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Proper
Wear of Your WWII GI Kit: Part II By Gordon Holloway ___________________________________________________ If there is one WWII G.I. uniform that absolutely needs to fit properly, it’s the Class A Uniform. All too often, re-enactors fail to take the proper time to acquire a Class A uniform that fits as it should. More often than not, the problem can be traced to the uniform being vastly oversized. This article will break down the different uniform parts that make up the Class A uniform starting with the wool shirt and trousers, in order to provide a base of instruction on the proper way your enlisted Class A Uniform should look. The wool shirt and trousers should be the easiest uniform parts to wear properly, however, if not careful can turn into the worst looking part. First and foremost, make sure the shirt is not able to double as a parachute!! As has been said countless times before, there is PLENTY of pictorial evidence that shows how the wool shirt/trousers uniform (also known as the Class B Uniform) should fit. The shoulder seam on the shirt should be as close as possible to the natural shoulder slope on a man’s body. Understandably, not everyone is going to be able to go to their local tailor to fix such things, but use common sense when buying a wool shirt. Don’t be afraid to return a shirt if it ends up being WAY too big. Use the same common sense when buying wool trousers; if the waist overlaps when worn with a belt tightened properly, then they’re too big! The cuffs of the pants, when not bloused and worn at proper waist level should come down just far enough to cover the service shoes and the rear of the end should come down to just above the sole of the shoe. Because the cuffs will be bloused, the length is not of extreme importance. Also, keep in mind that the wool trousers should not be worn in the same style as your blue jeans. At the very lowest the trousers should be worn at the level of your belly button, although there is tons of photographic evidence showing the pants being worn above that level. The blouse, or tunic, is the single most important uniform component of the Class A Uniform, and it absolutely MUST fit properly if one wants to look good. This is another item that many mistakenly purchase vastly oversized. The easiest way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to actually take a tape measure, measure your chest, and purchase according to that size. Don’t purchase for comfort; if anything it should be a little on the tight side. The length of the blouse all depends on your torso. Realistically, only trying on a particular length blouse will truthfully tell if one needs a long, regular, or short length uniform. The sleeve should be long enough that the cuff falls approximately an inch below the wrist bone. If you want to be absolutely perfect, the cuff of the wool shirt should stick out about 1/8 of an inch below the cuff of the blouse. ___________________________________________________ Step-by-Step Photographic Guide to Correct Trouser-Blousing Demonstrated
by the Author
Blousing the wool trousers over the jump boots must also be done properly to accurately portray a paratrooper. Paratroopers in WW2 took great pride in blousing their highly shined jump boots as it separated them from their “straight-leg infantry” US Army counterparts. However, there is good news, it is extremely easy. First, do not try doing this while sitting down as it will not give you the proper amount of trouser length that will eventually end up under the blousing band. There are many documented references to paratroopers using non-used (make sure they’re non-used) condoms for blousing bands, however most re-enactors use modern elastic blousing bands. Situate the blousing band on the jump boot somewhere close to the top of the boot. Then, with your trouser legs fully extended, neatly fold the ends of the trouser legs, similar to rolling up your sleeves, until they reach just below the blousing bands. Then simply and NEATLY tuck the ends of the trouser legs into the blousing bands, making sure it’s smooth. Last but not least -- to complete the ensemble -- comes the notorious OS Cap. Again, make sure it’s not too big! If you can pull it down to cover your ears, it’s too big! It should be big enough to cover the top of your head. Just look at the pictures; they all show paratroopers wearing their OS caps, with their hard-earned Airborne patch, cocked somewhat to the side. Unlike the OS caps of the 80’s and 90’s where they are worn completely symmetrical, soldiers of WW2 preferred to add a little style, whether this was authorized or not. Using the above information will start you off on your way to producing an excellent Class A uniform. Remember that we are not actually paratroopers in the 1940’s, but we can at least look like we are. This uniform was solely meant to look good, and was not designed for practical purposes. So take something from this article and look good! The author demonstrates the proper wear of the Class A uniform with jump boots.
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