Army Regulations No. 615-40
Enlisted Men: Clothing and Equipage
Dated 24 April 1943 (18 Pages)

About Army Regulations 615-40

For those interested in Army uniforms of the WW2 era, AR 615-40 helps us gain a better understanding of when, where, and how uniforms and personal equipment were issued. It also provides other useful information such as how and when clothing was disposed of, procedures for the accounting of clothing, and goes over the various criteria and situations for recycling clothing each step of the way through the system. Perhaps most importantly, it sets forth the various occasions and circumstances when uniforms and equipment were to be issued to enlisted men. Of particular interest is a list of clothing and equipage items issued to all enlisted men upon first arriving at a reception center. There is also a table showing what insignia was to be provided to the enlisted man for wear on his uniform. Another very useful table provides a list of clothing articles the enlisted man was allowed to keep upon separation from the Army. All of the information in this pamphlet helps us bolster our insight into Army uniforms of WW2, such as which clothing items were common to all who served, why certain items survive to this day in greater numbers more so than others, what certain markings found on clothing mean, and even what circumstances triggered a new issue of clothing.

Keeping in mind that publication AR 615-40 was superseded by new, updated editions on a regular basis; we then understand that each copy provides us with a unique snapshot into the Army uniform of a given time. It is also important to note that the purpose of AR 615-40 is to provide just the basic outline of how clothing was handled throughout the system. It thus guides the user to other important publications used by the Army to determine what type of clothing should be issued under more specific circumstances. Most notably, it refers us to the Table of Basic Allowances No. 21, later renamed to the Table of Equipment No. 21. It is in these other tables that more detailed criteria are set forth for the disbursement of specialized types of clothing and equipage based on variables such as weather conditions, occupation, arm or service, and others. In addition, it refers the reader to AR 30-3000 Price List of Clothing and Equipage for instances of accounting and finance. This publication is important because it lists all clothing items currently in inventory along with stock numbers, official nomenclature, and the cost of the item.