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Post by jardows on May 12, 2006 17:18:39 GMT -5
I have an original WW2 Ike Jacket that I would like to use (it actually fits perfectly, and it was given to me without any thought of size!), but I have not been able to find good information on how and when they were used. I have found very few pictures of any soldiers wearing them in any place, but with them being so common, they must have been used. Where and when and how were they worn and used?
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Russian
Corporal
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Post by Russian on May 12, 2006 17:22:43 GMT -5
The Ike jacket was not instigated and released to the general troops until late in the war (late 44 I think?) which is why there are not many pictures of it in use in the ETO. It was a Class A dress piece, to replace the field jacket, but it wasnt distributed largly until after VE day.
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Nimlas
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Post by Nimlas on May 12, 2006 17:50:34 GMT -5
Well, it was originally intended to be used as a liner for the M43 jacket when the army was first developing their layered combat dress. It was a patterned off the british battle dress.
Like Russian said, they only really got used as Class A's. I've never seen a picture of GI's using them in combat durring WWII, but I have seen one in Korea.
Jack~
P.S. Are you sure it is a WWII Ike? Does it have buttons on the cuffs? Alotta people buy them thinking they are WWII but are really post war.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on May 12, 2006 19:47:52 GMT -5
Eisenhower really liked the british wool tunic. The shortened length made sense to him and he wanted to show an allegiance and uniformity to allied effort. He had a US dress uniform four pocket jacket shortened and cuffed at the waist. Others within SHAEF copied the look and the "IKE" jacket was born. The design spread and became quite commonplace for both enlisted and officers throughout the ETO as a dress or walking out uniform. The British who had far more limited uniform allocations wore theirs for both dress and field use.
many servicemen saved their dress uniform "Ike" jackets hanging them up in the closet with moth balls as a keepsake. The result is there are lot's and lots of them. Where field uniforms 9especially field pants and field jackets got worn on the farm and around the house until they were worn out. The result is there are lots and lots of decent shaped Ike jackets and dress tunics but precious few M-43 and especially M-41 field jackets in decent shape.
It is extremely rare to see the Ike jackets in photographs in the field. They simply weren't a field uniform in the US Army. Eisenhower also liked the British short leggings better then the US gaitors and often wore them on unit visits in the field. They did not catch on. It's interesting to see how skinny US troops were as virtually all of them are 38s and smaller! The average chest size of a WW2 soldier at the beginning of the war was 34 and grew to 36 by wars end. Depression, no fast foods, youth and conditioning are the apparent reasons.
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Post by 5thrangerinfantry on May 13, 2006 5:23:38 GMT -5
I tried to wear an Ike jacket under an oversized 43 jacket....not comfortable at all.....I dont know what they were thinking whe they made for a jacket liner - you cant move! Glad they ended up wearing it for dress......
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on May 13, 2006 11:44:33 GMT -5
I never heard the concept of an Ike jacket being designed as a liner for the M-43 field jacket. Clearly when you compare stated sizes on M-43s (To a lesser degree M-41s) they were obviously built to go over a lot of layers of clothing. (A size 38 for example is closer to a 40)
At the Holland jump the airborne troops were encouraged to wear class A (wool) pants under their jump pants and pack their dress tunics as it was expected to be something of a "Non- event" milk run mission and they expected a parade atmosphere shortly after the route was cleared and armored force swept through and crossed the Rhine.
Wooops! Miss judged that campaign. Probably a lot of guys wore their Ike jackets under the newly issued M-43s although I can't imagine jumping like that!
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Nimlas
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Post by Nimlas on May 13, 2006 17:39:41 GMT -5
Hmm, Well somewhere I heard that that's what it was for but I guess I was wrong.
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2nd Bat
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Post by 2nd Bat on May 14, 2006 15:40:16 GMT -5
Jack,
My statement wasn't disputing your understanding you could well be right I simply hadn't heard that. I know the intial use by Eisenhower was strictly a personal taste adaptation that caught on. Interestingly my father never had his tunics cut down all though he worked on Eisenhowers staff.
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Post by magic8ball on May 15, 2006 8:18:33 GMT -5
but you gotta admit it looks pretty cool. Watching Clark Gable in "Bomber Command" in an Ike jacket can almost make one turn gay
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Post by 5thrangerinfantry on May 15, 2006 9:36:40 GMT -5
I thought it was supposed to be a liner/battle dress, like the british battle dress that inspired it.....it's mentioned in the GI Collectors Guide by Enjames.......
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Post by Capt. Zak on May 15, 2006 19:35:42 GMT -5
I thought it was supposed to be a liner/battle dress, like the british battle dress that inspired it.....it's mentioned in the GI Collectors Guide by Enjames....... It's original concept was to be a liner. but guys liked the look so much (especially Ike) that it ended up being worn for dress.
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2nd Bat
Master sergeant
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Post by 2nd Bat on May 16, 2006 22:14:19 GMT -5
I didn't know that. Sure explains why the jackets especially M-43s were sized so large compared to the listed size (When tney're still in the jacket)
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