ABOVE:
The one‐piece camouflage jungle suit (Specification PQD 246, dated 18 August 1942) was the first standard issue camouflage uniform approved for US forces during WWII. It was made with sturdy herringbone twill material that was printed on both sides with a dapple camouflage pattern. The suit was intended to be reversible having green shades on one side and brown shades on the other allowing the suit to be used in both dense jungle and sun‐baked areas. It was designed as a one‐piece suit in order to provide good protection against cutting vegetation and the numerous types of poisonous and disease carrying insects inhabiting the tropics. It had two large expanding cargo pockets on the chest and two on the hips that enabled troops to carry essential supplies without carrying a bulky pack in the dense jungle. Built‐in suspenders were included to help bear the load carried in the pockets and raise or lower the bottom half of the uniform. A long zipper front was used that could be quickly lowered to allow immediate cooling when necessary. The pockets featured low profile pressure snaps that helped to eliminate snagging on equipment and foliage. Jungle suits were worn by both Army and Marine Corps troops throughout the campaigns of the South and Central Pacific Theater of Operations.
