Mysterious Ike jacket

**sebfrench76** · 06-16-2014, 12:45 PM

Hello guys.
I copy you here the text and pic a guy has posted on another forum where i am member,Armchair general.
If someone can help,i believe there is a bunch of great specialists here,héhé...
merci d'avance!

This man wrote :
"This is my fathers uniform at the end of the war. In 1939-40 he was in the French 141st Alpine infantry regiment later involved in the French resistance and then after D-Day apparently at some point U.S. 3rd Army although I'm not quite sure how that works. The top 3 ribbons are U.S. (European,African,Middle Eastern campaign w/4 campaign stars, army occupation medal,victory medal) the middle 3 are French(Croix de Guerre,Croix du Combattant,Croix du Combattant Volontaire) I cannot identify the last two any help would be appreciated."

**SteveR** · 06-16-2014, 07:05 PM

Not sure why he would have an ETO and a 3rd army patch on the same sleeve.

**Walkwolf** · 06-16-2014, 10:55 PM

Looks a made-up piece to me - the rank insignia is in
the wrong position - the SSI patches are as well.
Perhaps the son or family just doesn't know
and put it together how he thought
everything should go.........

Frenchy33 · 06-17-2014, 02:04 AM

Hello I am the one that posted the pic on a different forum. I quote what a member on that forum found"OK, the first jacket is a 1942 Officers Service Coat. It has been re-cut to a field modified "Ike" Jacket. this was a standard procedure in the ETO. It was done by both enlisted and officers."
"Some more into on ETO jacket and the Ike Jacket.

The ETO Jacket was based on the British Battle Dress. The quartermaster in England Started with the "1941 Parsons Field Jacket" and modified the cut of the jacket to make it similar to the British BD. It had the standard open collar of US Service Coasts and the material used was the same material the British used for their BD uniforms. This Jacket usually had exposed buttons.

Following this same line of thought, the Quartermaster Corps back in the US started its own develpment of a waist jacket designed on the lines of the British BD. this jacket wold becoe the famous "Ike" jacket. Unable to get the BD material in the US, the Quartermaster used a heavy wool similar to that used in the Service Coast. Though this jacket could be found with exposed buttons the majority had flaps over the buttons.

In the end the lines are very blued between the difference of the Ike Jacket and the ETO Jacket. Because both were made to a similar pattern and both had examples of flapped over and exposed buttons.

In the end the best way to tell what was what was by the material used in the manufacture of the jacket.

Both jackets were designed to be worn either as a dress service coat or a field jacket.

Then our example of jacket here seems to be a Officers Service Coat that been re-cut into an "Ike" jacket to the point that even the flap was added over the buttons."

I have since found a pic of him with a similar uniform but with exposed buttons. This has brought up another question the skull and crossbones on his collar. Anyone recognize it? I was told maybe French Husser regiment.He would have been French Army assigned to the Americans. Nothing has been added by me and my mother says she has never sewn anything on it . In the pic I think you can just see the rank insignia but it could be something else. It also shows the first 3 ribbons that are on the coat which are American ribbons. Anymore help would be appreciated especially if the skull would lead to identifying the unit. Thanks

**Walkwolf** · 06-17-2014, 02:43 AM

All that info on Ike jackets and cut-down Service coats
does nothing to explain why the US insignia and
patches are placed incorrectly.........

Frenchy33 · 06-17-2014, 03:09 AM

That's why I'm on this forum to find out. On the other forum I was told it wasn't even from WW2 so I posted the manufactures tag. So please forgive me if when I'm told its wrong with no explanation that I keep digging. I don't know this but could it be because it was a French unit? I know this is as it was after being in my fathers closet for years. Could I have messed with the rank insignia as a kid maybe but the unit patches I certainly didn't sew. Is there a way of knowing if the stitching is original from the period?