M41 jacket?

[m1steelpot]

Here's a website that shows a couple of pics with guys having a m1941 field jacket. The guy says its korea when the U.S was in occupation after WWII and during the korean war. This was probably issued rarely though. You can see it with the group pic and the R.O.K soldier wearing one. www.alplm.org/oral_history/veterans_remember/korean_war/Goulet_Bernie_photos.html

[pop401k]

Well, I like to analyze things logically...and I come out something like this.

Given that (as we have discussed previously) there were stockpiles of M-41's in Japan leftover from the war, and if you left the States hurriedly in July (summer) let's say, you'd arrive in Japan and get issued whatever else you needed to take the field.

September, October, November 1950; weather is steadily getting colder, what do you issue the troops? It's not time yet for heavy parkas (I'm not sure they even knew how cold it would get). M-43's are en route from the US, but ammo and rations come first.

The new M-1951 field jackets are still in development, so not really part of the equation.

What type of "intermediate" cold weather uniform would they have available prior to the arrival of M-43 shipments? The only option is the M-41, maybe with a liner, or wool sweater alternatively.

Having said that, I'm also certain that as soon as M-43's could be shipped and issued, they were. That would free up the M-41's for issue to the South Korean Army.

Makes perfect sense to me...

[m1steelpot]

True. But the m41 was being replaced by then by the m43. But ya it does make sense cause maybe stocks were low etc. But i do see what your saying.

[pop401k]

I re-thought the sequence... and now that the gears are working...

Theoretically there may have been an overall shortage of the M-41's as well, so that only the combat troops would be issued them. Support troops would have to make do with raincoats/liners or even wool Ike jackets and the like.

All speculation, but it makes logical sense. I suppose it would all hinge on when you left the States and when the M-43's were received in Japan/Korea.

[m1steelpot]

Ok now thats much better. haha. Hmmm maybe i could use my m41 for an early war fall imp. the more info I can get about this stuff the better.

[Mighty Mouse]

According to Stanton:

“The ready availability of the ‘Jacket, Field, M1943,’ ensured its status as the soldiering jacket most often used in the Korean war. The jacket was made of wind-resistant, water-repellent oxford cloth, Olive Drab shade 7. . .” (Uniforms of the Korean War, 40.)

Stanton notes that the war caused immediate problems in acquiring adequate amounts of fabric to make field jackets. Thus existing supplies of M43s were issued, but when those supplies began to run low, the army turned to the obsolete M41 jacket:

“Clothing supply deficiencies forced the Eighth Army to resort to issuing one field jacket type that was not part of the World War II layering principle. This 1941-pattern, flannel-lined, olive drab cotton poplin field jacket proved woefully inadequate for the harsh northern Korean winters. Despite its obvious unsuitability, this outmoded field jacket still occasionally found its way into the supply system." (Uniforms of the Korean War, 40.)

To me, this suggests that while one may have seen an entire unit outfitted in M41 jackets, they would have still been comparatively rare when looking at the army as a whole.

In Osprey’s “The Korean War 1950-53,” by Thomas, Abbott, and Chappell, it is noted that the “US M41 field jacket . . . had long been superseded in the US Army by the much improved M43 combat clothing.” (Korean War, 39). That said, the authors go on to add the following:

“Many ROK soldiers seem to have been issued US Army greatcoats at the beginning of winter 1950-51, even though these were really obsolete as a field garment. By mid-1951, however, the South Koreans had been fully equipped with US-pattern field clothing. US influence extended to the development of a system of divisional patches, which were often painted on the helmet sides, and to parade embellishments such as chromed helmet liners, decorative cravats, and white ladder-lacing in the combat boots.” (Ibid.)

- MM

[42gpw]

Understanding that a lot of guys were on occupation duty in Japan after WWII. Most of them still had WWII uniforms and equipment. My dad was there in 50-51. I have tons of photos of him in a 41 jacket and HBT's very few of him in a 51 jacket. He received that stateside after he returned. He wore a trench coat in the dead of the winter. As a Combat Infantry man myself. You wore what you had. Supply lines dont keep you clothed they keep you fed and resupplied with ammo first. Comfort comes last.