This pair of
paratroopers "landed" at the 2007 Military Expo at Fort
Snelling. Representing the 82nd Airborne, they wear their M1943
jump uniforms with painted camouflage common to the D-Day pathfinders
who dropped ahead of the main forces and set up landing zones.
and gear include a number of items that were mainstays of the paratroop
corps: the shoulder-holstered .45, the M1A1 carbine with the folding
skeleton stock, the M3 trench knife with the M8 scabbard, the M36
mussette bag and the handie-talkie.
wearing an OD knit skull cap, demonstrated his M1A1 Thompson submachine
gun. An M1 Garand sits on the table. Both weapons have canvas bags.
M1942 paratrooper uniform was adopted in December 1941. After the
airdrops in the Mediterranean, it was decided that the uniforms
needed additional alterations to make them more useful for the Normandy
air drops. To make the uniforms more resilient, they were turned
over to parachute riggers, who used spare canvas to sew knee and
elbow patches. Pockets were removed from the tunic and trousers
and canvas gussets were stitched between pockets and the surface
of the uniform. This enabled the pockets to expand significantly
and hold additional ammo or rations. The riggers sewed straps to
the inseams of the trousers, which the paratrooper tied over the
enlarged thigh pockets to help secure their contents in place. Because
of the large number of paratroopers, the riggers did not have time
to reinforce all of the uniforms. So you can see a mix of reinforced
and unaltered M1942s in D-Day photos.
was a fear that the Germans might launch chemical attacks, so the
invasion uniforms for paratroopers and leg infantry were soaked
in a solution designed to repel any gas or chemicals the Germans
might use. Glider
troops wore standard infantry uniforms.
The M1942 uniform
was used in August, 1944 by paratroopers in the First Airborne Task
Force in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France. But
for Operation Market
Garden, the Army desired to ease production requirements and set
a standard uniform for both leg infantry and airborne, the M1943
olive drab tunic and trousers. The canvas gaiters and combat shoes
were replace with the combat service boot with the integral leather
gaiter secured with two buckled straps.
made the transition. Some retained their Corcoran jump boots because
they felt they gave more ankle support and there were fears that
the buckles on the combat service boots might get snagged in parachute
lines or gear. There was also pride factor at play: the paratroopers
loved their unique status as an "elite" corps of soldiers
and the most visible distinction was their uniform. Some paratroopers
held onto their reserve set of M1942s; some appear in photos during
the Battle of the Bulge.