U.S. Field Jacket Liner

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: $99.99

Field Jacket Liner Size*:

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Product Description

Item History

Reproduction of the WWII issue liner for the M1943 Field Jackets.
-For more info on the originals click on the "History" tab above.
-Field Jackets sold separately!

Ever wonder why M43/50/51/65 field jackets are so damned baggy? Here's the reason- they were designed to be worn with a liner underneath.

Our liners are remakes of those from the second production contract produced in the early Summer of 1944, specification 368B.

Those are characterized by the pile insulation being covered with OD3 cotton twill fabric. Since the insulation is completely concealed, this is allowed us to substitute polar fleece for the pile which saved almost 50% on the garment cost, and makes them machine washable- all without reducing thermal efficiency.

This 2021 generation is the best yet. The poplin shell, knit cuffs, buttons and inner lining all look exactly like the originals. The labels are very close, but we still are not able to duplicate the printing method exactly. As for weight, these are equivalent to a "Tanker" jacket. These do not button into or attach to the jacket in any way like later(M50/51 and 65) liners did.

Care: Hand or Machine wash cold, hang dry.

Imported

Sizing: Sized by chest measure like the field jackets.

Field Jacket size: If one is planning to wear these under an M1943 Field Jacket, be aware of which model jacket is used.

Liner Size	36R	38R	40R	42R	44R	46R	48R	52R
ATF or original "Early" Field Jacket or 370B size	38R	40R	42R	44R	46R	48R	52R	56L
ATF Pattern B Field Jacket (and most other repro) size	S	M	M	L	L	XL	XL	XXL
Original M1943 Field Jacket Pattern B size	36R	38R	40R	42R	44R	46R	48R	52R
M50, 51, or 65 Field Jacket size	S	M	M	L	L	XL	XL	XXL

Jacket, Field, Pile, O.D.

The M1943 Field Uniform, which, with gradual updates, remained in production for the US military for over 40 years, had a rather controversial and tortuous birth. Despite apparent utility of the design, numerous high ranking officers attempted to stop or sabotage production repeatedly due to differing personal preferences, mostly regarding "soldierly appearances". One of the most embattled components of the new layered uniform was the liner. After months of testing, a pile lined jacket with knit cuffs and collar was decided upon by the QMC. However, another faction within the US Army continuously lobbied for the Ike Jacket to become the new uniform instead- when that battle appeared lost, they insisted that the short wool jacket be used as the liner. Months of bickering ensued which caused repeated production delays, ultimately causing a critical shortage of M1943 Field Uniforms in the Fall of 1944.

This resulted in liner production to beginning in the Summer of 1943, followed by a gap in new contracts (while the generals battled to get some other uniform more to their liking produced instead) with new batches not being started until the following Summer.

Issue of the liners was by no means universal, with many soldiers wearing sweaters or other jackets to accomplish the same purpose. Given that the liners have a sturdy outer shell, they were often worn on their own without the field jacket. In period photos, they can often be mistaken for tanker jackets unless the front is visible. allowing one to see the buttons.
The first liners were spec number 368A, Jacket, Field, Pile, O.D. approved 30 June 1943, with the contracts dated in late July. Quantities made are unknown, but I suspect they were substantial, given that 75+ years on, original examples are not terribly rare. The liners generally appear to be a rather ugly child born of a B15 Flight Jacket and the mailman. The shell is O.D. 7 cotton poplin, similar (if not the same) as that used on M41 Field Jackets, with two slash pockets. The interior is lined with woolen pile, and the neck and cuffs are trimmed with knit wool to prevent the wind from entering. The fronts is closed via 6 large plastic buttons, fastened through cord loops rather than buttonholes- likely due the difficulty of sewing buttonholes through the pile and impracticality of zippers for troops likely to be wearing gloves in freezing conditions. No provision was made to attach the liners to the field jackets themselves- they were simply worn as one coat over another.
In March of 1944, the design was amended slightly, with the new contracts being issued starting in May, as spec. 368B, as Jacket, Field, Pile, O.D. Type B. Some spec labels describe these as "Pattern B" in addition to or in lieu of "Type B". All Type B's appear to have an instruction label added below the size tag at the neck.

Additionally, some 368B's have the pile lining covered with a layer of OD3 cotton twill (the fabric used for Tanker Jackets and Jump Uniforms). Examples of this type with the "khaki" interlining, to date, were all from the May 1, 1944 contract. 368B's from subsequent contracts have all had the more typical exposed pile inside. Despite the substantial difference in the design, the spec labels make no mention of it and all 368B's share the same spec and stock numbers regardless of interlining.
Later production runs of 368B's appear to be identical to the 368A's from the previous year aside from the instruction label in the neck. In the liner produced in the immediate postwar period, the pile lining was again covered, but this time with a nylon or rayon fabric instead of the cotton twill of the early 368B's.

Given that the liners have a sturdy outer shell, they were often worn on their own without the field jacket. In period photos, they can often be mistaken for tanker jackets unless the front is visible. allowing one to see the buttons.

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