Original Design 02: M-1943 Field Jacket
Posted on January 16, 2008
Filed Under Military Design, Feature: Original Design, Jackets and Shoulderpieces, Stone Island
When most people think field jacket, the M-65 usually is the first that comes to mind, but the modern day field jacket like the Stone Island A349 owes its design inspiration to the WWII M-1943 field jacket. A design so successful that military forces around the world still wear field jackets remarkably similar to it. Click below for the history of the M-1943.
The M-1943 jacket had a sateen outer shell with a cotton lining. The waist was adjustable with an internal drawstring. The wrists could be closed by buttons. The jacket could be closed with six hidden plastic buttons under a fly cover, creating a smooth front.
History of the M-1943
Although the M41 Parson’s Jacket was widely used in World War II, it was not really a satisfactory solution for the soldier. The Field Jacket M-1943 was an integral part of a combat uniform being developed by the War Department based on the layering principle to give great flexibility for conditions encountered in the world-wide war. In March 1943 the OQMG recommended a uniform based on the layering principle, but no agreement was reached on the individual components of the uniform. Internal debate went on during 1943 with the ETO Command favoring a British style short wool jacket. Differences were finally reconciled in 1944 and large quantities of the M-1943 (also called the M-43) jacket began to appear in the ETO, after tests by the 3rd Division at Anzio. Paratroopers wore them for Market-Garden and they were widely available to Army units in the Fall of 1944, and thereafter.
A neck flap was attached to the left side and could be buttoned across the throat area for cold or windy conditions.
The Jacket, Field M-1943 (formal name) consisted of an olive drab cotton outer shell with layers added inside as more warmth was needed. There was a pile jacket liner for extremely cold areas, while the short wool jacket (the “Ike” jacket) was worn in milder temperatures. An olive drab cotton cap, also designated M-1943, was the head cover and was worn inside the helmet liner when the M-1 helmet system was used. A fur-edged hood was also added as an accessory. The wide-cuff double-buckle combat boots were adopted at the same time.
A hood was available that could be buttoned on to the collar.
Post World War II Development of the Field Jacket
The design of the M-1943 jacket was so successful that military forces around the world still wear field jackets remarkably similar to it. In 1950, a modified version was issued to U.S. forces. The M-1950 Field Jacket has a button in liner instead of the seperate liner garmet of the M-1943. The M-1950 was quickly superceded by the M-1951, another very similar design which now had a zipper instead of buttons under the front fly and metal snap closures for the pockets. The M-1951 Field Jacket was actually fielded after the 1953 armistice so was not seen in the Korean War, but it remained in service until replaced by the M-1965 Field Jacket.
Troops wearing M-1943 Field Jackets.
Click here to view more Original Design Features
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4 Responses to “Original Design 02: M-1943 Field Jacket”
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Class bit of history Gene, good work!
Nice one, it all makes sense now.
Can see exactly were Osti got his inspiration.
Another great find G.
The Original Design section is spot on!
what is the size of the uniform,and how much the price.