The Conservation and Restoration of WWII era United States Army Uniforms[edit]

The conservation and restoration of WWII era U.S. Army uniforms is the process of caring for an maintaining the various types of uniforms for the purpose of preserving the materials for the future. It covers the necessary measures taken by conservators, curators, collections managers, and other museum professionals to conserve the various types of materials that make up the uniforms. Military uniforms require proper preventative care and are often in need of repair. Holes, tears, stains, mold, moths and other pests are common damages done to uniforms over time.

Types of Uniforms[edit]

Dress Uniform ("Class A")[edit]

This uniform consists of an Olive Drab peaked cap with a russet leather visor, white linen shirt, black worsted wool tie, Olive Drab wool trousers, an Olive Drab wool four-button tunic with leather belt, and russet-brown leather service shoes.

Service Uniform ("Class B")[edit]

The uniform consists of an Olive Drab side cap, an olive-drab wool shirt worn with a black worsted wool tie, Olive Drab wool trousers, and russet-brown leather Type II service shoes.

Khaki Uniform ("Class C")[edit]

The "Class C" or Khaki uniform was for wear in tropical climates and field duty in hot weather. It used light-weight chino cloth versions of the trousers and shirt and was worn with a light Olive Drab tie.

Fatigue Duty Uniform ("Class D")[edit]

The Class D or blue denim uniform was for wear during fatigue duties. It was composed of a denim jacket and trousers and a broad-brimmed denim "Clamdigger" hat. It was replaced by the Herringbone-Twill (HBT) uniform.

Herringbone Twill Uniform[edit]

This uniform was made of heavy cotton herringbone twill cloth. The uniform consisted of a shirt, trousers, and initially a circular-brimmed "clamdigger" HBT utility hat. This was later followed by a billed cap. The HBTs, although initially meant for wear during fatigue duties, were very commonly used as combat clothing, especially in hot weather.

Combat Uniforms[edit]

This uniform, worn primarily in the European Theater of Operations, consisted of an olive-drab (OD) wool garrison cap, olive-drab wool trousers, an olive-drab wool spread-collared shirt worn with a black tie, an olive-drab wool four button tunic, and russet brown Type I (leather-soled) or Type II (rubber-soled) service shoes. An outer jacket or coat, either the Model 1938 "Overcoat, Mackinaw, Roll Collar" or the Cotton Field Jacket in Olive Drab (OD3) was issued. The basic Army field or combat uniform for temperate or cool climates consisted of the basic wool uniform, without tie, along with a field jacket or wool overcoat, leggings, helmet and web gear.

M-1943 Uniform[edit]

The M-1943 uniform came into service in the early half of World War II. The uniform was designed as a layered system, meant to be worn over the wool shirt and trouser and in conjunction with a wool sweater and liners in colder weather.

The standardized M-1943 Field Jacket was made of windproof cotton sateen, with a detachable hood, drawstring waist, two large angled breast pockets, and two lower skirt pockets.

The trousers were made out of the same Olive Drab (OD7) cotton sateen material and white cotton twill inner lining, and were equipped with both front and rear pockets. They also had buttoned tabs at the waist in order to cinch the waist. For airborne troops, treated canvas cargo pockets were added to the trousers.

Tropical Uniform[edit]

In 1943, the U.S. Army determined that an experimental tropical uniform made of Byrd Cloth (known in Britain as Grenfell Cloth), would best protect soldiers from insects and disease while cooling the body and minimizing losses from perspiration.^[1] Byrd Cloth, as used in the Experimental Tropical Uniform, was a single-layer uniform of untreated OD long-staple Egyptian cotton, made in a tightly woven herringbone twill to prevent mosquito bites. In use, the uniform was intended to cool the wearer even when continuously wetted, as might be expected in a humid, rainy jungle environment.^[1] The uniform featured a short-tailed shirt, trousers with cuffs fitted with half-inch boottop fastening tapes, and a flap-protected fly to keep out crawling insects such as leeches, ticks, and chiggers.^[1]^[2] Pockets were shallow and kept to a minimum to increase cooling; users carried all their gear in load-bearing belts, suspenders, or in low-mounted field packs designed to minimize body contact (jungle packs).

Footwear[edit]

Army combat footwear in World War II went through a variety of changes during the war.

Type I Service Shoe

An ankle-high field shoe made of tanned leather in a dark red or russet color, originally with leather soles.

