USN Shirt WW2

[reneblacky]

Rene, "Liberty Stiching" was unauthorized but commonly done by sailors. I'm not sure how far the practice dates back, but it ended around the Viet Nam period, when the Navy started allowing sailors to wear civilian cloths when they went on Liberty. To hid the Liberty Stiching a tailor had to disassemble the jumper. Sailors with a little extra change in their pockets would have a "Tailor Made" or custom set of Dress Blues made, which would be liberty stitched at that time. Another cool feature of many of the tailor made jumpers was the addition of a zipper, down the side. As the jumper would be tailord to fit the contour of the sailors body, it would be impossible to pull on over his head unless it could be unzipped. Zippers were also included on the inside pocket to secure the sailors belongings better. All of this too being unauthorized.

Liberty cuffs were more common and simply no more than an elaboratly stitched patch sew to the inside of the sleave cuff. Sailors on the beach would roll up their sleave cuffs to show off their libery cuffs. Again, unauthorized and if spotted by Shore Patrol they would get a free ride back to the ship.

When ever my kid spots a vintage navy jumper he checks for both liberty stitching and cuffs. We run across a fair number of these, as I said, they are not that uncommon but make a great piece for a uniform collection.

Russ

Wow Russ Thanks Mate now I'll have to check all my dress blues. Will be a big job as they are all scatterd in my storeage tubs!!! + I think I still might have some more not posted here.

[Rod266]

That rating is an Aviation Metalsmith (AM3/c WWII) or Aviation Structural Mechanic (ASM-3 modern rating). I would guess, based on the label in the uniform, that this is an early uniform as it appears to read "AM 3/c". I don't know when they changed the rating's name but you could research that. You can always search for WWII Navy Ratings and Badges to find lots of information and listings.

[reneblacky]

Along with what radonovan said the "shirt" is refered to as a watch jumper when it does not have the 3 stripes and 2 stars on the flap and an open unbuttoned cuff. The blue ones were working or "watch" jumpers above deck in colder areas. Dungarees ( denim ) for tropical climes. During WWII and just after, the 3 rank designations of E1, E2, and E3 were indicated by the number of corresponding stripes on the cuff of dress jumpers rather than a 3 stripe sleeve patch as shown on the watch jumper. If you were working in a certain designation such as aviation boatswains mate etc. you wore a patch similar to the one under the 3 stripes shown on the watch jumper , commonly referred to as a strikers patch. They were also worn on the lower right sleeve of the blue and white dress jumpers.
Damn I sure got wordy when I was just going to post a short comment.

G'day Steve
I know this is an old thread, but when you said "Dungarees ( denim ) for tropical climes." Is it one of these?

[steyrlifer]

Hi Rene,
"Dungaree" refers to dark blue cotton denim used in a sailor's work trousers and worn with the light blue cotton "chambray" work shirt. When a sailor was wearing "dungaree's", he was in this work uniform.

There was also a dungaree jacket with a shawl style collar, 5 sew-on buttons (vice rivited metal buttons) and 2 patch pockets. Even though this was clearly a jacket and not a pull-over jumper, it was called a "dungaree jumper."

THe jacket you have pictured is not a dungaree jacket. It is a "Utility Jacket, N-3." It was a late war (early 1944) replacement for the Navy Combat/Utility Coat. The N-3 jacket was cut just like the USMC combat uniform jacket but had a different imprint on the metal buttons and was typically darker in color than the USMC jacket. While these were officially named "jackets" they were worn as shirts. There were N-3 shirts cut just as you would expect a shirt to be styled, placket front, patch pockets, etc., but of a lighter weight material. There were also N-3 trousers made of the same dark OD herringbone twill cloth as the jacket.

[reneblacky]

Hi Rene,
"Dungaree" refers to dark blue cotton denim used in a sailor's work trousers and worn with the light blue cotton "chambray" work shirt. When a sailor was wearing "dungaree's", he was in this work uniform.

There was also a dungaree jacket with a shawl style collar, 5 sew-on buttons (vice rivited metal buttons) and 2 patch pockets. Even though this was clearly a jacket and not a pull-over jumper, it was called a "dungaree jumper."

THe jacket you have pictured is not a dungaree jacket. It is a "Utility Jacket, N-3." It was a late war (early 1944) replacement for the Navy Combat/Utility Coat. The N-3 jacket was cut just like the USMC combat uniform jacket but had a different imprint on the metal buttons and was typically darker in color than the USMC jacket. While these were officially named "jackets" they were worn as shirts. There were N-3 shirts cut just as you would expect a shirt to be styled, placket front, patch pockets, etc., but of a lighter weight material. There were also N-3 trousers made of the same dark OD herringbone twill cloth as the jacket.

Thanking you yet again Buddy