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1943 US Navy Pilot's Dress Uniform -
When the United States entered World War Two much of the military was unprepared for combat.
The unforms and equipment employed was very antiquated, most of it dated back to
World War one.
Advances in the field of aviation required the development of new uniforms to fit the demands of
flight. Among them was the US Navy Pilot's dress uniform. It was made of a black
gabardine material.
The design of the uniform consisted of a jacket with one top pocket and
two bottom pockets. All of them are open. They do not have any flaps.
Double breasted design. The jacket has long sleeves with an officer stripe
on the end of each sleeve. The stripe is of mustard color and is composed
of two smaller stripes, one in the top and one in the bottom. a small star
has been sewn above one of the stripes.
The pants have two front pockets and two back pockets.
This is a tailor made uniform. The jacket has a
tag
that reads:
M. Born & co.
B-39 No. 50911
for P F Reed
date 8 - 16 - 43
Iowa city, IA
The pants also have a tag. It reads:
M. Born & co.
31 1/4 - 31 1/2 No. 50911
for P F Reed
date 8 - 16 - 43
Iowa city, IA
notice that the name of the individual for whom the uniform was made
matches both tags. So does the number 50911.
The American tunics were outfitted with a variety of
patches
to denote rank and affiliation to a particular unit or group.
The patches were sewn to the left and right arms and sometimes in
the breast area.
In addition, metal collar
insignia
were employed. They normally show rank and the type of job the soldier performs
(i.e. artillery, checmical, administration, aviation, etc.). The uniform
featured here does not have any metal insignia.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII US military uniforms.
Multiple detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out
clearly defined points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII US uniform worth?".
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reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of the American military uniforms in the collector's market is illustrated.
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Pilots were issued a set of 3 inch wings upon graduation from pilot school. Many
pilots did not want to wear the actual set of wings with their dress uniforms
because they could be cumbersome when moving around. An option was to have a set
of cloth wings sewn right to the jacket of the uniform. That is the case with
the jacket featured here.
The cloth wings are made of bullion material. They have an intricate design consisting
of a shield with wings protruding out from each side. An anchor goes through the shield.
The size is approximatelly 3 inches.
Unlike earlier American uniforms, the front buttons
were sewn. Of metal construction. Golden color. Bearing the US Navy eagle in the face of the
button. Since the design is double breasted, there are a total of 6 buttons in the uniform.
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