Type II Service Shoes

A "roughout" field shoe made from leather uppers with a sueded outer finish

M43 Combat Boot or "Two-Buckle Boot"

In November 1943, the Type II and III service shoes were in turn replaced by a boot, the M43 Combat Boot or "Two-Buckle Boot". This boot had a permanently attached a two-buckled leather ankle flap, which was designed to replace the unpopular canvas leggings. The sole was made of synthetic or reclaimed rubber.

Jungle Boot

A rubber-soled, canvas-top Jungle boot was issued during the war for use by soldiers in the tropical and jungle environments typically encountered in the China-Burma-India (CBI) and the Pacific theaters.

The Mountain Boot, a low-quarter brown leather boot with a square toe and rocker-type sole, was phased out in favor of the Type III Combat Boot in the last year of the war. In 1944, the M-44 Combat Boot, a high-top leather boot with full laces was adopted for service, but for the duration it was primarily worn by soldiers on stateside duty.

Jump Boots

Parachute troops beginning in 1942 were issued Jump boots - high-lacing rubber-soled leather boots which were intended to provide additional ankle support when landing by parachute. Although these boots were to be replaced by the new M43 combat boots, jump boots continued to be worn throughout the war.

Overshoes

Overshoes were normally issued to Army units during winter operations. In January 1945, some Army units operating in the ETO received shoepacs for wet winter wear. The shoepac was a leather boot with rubberized lower top and sole, worn in conjunction with the wool ski sock.

Changes to the Uniform[edit]

By 1942 the white linen shirt of the "Class A" Dress Uniform was replaced by the "Class B" olive drab gabardine shirt (for temperate climates and cool weather) or "Class C" khaki poplin shirt (for tropical climates and hot weather). The black tie was replaced with a khaki tie made of mohair, tropical worsted or other khaki material without sheen or pattern.

A khaki peaked cap was adopted in 1942 for the "Class C" Khaki uniform.

The sole of the service shoe was changed to a rubber composition after 1940 and designated as the Type II Service Shoe.

Agents of deterioration[edit]

One of the ways in which preventive-conservators address the care of material collections is through assessing risk and needs based on the agents of deterioration.^[3] Best practices employ the system of “avoiding, blocking, detecting, and responding” to address any threats. By considering these key factors as potential problems with their own needs, stakeholders can make strides in safeguarding assets such as glass objects.^[3]

For WWII era military uniforms, the agents of deterioration that are most dangerous to the materials that make up each uniform piece are pests, incorrect temperature and humidity, light, water, and pollutants. Because military uniforms contain a variety of materials it is important to understand which material is susceptible to what. Different materials attract different pests and must be treated as such.

Physical Forces[edit]

Various forms of physical forces can also damage the materials. Incorrect handling techniques and improper display pieces can all lead to tears or rips or tears. Items must be handled carefully and with gloves on. When on display or in storage, it is important to ensure the hangers and boxes are properly cushioned and are not made of materials that will cause further damage.

Fire[edit]

Fire is another risk to military uniforms as the materials are highly flammable and must be kept away from any fire hazards. A proper fire suppression system will reduce the risk of fire damage should a fire break out.

Pests[edit]

Wool is a common material used in military uniforms and is highly attractive to moths who eat the material and lay larvae eggs on top of the material causing damage. Cotton attracts beetles and weevils, and rodents are also a danger to textiles.^[4] All garments must be kept in an area where these pests can not reach them which means a storage area which has proper temperature and lighting as to not attract pests and are best kept inside secure and safe archival boxes when not on display.

Light, ultraviolet and infrared[edit]

Bright light and high UV radiation can damage various textile materials so uniforms are stored and displayed away from these types of agents of deterioration. Electronic lights are best set to a level that is not damaging and the garments are kept away from too much natural light.^[5]

Incorrect temperature[edit]

Incorrect temperature can lead to the decaying of fabrics such as cotton and linen. Textiles are best kept in low temperature areas.^[4]

Incorrect relative humidity[edit]

“Textiles are hygroscopic, meaning that they absorb and release water vapor from the air as the RH fluctuates”^[4] This can lead to stretching, dye transfers, mold growths, staining, and corrosion. Both high and low relative humidity levels are to be avoided for textiles.^[4]

Thieves and vandals[edit]

WWII era military uniforms are also susceptible to theft or vandalism. Increased security in the form of personnel, physical barriers, and a security system are all means of which to decrease the risk.

