Uniforms

[cadetat6]

WW2 Army Work Clothes
What did we use to call them, the pants had two very large pockets, one on right side and one on the left side. The jacket or coat had one pocket. If you had class A on , they would say for PT ,put on your______.

Cadetat6

[Jerry D]

fatigues?

[cadetat6]

Thanks --now my memory is awake
I could not think of the name

[Jerry D]

your welcome the new troops have worn BDU's for so long they probably haven't ever heard of the term. I remember in 83' or 84' we(USAF) received from the Army crates of fatigues (olive drab green) when the Army transitioned to BDU's. Then in 1989 the Air Force went to BDU's to look like the Army during deployments "Air Force Camo"

[BLUEHAWK]

Here's some more skinny about this thread...

The word "fatigues" does refer to those style work clothes often with big pants pockets... but it must be kept in mind that each branch had, basically, its own kind of fatigues... from sometime during WWll until when the ground forces (USMC & Army) started gearing up for desert warfare, and then began going cammo in a general way for all "fatigues", which then became the BDU. This is not to suggest that there were no cammo fatigues issued prior to desert warfare, but that they were not general issue. Prior to general issue cammo, a lot of battle cammo was very individually created (other than white snow gear and beige desert gear), and was focused mainly on what one put on one's head cover... the thinking presumably being that khaki by itself was a pretty good all-purpose color for most kinds of action we'd be finding ourselves in.

I haven't been able, yet, to ascertain exactly when the work gear changed to become called fatigues vis a vis WWl and WWll...

Even today, in some quarters, the BDU is still referred to (mostly by civilians selling military stuff) as "BDU Fatigues".

The presumed difference, then or now, was that one did/does not wear one's BDU when doing KP, unless one is in combat, in which case who gives a crap.

USAF Example (ca. 1963-66):
We had what would be easily recognized as "fatigues". Dark khaki blouse, trousers and a really stupid looking billed cap (which most of the Army also had then). Some TI's (DI for the ground forces) did wear a really nicely-shaped hard round hat, like Castro was famous for having in those days... but recruit slime were not allowed that issue.

Our trousers did not have any big pockets, just regular ones, but with buttons on the back pockets, and on each of the two front blouse pockets (which the TI was CONSTANTLY yelling at us to keep buttoned ). The first issue we got in Basic were, inevitably, not exactly "form fitting". But, the minute any of us more fashion-conscious types got to Tech school, we immediately had our fatigues tailored and starched, and kept them that way for the duration of our stints or for as long as practical. In Theatre, few if anybody enlisted gave a damn about starched fashions.

Maybe today things are different, I don't know. When I see American ground forces in Basic/Boot, they ALL seem to be wearing BDU cover, blouse and trousers, all the time when at work or not on parade. One imagines that they merely have to add battle gear to the BDU "fatigues" and they're good to go. I haven't seen any of the Army ground guys wearing their berets in combat... so, there's a difference.

Safest to say is that there are a few hundred variations on what the word "fatigues" means... among branches and even units, and every few years since and including WW ll. What I've said here is subject to the individual experiences of Vets who served at other times and in other branches, who will be able to add more details if they please. As a rule, the USMC tends to keep things minimal, and I have very little concept of what the Coasties and Squids did or do about fatigues. Army is famous for its multitudinous variations, and the AF has seen fit to follow "suit" somewhat, which is only natural given our intensely close historical relationship with Army.

USAF example:
On the flight line I wore fatigues for wrenching work unless I was gonna get to go flying, in which case I wore a typical greyish looking zip-up flight suit. Both were "fatigues", in a sense... i.e. work clothes, as distinct from skivvies or Class A's (which the Marines have perfected beyond all competition, IMHO)

[Jerry D]

My wife who was in the Signal Corp of the Army used to be a painter and every time she sees a bunch of Sailors she says" look at all the Painters" a lot of professional house painters wear surplus Navy whites. They hold up well and are less expensive for the painters.Also that's usually how the Building Contractor knows there are painters on site if he see's a bunch of people dressed in White pull up to work

BTW if you ever wondered what US Women Soldiers have worn for Uniforms from 1776 to present here is a neat url http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/uniforms.html

the Home page of the previous line is URL:
http://userpages.aug.com/captbarb/index.html
it has some great info on the service records of some notable Women Soldiers