Tankers Overalls

Tank crews had specially designed trousers, helmets and other clothing to facilitate their work in cramped quarters that were always too hot or too cold. The full description of the development of clothing for armored forces is found on the page titled World War II Clothing for Armored Forces.

Trousers, Combat, Winter
Trousers, Combat, Winter.
Photo courtesy of eBay seller frog5847

Today in WW II: 25 Sep 1937 Devastating bombing of Nanking, China kills over six hundred civilians.  More ↓
25 Sep 1942 Due to failure at Milne Bay and Guadalcanal's drain on resources, Japanese Gen. Horii ordered to withdraw his troops from the Kokoda Track to beachheads at Buna, Gona and Sanananda.
25 Sep 1944 British troops, cutoff and suffering heavy casualties, begin withdrawal from unsuccessful Operation Market Garden positions.
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Trousers, Combat, Winter: Tankers Overalls

Handing out tanker uniforms in Holland, 1944
Armored unit in Holland receives tanker uniforms, 1944.

Trousers, Combat, Winter detail of second pattern bib hardware
Trousers, Combat, Winter detail of second pattern bib hardware.
Photo courtesy of eBay seller frog5847

Trousers, Combat, Winter Lower Leg
Trousers, Combat, Winter -- Lower Leg.
Photo courtesy of eBay seller frog5847

"Trousers, Combat, Winter" is the correct nomenclature for the "Tanker Overalls". This is the companion to the "Tanker Jacket" or "Jacket, Combat, Winter". The trousers were made of the same 8.2 oz cotton shell and wool blanket lining as the jacket, cut in the style of bib-overalls as you can see in the top photo on the page. The first pattern had suspenders stitched to the overalls on both front and back. The second pattern had attachment hardware in front, suspender adjustment clips, plus a groin zipper for relief.

There are short zippers at the bottom of each leg to facilitate putting on or removing the trousers with the boots on, along with a two position snap closure, as in the photo just above, right.

6th Armored Tanker inspecting M-4 Sherman Tank wearing Trousers, Combat, Winter over his Tanker Jacket. 6th Armored Division landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, 18 July 1944, and fought across Europe into Germany until April 1945
6th Armored Tanker inspecting M-4 Sherman Tank wearing Trousers, Combat, Winter over his Tanker Jacket.
6th Armored Division landed on Utah Beach in Normandy, 18 July 1944, and fought across Europe into Germany until April 1945.
Photo courtesy of eBay seller jdbassjr.

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