Water[edit]

Leather made items are susceptible to water and incorrect temperature damage. Mildew may form or the leather may dry out and crack. Water from flooding or pipe leakage can also cause textiles to shrink, cause colors to distort^[6] or make metal corrode.^[4]

Pollutants[edit]

Pollutants are another big risk for textiles as they are an easy place for dust particles and other chemicals to rest. Some materials have chemical components that are not compatible such as wool and silver. Gases, dyes, and even world war ii era chemicals such as asbestos and nerve gas can all cause damage to the uniforms.

Dissociation[edit]

Dissociation can result in missing or neglected pieces. Incorrect record keeping may result in uniforms being mismanaged or not being cared for correctly.

Preventative Conservation[edit]

The effects of the agents of deterioration on U.S. Army Military Uniforms can be minimized through proper handling and storage techniques.

Handling[edit]

Washing ones hands before handling uniform pieces and wearing gloves will reduce the chances of damage.^[4]
Wash hands before working with textiles, or wear clean gloves during handling to avoid soiling by the hands.^[4]
Handle textiles only when necessary, making gentle, planned movements, thus minimizing the risk of physical damage to objects that may be weaker than they appear to be.^[4]
Provide flat supports or custom mounts large enough to adequately support the entire textile before moving it.^[4]

Storage[edit]

Prewash all fabrics for packing, cushioning or mounting textiles before use (e.g. dust covers, linings).^[4]
Store small flat textiles and costumes with as few folds as possible in boxes or drawers.^[4]
To prevent tight folds, pad them out with crumpled acid-free tissue, lightweight cotton sheeting, soft nylon tulle or cotton knit tubing stuffed with polyester fibrefill (Figures 26a and 26b).

^[4]

Line boxes with cushioning material, with the objects interleaved if they must be stacked. If possible, limit the stacking of textiles.^[4]
Store larger textiles, such as quilts and rugs, rolled, as outlined under Rolled storage.^[4]
Hang costumes on padded hangers or store them flat if they are very fragile, heavy, beaded or cut on the bias.^[4]

Health and Safety[edit]

Asbestos and other harmful substances can be found on military uniforms.^[7] Gas mask filters used in World War II often contain asbestos as well as the uniforms worn by those working with artillery. Proper precautions and following safety guidelines will help prevent harm to both the artifact and the conservator

Treatment[edit]

Treatment is the process of conservation-science that addresses the condition of an object and seeks to secure it’s long term preservation. Depending on the object and it’s particular condition, this can include stabilization, restoration, or repair of an object. When treating an object, museum professionals follow several different ethical procedures: minimal intervention, reversibility, limitations of knowledge, and documentation. The main reason of using minimal intervention is “that by keeping intervention conservation treatments to a minimum, the risks of alteration to objects are limited and thus historical integrity is ensured”.^[8] Reversibility means that whatever treatment the conservator performs must be reversible. However, Ward argues that no treatment is fully reversible, that anything done to the object will leave some trace.^[9] The goal is to make your treatment as reversible as possible. It is also important that the conservator document the object both before and after treatment.

Treating military uniforms from World War II involves a vary degree of treatments and focus on stabilizing the item for long term preservation. Tears, decaying fabrics, mold, pests, and other types of damage all require different forms of treatment.

First, a textile conservator would need to examine the uniform piece and determine if intervention is required or if the piece is too unstable for intervention treatment. If the uniform is too damaged or too fragile for reversible treatment, the goal would be to stabilize the piece for long term preservation. Should it be determined that intervention is needed, there are a few things conservators can do to stabilize the item.

All of these treatments are only performed if the item is considered to be in stable and strong condition. If the item is too fragile then the stabilization if the goal.

Cleaning[edit]

The uniform pieces can also be cleaned, if the item is in stable enough condition, using dry surface cleaning, vacuuming, localized spot cleaning, wet cleaning, dry cleaning or suction table cleaning can remove any dirt or dust from the item that would cause damage.^[10]

For insect infestation, fumigation or freezing will remove all remnants of insects. "Your piece will be thoroughly vacuumed before and after repeated freezing cycles, in a freezing chamber. The success of the treatment relies on the rapid freezing to a very low temperature and slow thawing of the object. The process is repeated two or three times over a one to two week period, with intermittent vacuuming. Heavily infested textiles will require more cycles."^[10]

Metal and brass can be cleaned and polish to remove stains and corrosion.

