ORIG VG+ US ARMY M1943 JACKET, FIELD, PILE, OD, (M43 LINER) DATED DEC 20, 1944

Description

This is a fairly scarce item, it is the US Army "JACKET, FIELD, PILE, OD, TYPE B," which is a pile-lined
(artificial fur) O
D jacket designed as part of the 1943 revision of US Army clothing and field gear. The jacket has an OD cotton shell. It is lined with a silver / gray artificial fur and has brown wool knit cuffs and collar like a WWII tanker jacket. There are two slash pockets on the outside front. The jacket closes with large OD plastic buttons, and a series of cord button holes or fasteners. Inside the neck is a label that reads: "JACKET, FIELD, PILE, OD, Wear Jacket, Field, M-1943 or Parka Field Cotton, O.D. or Parka Over White over this jacket. Always separate from other garments for drying. This item not intended to be worn as outer garment except when under shelter." Above this label there is a white linen size tag sewn just below the hanging loop, this is marked with "36R" to indicate that the jacket is a men's size 36 inch chest, regular height (up to about 5 feet, 10 inches).  Inside the right front pocket is a specification label, this is mostly legible, it reads:  "Jacket, Field, OD, Type B, Size 36R, Fitzwell Sportswear, P.O. [partially illegilble] 3912, Dated Dec. 20, 1944, Spec. P.Q.D. No. 368B, Dated March [illegible] 1944, Stock No. 55-J-[illegible]. Pattern 'B,' Phila Q.M. Depot."  The sleeves are lined with brown cotton twill, the armpits are lined with OD twill.   ************ The pile field jacket, M-1943, is in very good plus condition. It has all its original OD plastic buttons and the button loops on the opposite side are all present and intact. The lining is in very good shape, showing very little wear. The brown wool at the neck opening is intact and in fine shape, on the back side I see about a dozen very small (1/16 to 1/8 inch) holes. The brown wool cuffs are in good shape, the right one has about 3 small scattered holes ranging to about 1/4 inch, the left one is intact except for a couple of holes about 1/2 by 3/4 inch and 4 much smaller holes about 1/8 inch. The OD cotton shell is in very good condition, it has some light soiling and fading and a few small soil spots or stains. There is a small L-shaped tear on the right sleeve, about 3/8 by 3/8 inches, and a small snag or puncture about 1/4 inch.  The right front hem has a small tear about 3/8 by 1/2 inch just below the button. The specification and size tags show some wear but the jacket does not appear to have been washed and they are both mostly legible. Please see photos for details. ********** Overall, a nice example of an M43 pile field jacket with a legible date of December 20, 1944. The M43 pile jacket was used by American soldiers in the latter stages of the European Theater Campaign. The M-1943 pile liner, pile-lined hat with ear flaps, the M43 field jacket and pants, the short wool jacket ("Ike" jacket), and  the two-buckle leather-top combat boots were all part of a revised and upgraded system of field clothing designed to replace the M41 field jacket and various other early WWII garments.  You can see many American soldiers in photos taken from the fall of 1944 through the spring of 1945 wearing the M43 pile liner. ************* I can ship worldwide. Free shipping to a US address. Non-US buyers pays exact shipping costs only. The parcel measures 12 by 12 by 10 inches and weighs 3 pounds, 3 ounces. I am always happy to combine multiple purchases into a single parcel to save on shipping costs.