Care of Clothing and Equipment

From The Ordnance Soldier’s Guide, 3rd Edition, Ordnance Replacement Training Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground:

RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROPERTY: Clothing and equipment issued to you are government property. If any articles are lost or damaged through your fault or negligence you will be required to pay for them. If you were responsible for the loss or damage, through fault or negligence, then you should admit that fact by signing a “Statement of Charges.” If, however, you believe that you were not responsible, do not sign this statement. In the latter case a “Report of Survey” will be made out and a Surveying Officer will determine whether or not you are to be held responsible. When articles of clothing or equipment have become worn out through ordinary wear and tear, no one is held responsible for the value and the worn articles may be exchanged for new ones.

WWII Care of Soldiers Clothing and Uniform in Basic Training

CARE AND CLEANING OF SHOULDER WEAPONS: Rifle and Carbine—Clean metal parts with sperm oil. Clean bore with rifle bore cleaner or G.I. soap and hot water. Treat stock and hand guards with linseed oil. Treat sling with neatsfoot oil.

WW2 Soldier's Care and Cleaning of Weapons and Equipment

CARE OF TENTING EQUIPMENT: Pegs: Do not hammer pegs into hard ground. Canvas: Brush and dry thoroughly before folding and storing. Rope: Wash thoroughly and dry before storing.

 

Luftwaffe Uniforms

German Luftwaffe Uniforms of WWII:

German Luftwaffe WW2 Air Force Uniforms

Air Force Uniforms: Officers and Enlisted Men

German WW2 Paratrooper Fallschirmjaeger Uniform

Air Force Uniforms: Miscellaneous

Source: TM-E 30-451: Handbook on German Military Forces, U.S. War Department, 1943.
 

Italian Navy Uniforms and Insignia

Italian Navy Uniforms and Insignia:

WWII Italian Navy Uniforms and Insignia

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U.S. Army Camouflage Uniform

The rather rare U.S. Army camouflage HBT (herringbone twill) uniform being worn by soldiers of the 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division during training. [Source: LoneSentry.com Collection.]

U.S. Army WWII HBT Camouflage Uniform, 406th Infantry Regiment, 102nd Infantry Division

© LoneSentry.com Collection

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Coast Guards SPARS

Coast Guard SPARS

50 reasons for being a Spar

Coast Guard SPAR UniformSPARS do 50 different kinds of important jobs at U.S. Coast Guard land stations from San Diego to Cape Cod. They receive the same pay and promotions as Coast Guardsmen and are only limited in their service by the decision of Congress that they must serve ashore and within the United States. About half of them are petty officers.

The Coast Guard is the smallest and most versatile of Uncle Sam’s four armed forces. More than half of its men—an amazingly high percentage—are now on sea duty outside the United States. Among other things they chauffeur those seagoing armored taxicabs in which men and material are moved to invasion beachheads. Grim business!

More Coast Guardsmen are needed for overseas duty. But some men cannot be shipped out of key shore jobs until SPARS take over. The time to he a SPAR is NOW.

Qualifications

Enlisted SPARS are:  American citizens . . . between the ages of 20 and 36 . . . without children younger than 18 . . . All SPARS pass prescribed physical tests and have vision in each eye correctable to 20-20 . . . They have two years of high school or business college.

Rail fare of qualified applicants is paid to the nearest recruiting office for physical examinations.

Officer qualifications are the same except: age 20-50 and education two years of college plus two of business or professional experience.

WW2 Coast Guard SPARS

 

German Rifleman Uniform

The Handbook on German Army Identification was printed in 1943 by Military Intelligence Training Center, Camp Ritchie, Maryland. The handbook was designed to provide a reference manual for intelligence personnel in combat operations. The handbook included the following illustrations of a typical German army rifleman uniform.

German Rifleman – Deutscher Schütze:

German Rifleman Uniform WW2

Helmet, brim type, belt (Koppel), leather, buckle showing (Koppelschloss). Ammunition pouches, 3 each side, bayonet, short, sharp spade.

German Rifleman Uniform WW2

Gas mask over right hip, canteen (Feldflasche) and rations bag (Brotbeutel). Long trousers tucked into half-length boots.