detail from a 1942 photo taken at Ft. Knox, KY.]

A World War II soldier received an initial issue of two pairs of shoes which could be resoled twice, then were replaced with a new or rebuilt pair. The replacement rate varied depending on conditions where the shoes were worn, ranging from a year in the US to only five months in the Southwest Pacific.

Army jump boot design started by combining features from existing use by others, including German parachutists, units who started earlier than the U.S. and had already participated in combat in Europe. The equipment and experience of U.S. Forest Service "smoke jumpers" were studied. The Marine Corps also had parachute units and experiments had shown the need for special footwear after broken bones were suffered. In October 1940 the first design was recommended by the Infantry Board and put into procurement after overcoming bureaucratic objections. The first design was like a shoe, with special braces, but was not a success, however, and a second shoe-based design also failed tests showing that many of the special features of braces and cushioning added little to the comfort and safety of the boot/shoe.

In August of 1942 the "Boots, Jumper, Parachute" was standardized, a tall laced boot with 11 to 13 pairs of lacing eyes depending on the foot size. It was a clean design that dropped straps and other reinforcements of earlier designs and had many points strengthened to take the punishing wear of jumping. The heel and sole were rubber with the heel leading edge slanted to avoid a snag point for lines

Garrison Caps were produced in dark OD wool as well as in khaki to go with the khaki cotton summer uniform. There was also the "Cap, Garrison, Wool, Elastique, OD, Dark, Officers". Officers garrison caps were worn with officer's insignia pinned near the front on the left side (except until mid-1942, before which unit insignia could be worn). The piping on the Garrison Cap was referred to as the "hat cord" or "braid" which were either pure colors or a base color with a second color "piped" into the cord. According to FM 21-100 Soldier's Handbook, dated 11 December 1940, the hat cord colors for the arms and services were:

The M1937 khaki web belt was used by Army enlisted men with all types of trousers. It had an open-face buckle of blackened metal, a tip of the same metal, was 1.25 in. wide, and lengths up to 60" can be cut to fit. The open face design was abandoned after WW II and the enlisted men used the same solid buckle as the officers after the mid-1950s.

Belts made during World War II are ink stamped with markings, "U.S.", then "JQMD 1943" in smaller letters.

The Shirt, Flannel, OD, Coat Style was a fully opening shirt adopted in 1934, with seven buttons down the front and two large chest pockets closed by buttons. During World War II (adopted November 1941) this style was augmented with a convertible collar (i.e. could be buttoned up with a tie or could be worn open) and buttoned gas flaps in the cuffs and inside the front -- with these features the word Special is included in the nomenclature. The Special pattern also included buttons at the back of the collar to attach a gas hood.

In 1938 wool trousers for enlisted personnel were standardized in olive drab, light shade based on a 1937 pattern. These had conventional side and hip pockets (2 each), a watch pocket, and a button fly. The nomenclature was "Trousers, Wool, Serge, OD, Light Shade". An 18 oz. wool was adopted as optimum for weight, warmth, and ease of production. In 1942 a gas flap was added behind the fly (the word Special is added to the nomenclature).

Olive drab wool field trousers developed in 1942-43 were similar in design to the wool serge trousers that had previously issued except for a higher rise and wider seat to address complaints from the field for more room and comfort, especially when worn over "long john" underwear. Adjustment tabs were provided at the waist and cuffs. Wool trousers were issued in 1944 in a darker shade of OD to match the Jacket, Field, Wool, OD (Ike Jacket).

By the beginning of 1941 the Jacket, Field OD (M41 or Parson's Jacket) was in quantity production and being issued to troops. That jacket marked a change in thinking so that functional clothing was to be used in the field, separate from barraks, garrison, or dress uniforms. As a result the Coat, Wool Serge, OD or Service Coat was no longer seen as a field coat -- in effect becoming a dress coat -- and the necessity for the pleated back came into question. It was suggested early in 1941 at the Office of the Quartermaster General (OQMG) that the "bi-swing back" could be eliminated to improve the appearance of the garment and to decrease its cost of manufacture and use of scarce wool cloth material. In June 1942 the "Revised Service Coat" was ready for issue without the side pleats in back and with simplified lower, inside pockets that were flat instead of bellows style (since this was no longer a field jacket). The revised design had no belt.

Standard Army Issue Khaki Wool Tie.

The M1937 khaki web belt was used by Army enlisted men with all types of trousers. It had an open-face buckle of blackened metal, a tip of the same metal, was 1.25 in. wide, and lengths up to 60" can be cut to fit. The open face design was abandoned after WW II and the enlisted men used the same solid buckle as the officers after the mid-1950s.

Belts made during World War II are ink stamped with markings, "U.S.", then "JQMD 1943" in smaller letters.