WW1 Uniforms

[JohnReid]

Could anyone tell me if the uniform colors as shown in the Time-Life book Knights of the Air page 41 is close to being correct.The American service uniform has a greenish look to me but I have heard it described as various shades of brown.The RFC uniform next to it is definitely a brownish shade.If I was to paint my figures for my Jenny diorama using this reference would I be correct?Thanks. Cheers ! John.

[Copperhead]

Hey friend, my best advice is to go to a meuseum near you if possible, and look at the real deal. Now I know you're probably thinking in terms of Chicago's "Meuseum of Science and Industry" or something along those lines. But most folks don't know about the military meuseums at most Army posts. Sometimes local meuseums can also have an overabundance of old military uniforms from "grandma's closet" to look at. Also try the American Legion posts, and VFW's. Sometimes they have old uniforms on display. They seem to bee more 'Brownish' in actual life. But look for yourself. What section of the country are you, maybe I can find a goood meuseum. My favorites are the ones at Ft. Carson Colo. and Ft. Huachuca, Arizona. JW


ps, the one at Ft. Bliss ain't bad either.

[Michael]

Try this thread from December 2002:

RFC uniforms

Unlike the Canadian battledress of 1939-67, which had a distinct green tinge to it, First War Canadian uniforms were more brown.

[CincinnatiRedlegs]

In terms of uniforms, USAS and all AEF uniforms were of an olive drab color. I have seen many examples of the uniforms of the period and there are many variations to the olive drab color. Osprey has a book on the American uniforms of the Great War in it's Men-At-Arms Series, it gives a good idea of what the uniforms looked like. There is also another series of books devoted to just American military equipment and one of the titles deals with just The Great War, it is titled, Over There! The American Soldier in World War One, written by Jonathan Gawne. It has several color drawings that the Quartermaster Corps drew of the uniforms and several photos of the originals as well. They show the uniforms as having an olive drab tint, with a slight touch of brown.

British uniforms were definately a khaki brown. The Osprey Men-At-Arms series has a title also dealing with the RFC/RAF uniforms in WWI.

But Copperhead is right, if you can get to a military museum then that would be the best way to see the uniforms. I'm in the Army and I've never been to a military post without a museum stocked with uniforms.

[Copperhead]

Try the local Legion or VFW. They sometimes have the unoforms of the old ones on display. JW