JBH
Private 
Posts: 18
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Post by JBH on Nov 9, 2008 20:10:07 GMT -5
While read Lt's Joseph Owens book Colder Than Hell, he mentions being issued winter weight storm trousers when they finally got their cold weather gear. Do any of you know what those are? Are they wool trousers or M43 trousers with some sort of liner?
He mentions also they most men wore a wool cap underneth their helmet. Are those watch caps of some sort? I don't think he means pile caps, but I'm not sure.
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Post by pop401k on Feb 1, 2009 13:07:57 GMT -5
Can't speak with any authority on the trousers, but my buddy said they did issue Radar O'Reilly jeep caps to them... yes, USMC.
They refused to wear the Army "Patrol Caps" since they looked too much like Army, but they did sometimes wear the knit caps. They also wore the "bunny caps" the pile caps with ear flaps.
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Post by pop401k on Feb 1, 2009 13:15:04 GMT -5
Re: trousers... As I understand it, early on (Chosin period) it was long johns, wool "dress greens" trousers and then the cotton dungaree trousers. Later they were issued the M-51 cotton field trousers with liners, which my buddy said were too stiff and noisy for patroling, but nice to have in fixed positions.
Colder Than Hell... quite a book!
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Post by jonprince on Apr 8, 2009 18:39:12 GMT -5
I've been pondering this for a while as I'd wondered what he meant aswell. My first thoughts were M43 trousers, perhaps logical because of the jacket issue, but looking at the pics. of Chosin, some men at least seem to be wearing something, often loose over their boots that arn't M43 trousers and look too thick/smooth to be dungaree trousers and don't appear to be wool. But I can't for the life of me think what would have been available to Marines at the time that fits the bill! I did suddenly think could they mean the U.S. Navy type foul weather type of bib trousers as I think they came in a padded cold weather/winter weight with heavy cotton exterior as opposed to the standard unpadded/waterproofed cotton type, but again I think this may be a blind alley. Was there a specific Marine Corps version of the M43 trousers perhaps? I just can't for the life of me work it out!
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Post by sgtkling on Apr 9, 2009 7:07:46 GMT -5
I have a ton of pairs of M51 trousers. This could be what you are talking about
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Post by jonprince on Apr 10, 2009 18:56:36 GMT -5
The Chosin period may be a bit early for M1951 trousers I think, but who knows, could be, the answer must be somewhere!  |
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Post by pop401k on Apr 11, 2009 14:58:24 GMT -5
Just got back from a funeral detail for the DAV, and had an opportunity to meet and talk a little with a KW USMC vet. Brevet 2nd Lt. by Chesty Puller at Toktong Pass. 1/7 but I already forgot which line Co.
He stated he was at the Chosen, and said he went all through the campaign wearing his boondockers, and 2 pair HBT trousers and 2 field jackets... no long johns an didn't know what storm trousers were... I asked specifically about "storm trousers" and that's when he said about summer weight uniforms etc. He was medivaced with frostbite, but did say emphatically they were never issued any "winter" gear: they scrounged parkas off the dead.
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