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The US Army & USMC served in many theatres, many uniforms were needed |
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When the 101st Airborne Division parachuted behind the Normandy beaches in the early morning hours of D-Day, they wore the M42 jump jacket as seen here. This captain's olive drab M1 helmet bears the distinctive Ace of Spades insignia of the 2nd Battalion of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the "Para-Dice" unit in which Easy Company of "Band of Brothers" fame served. He carries the famous M1 Garand .30
caliber (.30-06) rifle, which General George S. Patton described as
"the greatest battle implement ever devised." |
His leather shoulder holster contains
the Model 1911 Army Colt .45
automatic, for which he wears a
two-magazine ammunition pouch on his webbing belt.  |
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The elite paratroops of the 101st Airborne dropped into enemy territory to lead the D-Day invasion and then again in September 1944 to play an important role in Operation Market Garden, the Allies' abortive campaign to liberate Holland. The 101st also endured the brunt of Hitler's all-out attack on Bastogne in December-January 1944-5. This Airborne captain wears his paratrooper cap badge on the right side of his service cap -- instead of on the left as done by enlisted men -- so that his silver rank insignia doesn't cover the proud symbol of the Airborne. On his left arm he wears the "Screaming Eagle" shoulder patch of the 101st Airborne. |
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Also, just above the cuff braid, two gold-embroidered
"overseas bars," each signifying six months' service.
Both are cross-stitched to his four-pocket coat with infantry-blue
thread.
The 101st was awarded the Netherlands Orange Lanyard in appreciation for its contribution to the liberation of Holland. The gold-framed Presidential Unit Citation, pinned above his right breast pocket, was awarded to the 101st twice; the bronze oak leaf cluster on it signifies the second award. |
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In the winter of 1944-5, the men of the 101st Airborne found themselves at the forefront in defending the surrounded Belgian town of Bastogne. They had insufficient supplies, very little ammunition -- and only a lucky few had proper winter clothing. This Captain is fortunate to have acquired an Army-issue Mackinaw coat in the early pattern with wool collar and attached belt. To make himself less conspicuous in the winter snow while near the front lines, he wears a white cloth cover on his steel helmet. His private-purchase brown leather gloves may keep him from becoming one of the many who suffered frostbite during the siege. |
The stenciled emblem on his helmet shows that this officer is assigned to the Regimental Headquarters staff of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (Para-Dice) of the 101st Airborne Division defending Bastogne. Even if it was only a few hundred yards behind the front lines, the regimental command post offered some shelter from the elements and from enemy fire. For that reason, the captain has shed his gloves and the white camouflage helmet cover that he wears when on duty in forward positions, and his only weapon is the Model 1911 Army Colt .45 automatic that he keeps in a leather hip holster on his pistol belt. |
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His despatch riders/runners used Cushman
Auto Glide Model 53 motor scooters which gave mobility unmatched in
the Para-unit field of the time. (Details)
Because he was on HQ staff he saw the famous confrontation where a German under a flag of truce offered the US Commander of 101st Airborne Division, General McAuliffe a chance to surrender. The answer was short and concise..."Nuts". As a memento his men purchased him one of the trench-art plaques that were made towards war's end that celebrated that answer. |
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This captain's M43 Field jacket was regulation Olive Drab color when it was issued. But, like almost all of such jackets, it quickly faded to its present light khaki color with exposure to the elements, and for that reason many wrongly assume that it was issued in light tan instead of green. His steel M1 helmet is covered with mesh netting which could be used to hold branches of leaves as camouflage in combat. His shoulder patch identifies him as a member of the 3rd Infantry Division. The 3rd Division fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany and Austria for 531 consecutive days of combat. At Anzio they fought off 3 German divisions. |
| Third Division
soldiers earned 36 Congressional Medals of Honor during World War II. This
Captain's weapon is the .30 caliber M1
carbine. Designed as a
substitute for the Model 1911 pistol, it was roughly half the weight of
the M1 Garand rifle and fired shorter (and somewhat less powerful)
cartridges, usually in 15-round clips, two of which are contained in the
ammo pouch on his belt.
Two Mark II fragmentation grenades, identified by a band of yellow paint, hang from steel D-rings on his M1936 combat suspenders. |
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The Marines in the Pacific fought on brown beaches and in green jungles. There was no one color or camouflage scheme that served well in every location. This officer is wearing a popular combination, the olive drab ("OD") Model 1941 HBT (Herring Bone Twill) 3-pocket fatigue jacket, along with an HBT camouflage cover on his M1 helmet. The Type 1 camouflage pattern is reversible to a greener woodland pattern where appropriate. It is emblazoned on the front center seam with a black-stamped "Eagle, Globe & Anchor" Marine Corps emblem. As usual, the seam has prevented an even imprint. |
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| His khaki-and-OD
M1937 cartridge belt holds six 20-round magazines for his .30 caliber
(30-06) Model 1918 A2
B.A.R. (Browning Automatic Rifle).
This was an uncommon weapon for an officer; only one or two were usually assigned to each platoon, and they were normally handled by well-qualified NCO's or enlisted men. Rank insignia were seldom worn on HBT's at the battlefront, for fear of enemy snipers. |
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The cramped quarters inside a Sherman tank allowed for little extraneous gear. This tank company commander carries only his Model 1911 Colt .45 automatic, in a special shoulder holster rig designed to hold it snug to his chest. The jacket he wears was officially designated "Winter Combat Jacket," but was popularly known as the "tanker jacket." Much warmer than the comparatively flimsy M41 & M43 field jackets, tanker jackets were highly prized on all fronts in World war II, not only by tankers but also by infantrymen, Navy & Air Corps pilots, and even Marines in the South Pacific. |
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2nd Armored Division
patch, worn on his left chest, is partly covered by a strap of his
shoulder holster. On his right sleeve is the eagle
& lion patch of II Corps. His leather tank helmet protects his
head from injury inside the rough-riding tank. The
rank insignia dry-transferred on the front of the helmet is barely
visible through his tinted goggles.
General George S. Patton nicknamed his 2nd Armored Division "Hell on Wheels" in 1941. As a part of the II Corps under Patton the 2nd Armored fought in Algeria, Tunisia and Sicily in 1943; later they distinguished themselves in France, Holland, and in the Battle of the Bulge. |
