M-1941 Field Jacket
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[edit] The Early M-1938
Up until the late 1930's the United States Army had done little to change its equipment and uniforms since World War I, thinking there would not be another major conflict. Eventually a call came to replace the outdated wool service tunics and create combat uniforms better suited for battles. The first field jacket was the M-1938 jacket, also referred to as the "Parson's" Jacket after its designer Major General J.K. Parsons. It was incorporated into the army in 1940. This jacket was modeled after the civilian windbreaker. Eventually this jacket would be replaced by the M-1941 jacket but some soldiers continued wearing the M-1938.
[edit] Jacket Design
The M-1941 jacket was a second model of the M-1938 with construction of khaki cotton and poplin with an olive flannel lining. The jacket contained a large front zipper with a buttoned front. The jacket also featured buttons for attaching a hood as well as waist-adjusting tabs on each side. Generally this jacket differed little from the M-1938 except for the two front slash pockets lacking buttoned flaps, and a few other minor details.
[edit] The M-1941 In World War II
When the US entered the war in 1941, nationwide enlistment called for an increased manufacture of combat jackets and the M-1941 became standard issue. Supplies of the M-1941 were made for the European Theater of Operations and focused more on army personnel but the M-1941 sometimes wandered into other branches like the USAAF and even Paratroopers and sometimes an odd airman or paratrooper may be seen wearing one.
Throughout the course of the war, the M-1941 proved to be an inadequate uniform that was suited only for warm days. The jacket's thin lining was poor in providing insulation during cold weather and the khaki color stood out against dark backgrounds making soldiers visible targets at night and in dark green bush. The exposed buttons of the M-1941 meant that gear easily snagged on them resulting in tears and the overall material was thin and tore easily. Ground soldiers preferred the much warmer M-1942 Tanker Jacket but its supplies were very limited.
The M-1941 became the most widespread uniform throughout the Second World War and was issued from 1941 until 1943 when the U.S. Army M-1943 Uniform replaced it. Photographic evidence shows that soldiers continued to wear the M-1941 jacket all the way through the end of the war.
[edit] Modern Use
In the past few years the M-1941 field jacket has become very popular in Modern reenactment. The majority of all army divisional and D-Day re-enactors make the M-1941 jacket the basic field uniform for wear. Original M-1941 jackets are used as collectibles but are quite scarce and finding originals in large sizes is also very rare. Many different reproductions of this jacket have become plentiful in America and are made to fit modern people.
