Staying warm and dry was always one of the highest priorities of an infantryman during World War II. While in the Pacific, the US Marines were issued camouflage ponchos the US Army in the ETO primarily adopted the use of the Dismounted Raincoat as their main source of rain gear. This raincoat came in a dismounted and mounted style. The synthetic style of raincoat after 1942 was the dominant raincoat, surpassing its predecessors. Those being the rubberized raincoat standardized in 1938 and oil-treated fabric raincoats which were issued prior to 1938. In July of 1942, the US Army was starting to implement the use of ponchos as a cheaper alternative to the use of the raincoat. We can primarily see these ponchos being issued to US Army infantry troops serving in the pacific. However, the US Army in Europe was a different story. It is not uncommon to see the Dismounted synthetic raincoat being worn throughout the entirety of the war.
According to FM 21-100 The Soldier’s Handbook (click for a free PDF): “To attach the raincoat. Fold the raincoat neatly into a rectangle about 10½ inches long by 8½ inches wide, with the outside of the raincoat out. Place the raincoat between inner and outer haversack flaps. Secure it with the lower haversack binding strap by passing the latter under bottom haversack binding strap and fastening it tightly to the buckle on the underside of the outer haversack flap.”
Since reenactments are usually rain or shine, rain gear is also a necessity for us as re-enactors. That being said, of course there are only a few raincoats being made on the market. After years of using an original, I have finally decided to retire it. I decided after much debate to purchase the Quartermaster Inspector (QMI) Dismounted Synthetic Raincoat. I must say, I am very pleased with my purchase. QMI put very obvious thought and effort into the design of this garment. The tags are very nicely done and attention to detail is impressive. It is damn near identical to my original raincoat. The materials used are high quality and very heavy duty. The seams feel strong and I can’t see them ripping very easily. The jackets have been known to run a bit on the small side. I am a 36R chest so I am usually small or medium in coat sizes.
some content originally published on the author's Instagram account: @medicgoldmen9