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Hello All,
Yet another interesting find from the father-in-laws collection. I am not even 100% sure the shirt itself is military related but the label did give me that kind of vibe. Any ideas? As always, any help is always appreciated.
Attachment 48546
Can we have a phot of the whole shirt?
That probably would have been a good idea eh? :) Here they are. It's not the nicest day out today but I had more light outside than I did in my office.
Attachment 48547Attachment 48548Attachment 48549
It is an Summer Khaki Officer's Shirt by the epaulettes . LTs were known as "Shave Tails" during WWII . This was because the Issued Shirts Officers wore had epaulettes made from the fabric from the back tail of the shirt. Their Shirt tails were shaved . This shirt might be a PX shirt or private purchase one approved by the Military. It is interesting to note that after the War there were literally tons of Khaki uniforms left over. That is why you see these PD wearing them in the 50's ( Andy Griffith and Barney Fife anyone ? ) and Gas Station Attendant's and so on.
Very interesting. Another mystery solved, for now. The help was highly appreciated.
As was previously reported the shirt is a tailor made that was commercially sold to primarily officers as they received a clothing allowence and expected to outfit themselves either from commercial uniform outfitters or Quartermaster sales. In some cases officers acquired enlisted shirts through Quartermaster sales and had the epaulets assembled, which is what was alluded to previously.
As to the term "shavetail" it was apparently in common usage in the Army for unbroken mules long before the American Civil war. Two sources at hand ("I Hear America Talking" 1976 by Stuart Berg Flexner and "War Slang" 1994 by Paul Dickson) report that the term was associated with the practice of shaving the tails of new mules for identification to indicate that they were inexperienced. Flexner reported that the term for a mule was in use by 1846, and was applied to new lieutenants by the War with Spain in 1898.
Mr. Dickson offered the following explanation from "Words of the Fighting Forces" 1942 by Clinton A. Sanders and Joseph W. Blackwell Jr.:
"The green second lieutenant emerging out of West Point in his well pressed uniform has been given this colorful name by the privates in the rank and file. Ironically enough, the term can trace its origin back in the army mule. The word was first used to designate green, unbroken mules purchased by the Army. Since the mule-dealer shaved the animals tail, leaving only a tuft of hair hanging at the end, the mule was called a 'shavetail.' It was no great tax on the private's imagination to call a young officer a 'shavetail.' The use of the word has been extended lately, to include young officials in the industrial world."
That's awesome thank's for sharing that ! There are other terms that were used in WWII that had it's roots from the 1800's . It is interesting for me to learn that there was no Lunch in the Army. If one looks at the K-Ration it is labeled Breakfast, Dinner and then Supper. I read somewhere this was left over from the Calvary days .
That was how I named my meals from my childhood. It didn't change until leaving home and joining the military. All just terminology...Quote:
Originally Posted by kosmolinekid