Reproduction of the WWII issue Winter Combat Jacket. Commonly called "Tanker" jackets, these were a component of the US Army Winter Combat Uniform, ostensibly designed for armored vehicle crews. Although issued to armored troops, many found their way onto troops of every type, as well as Marines. No wonder as these were far warmer and more practical than the M41 Field Jacket.

One quirk of WWII Winter Combat Jackets is the specification number on the labels. QMC spec. no. 26, is actually the "1st Model" Jacket which came out in early 1941. The more common model (this one) was officially no. 26A, which came out in early 1942...but, unlike just about all other uniforms, the contractors seemed to rarely (if ever) have updated the labels.

Our reproductions were initially patterned from my original jackets. These are made with 8 oz. cotton twill fabric with a water repellent finish, elasticized wool knit cuffs, collar and waistband, and Talon zippers. Cuffs are tubular meaning they have no seam. The lining is 100% wool. The information on the spec label is period correct.

For this batch, we borrowed a feature of the Navy Deck Jacket: a windproof inter layer. It's not visible, but there's a layer of nylon sandwiched between the shell and lining fabrics of the body. I can personally attest to its efficacy- when facing into a cold wind, one can actually feel the chill slipping between the zipper teeth, but not the body. Why the Army did not pick this up from the Navy is unknown.

Original Tanker Jackets. Note that the color varies, and the zipper does stop mid-way up the neck- not at the top.

Care: Dry clean only!

Imported