Question - Use of US WW2 Duck Pattern Camo in Phil

[pedroscollection]

Friends;

I have a photo of US landing in Leyte & also saw in a photo a Filipino Guerilla wearing a US Duck Pattern Camouflage. The US wearing them have different pockets (with pocket cover & 2 bottons each) with the USMC since there is no USMC mark on the pocket, thus I believe these US soldiers with Mac Arthur are not Marines, but Army. Unfortunately my system cannot show any icon on the thread to post the picture, so I cannot post the photo.

My questions are :

1. What was the US Unit in the Philippines that wore this Duck Camo?

2. Did any Filipino by blood belong on the US unit in the Phil. that wore this Duck camo?

3. Did the Filipino 1st & 2nd Reg. of the US Army who fought here in the Phil. liberation somehow wore this camo?

thanks;
Perry

[VeeVee]

Posting picture for Perry...

(click for bigger)


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Just guessing here but navy ships have marine detachments on board. It's possible that these were marines "helping out."

[RayAdillO]

There is that picture of Gen. Chase and his "flying column" on the streets of Manila. I think they are U.S. 1st Cavalry so they are definitely U.S. Army. At least one guy (next to lamp post) appears to be wearing camoflage helmet cover....or maybe just a dirty helmet?

[legionnaire]

Hi Ray,

Yes I believe that is just a dirty helmet his got due to poor photography. If I remember photos I have seen of US Army troops wearing camo on their helmets were mostly painted on.

As for the photo Perry posted, Yes the Army had worn a camo uniform just like a unit that landed in Normandy, but this unit stop wearing them due to being mistaken for germans.


The photo below was the origin of the discussion of what camo Helmet covering was not used in the liberation of the Philippines, photo below.

My initial comment:
slide 2 - Liberation Flame thrower "Marine" camo helmet obviously not be included

Perry's reply: I’ve seen photos of US & even Filipino Guerilla in camo. The US in camo is a US Army not Marines as shown on the design of their pockets & no USMC markings. A Guerilla with camo shirt with short pants I’ve seen in one
of the photos too.



Wouldn't this be representing a "Marine flamethrower gunner" wearing a camo helmet.

The US Army had their own version of the camo uniform. It does not necessarily mean certain Army units also wore the camo helmet which was extensively used by the marines in the Pacific. Those US Army units in Normandy wore the Camo uniform only with netting and cloth strips on their helmets.

In the photo posted clearly all the Gi's are wearing basic steel helmet with no covers.

- As for the First and second Filipino Regt. that landed with MacArthur I have not seen any photo of these Regts. wearing a camo uniform.

Philip

[pedroscollection]

thanks for your inputs guys!!!!

[mandres]

I've been researching Army-issue camo for my reenacting impression (81st QM Co.). Camouflage uniforms were issued to quite a few Army units in the Pacific Theatre. Early in the war (spring '42) "Big Army" heard from units in New Guinea about the need for a camo uniform. The Army responded with a camo coverall, which had the same gastrointestinal limitations as the regular green coveralls. So the Army came up with the 2-piece camouflage uniform. The Army camo had a green dominant pattern on the outside, and a tan dominant pattern on the inside--the troops called them "frogskins." Some post-war sources knock the Army's pattern, as the uniform wasn't truly reversable (i.e. the pockets and buttons were only on the green dominant side). From what I've read in Quartermaster writings, this was to cut down on the added weight of extra pockets & hardware on a uniform that in all practicality wouldn't be reversed...The Army also did not issue a camouflage helmet cover (though there exists 2 photos of 6th Ranger Bn. guys on Leyte w/cloth camo helmet covers)... At some point in late '43 or early '44, the Army scrapped the whole idea of the camo uniform--mostly because commanders in the field stated that there wasn't a whole lot of benefit to it. Consequently, I've spoken to Pacific veterans who wore the camo and really liked it; I've also spoken to Pacific veterans who never knew it existed until they saw pictures of it post-war...I have not come across any photographs of the 1st or 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments wearing camouflage uniforms. After reading your post, I re-watched "Remember The Boys" and didn't see any photos of 1st FIR with camo uniforms.

Respectfully,
Matt