WW2 Surgeon's Air Corp Tunic

**chbingle** · 04-11-2018, 11:00 PM

I just got this awesome tunic in the mail today. I got it for a great price online and just wanted to show it off here. There is no name or date on the tag; however, a name (maybe J.C. O'Connor?) is written inside the tunic. I wish I had more info to go off of to be able to research the soldier who owned this tunic, but I'm still very happy with this tunic

**Rakkasan187** · 04-12-2018, 12:09 AM

The "S" device is actually for the Medical Specialist Corps. In October 1951 the design of the Medical Corps insignia had changed and the regulation stated that the letters applied to the caduceus were to be black enamel. Earlier that year the Women's Medical Specialist Corps collar insignia had been rescinded and was replaced with a caduceus that had a black enamel "S" superimposed thereon and then called the Medical Specialist Corps. The new collar insignia also appeared with black metal letters, not enameled black letters. This was just a manufacturers variation.

This is a nice uniform.. Not a very common to see this.. Based on the insignia though I believe it may have been added to this uniform. I can't tell if the "S" is brown or black. If it is brown, it would be appropriate but I think it may be black which is post WW2.

Here is some more history about the "S" device..

Army Regulation 600-35 dated 31 December 1926 authorized only one size caduceus for the medical department, one inch in size, no matter what uniform was worn. A new branch called the Sanitary Corps Reserve was created and they wore the caduceus with a brown enameled "S" superimposed.

Smitty

**reneblacky** · 04-12-2018, 12:18 AM

Love these summer jackets, down side is they are a bugger to iron!!!

**chbingle** · 04-12-2018, 02:20 AM

by Rakkasan187

The "S" device is actually for the Medical Specialist Corps. In October 1951 the design of the Medical Corps insignia had changed and the regulation stated that the letters applied to the caduceus were to be black enamel. Earlier that year the Women's Medical Specialist Corps collar insignia had been rescinded and was replaced with a caduceus that had a black enamel "S" superimposed thereon and then called the Medical Specialist Corps. The new collar insignia also appeared with black metal letters, not enameled black letters. This was just a manufacturers variation.

This is a nice uniform.. Not a very common to see this.. Based on the insignia though I believe it may have been added to this uniform. I can't tell if the "S" is brown or black. If it is brown, it would be appropriate but I think it may be black which is post WW2.

Here is some more history about the "S" device..

Army Regulation 600-35 dated 31 December 1926 authorized only one size caduceus for the medical department, one inch in size, no matter what uniform was worn. A new branch called the Sanitary Corps Reserve was created and they wore the caduceus with a brown enameled "S" superimposed.

Smitty

Thanks for the info! The medical insignia appears more black than brown to me as well. I wish I had more info to go off of so I could research more into this but with only his initials and last name I'll probably never know for sure

**RH1941** · 04-12-2018, 02:32 AM

The insignia looks to be a snowflake pattern which would make it WWII and it would be Sanitary corps

**Rakkasan187** · 04-12-2018, 02:45 AM

The Sanitary Corps insignia was a Brown "S". Although the snowflake pattern is common and well known for WW2 era insignia, there was an over abundance produced and thus used well into post WW2, Korea and Vietnam eras. The manufacturers simply used old stock and added the black "S".

**Rakkasan187** · 04-12-2018, 02:06 PM

CH...

Check to see if there is a manufacturers tag in the pockets...that way you will at least know the date of manufacture of this uniform coat...

Smitty

**chbingle** · 04-12-2018, 09:41 PM

by Rakkasan187

CH...

Check to see if there is a manufacturers tag in the pockets...that way you will at least know the date of manufacture of this uniform coat...

Smitty

The tag has not been filled out as the name and date section is left blank. I’ll upload a picture of the tag tonight whenever I get back home though