Marine Corps Order No. 178
Tables of Stock Sizes, Measurements, and Proportions of Sizes of Clothing
Dated 31 March 1942 (8 Pages)

About Marine Corps Order No. 178

The Marine Corps tables of stock sizes, measurements, and proportion of sizes of clothing was a handy guide for those responsible for the requisition of clothing at Marine Corps camps and stations. Divided into three sections, it provided the standard sizes manufactured for each article of clothing and indicated which sizes had to be special ordered, it provided the pertinent measurements for those sizes, and then the proportions of each size that should be kept on hand for issue. These tables helped ensure that the proper size clothing was issued to Marines and that the appropriate quantities of the various sizes were maintained.

These Marine Corps stock tables were published on a periodic basis and help researchers understand what types and what sizes of clothing were being issued during a given time period. They also provide valuable insight into the unique numbered sizing system the Marine Corps used to mark certain dress garments during the WW2 era by providing the exact measurements associated with this system. The table of the proportions of sizes to be kept in stock give the researcher valuable information on the physical stature of servicemen of the WW2 era, as well as what the most frequently produced uniforms sizes were.