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H042759 EM'S HBT COMBAT FIELD BLOUSE. (Feldbluse)
BACKGROUND: HBT, (Herring Bone Twill), uniforms were originally introduced on April 1ST 1933 to be utilized as a drill uniform and save wear and tear on the service uniform and field blouse. Regulations prescribed that the drill uniform was the basic uniform to worn by all new recruits for most daily functions. Originally the drill uniforms were constructed in natural, unbleached cotton with an HBT weave that proved especially durable but impractical due to easy soiling. On February 12TH 1940 the color of the drill uniforms was altered to a more practical reed green coloration. When utilized as a drill tunic the garments were issued with no insignia with only EM/NCO sleeve rank and collar trim insignia applied to donate the wearers rank. The drill uniforms were utilized for the duration of the war with minor modifications and in early 1942 a modified drill tunic was introduced for wear as a summer combat field blouse, and followed the basic modifications of the standard issue field blouse through-out the war.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Mid-war, (circa 1943), reed green, cotton/rayon blend construction field blouse with an HBT weave, features a vertical, six button front closure with a single metal hook and eye at the neckline. The field blouse has four, non-pleated front pockets with straight edged button down flaps. The breast pockets are the basic patch type while the hip pockets are the saddlebag type with expanding side panels. The right breast has a late war pattern, machine embroidered EM/NCO’s breast eagle in silver/grey threads on a loosely woven, cut-out, green cotton base. The base edges have machine embroidered reinforcements in the same silver/grey threads as the eagle. The eagle is machine stitched to the field blouse in the typical zig-zag fashion. The side panels of the field blouse each have three, vertically aligned, stitched eyelets at the waistline for the belt support hooks. The belt support hooks are absent. The reverse of the field blouse has a central vertical tail skirt vent and two vertical tapering darts. The straight cut sleeve cuffs have a small vertical slash to the outside seams with a two fit adjustment buttons. The shoulder strap retaining loops and buttons are intact. The lay down collar has the typical zig-zag reinforcement stitching to the reverse. The collar features the second pattern general issue EM/NCO’s collar tabs as introduced on May 9TH 1940 for wear by all branches of service. The machine woven rayon collar tabs feature light grey/green ribbed litzen with mouse grey branch of service and center stripes. The interior of the field blouse light grey rayon reinforcement panels to the side panels and around the armpits. The lining has a vertical belt support hook retaining strap with three stitched eyelets at each side panel at the waistline. The forward right tail skirt has a grey rayon, field dressing pocket with a single button closure. All five collar liner buttons are intact. RBnr # and original size markings are complete. The field blouse is in overall very good condition with a few small picks and pulls as is typical with the HBT material. The front closure and exterior pocket buttons are all the removable, pebbled magnetic sheet metal type secured by circular "S" rings. The shoulder strap buttons are the pebbled alloy type and are stitched in place. The cuff, field dressing pocket and collar liner buttons are the alloy dish type and appear to have their original stitching. Tunic comes with a nice matched pair of wool piped Artillery slip on shoulder straps. The field blouse is roughly size 42" chest.
GRADE **** PRICE $1,190.00
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