Restoration[edit]

Over time, fabric can become dry and fragile. Textile pieces can be repaired and stabilized using fine sewing techniques and stabilization materials to improve structural integrity.^[10]

For textile pieces,this can include delicately sewing together any rips or tears using darning and couching techniques. Conservators can also use specialized materials to strengthen the fabric such as net or fabric overlays and underlays.^[10]

A technique called needle felting can be used to fix moth holes in woolen fabrics.^[11] Felting is the process of using barbed needles to interlock woolen fibers together to form a more condensed material. This can then be used to

Dried leather may require re-hydration or lubrication which can be accomplished humidification or wet cleaning.

Adhesive techniques can be used to consolidate fragments of silks and other fabrics. "Paint on textiles is frequently in need of consolidation due to flaking or powdering. This is often achieved with the aid of an ultrasonic nebulizer that breaks up the appropriate consolidant solution into tiny particles and delivers it in a vapor-saturated mist. The consolidant is thus encouraged to sink below the surface of the paint where it is needed to reaffirm the pigment to pigment and pigment to fabric bonds without changing the color or sheen of the paint layer."^[10]

Case Studies[edit]

The Museum of the Order of St. John[edit]

The Museum of the Order of St. John treated a man's woolen uniform from the 1950s, a nurse's World War II uniform, and two smaller uniforms belonging to a girl and a boy cadet of the St. John Ambulance youth groups which had been eaten by moths. The children's cadet uniforms were cleaned using a vacuum while the more delicate pieces, the WWII nurses uniform and the 1950’s era men’s woolen uniform, were treated using a freezing technique to remove moth larvae from the material. The buttons, made from metal and Bakelite, were isolated with acid-free tissue as metal could rust and Bakelite has a tendency to decay. Once treated, the items were placed in padded, flat archival boxes.^[12]

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art[edit]

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art treated a man woolen military coat from 1799-1800 which suffered insect damage. Moths had begun to eat away at the woolen fabric and left behind holes and grazing marks. The museum used a technique called "felting" to patch up the moth holes.^[13] Wool fibers were dyed the correct shade of red to match the coat and then used to plug the holes of the coat.

The Military Museum, Budapest[edit]

The Military Museum, Budapest treated a braided military coat belonging to the Hungarian Noble Body Guards established in 1760. The coat was missing pieces and needed to be properly cleaned. First, conservators determined the types of materials the coat was made of (wool, linen, cotton, silk, and silver). The coat was cleaned using perchloroethylene containing 5% water and 1% Prewocell non-ionic detergent. It was applied via absorbent pads and rinsed with distilled water. The silver braid was cleaned using a solution of sodium hydrogencarbonate. However, this caused the red dye in the wool to turn a blueish hue. The process was reversed using a 0.5% solution of acetic acid. The missing fabric was reconstructed using new wool that matched the old in both texture and color. A professional tailor was hired to patch and reconstruct the coat.^[14]

References[edit]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 Kearny, Cresson H. (Maj), Jungle Snafus...And Remedies, Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (1996), pp. 191-195
↑ Stanton, Shelby L., U.S. Army Uniforms of World War II, Stackpole Books (1995), ISBN 0-8117-2595-2, ISBN 978-0-8117-2595-8, pp. 88-89
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 Institute, Canadian Conservation (2017-09-14). "Agents of deterioration". aem. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
↑ ^4.00 ^4.01 ^4.02 ^4.03 ^4.04 ^4.05 ^4.06 ^4.07 ^4.08 ^4.09 ^4.10 ^4.11 ^4.12 ^4.13 ^4.14 Institute, Canadian Conservation (2018-05-11). "Caring for textiles and costumes - Preventive conservation guidelines for collections". aem. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
↑ "Preservation of Artifacts". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
↑ Ford, Bruce (February 1992). "Monitoring Colour Change in Textiles on Display". Studies in Conservation. Maney Publishing on behalf of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. 37 (1): 1–11. doi:10.2307/1506432. JSTOR 1506432.
↑ "Gas Masks, D-Day and the Asbestos Hazard". ibasecretariat.org. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
↑ Redondo, M. Is Minimal Intervention a Valid Guiding Principle? e-conservation Magazine. No. 5, June 2008. Pp.33-38.
↑ Ward, Phillip R. 1986. Nature of Conservation, A Race Against Time. Santa Monica, CA: The J. Paul Getty Institute. Read: pp. 20-27.
↑ ^10.0 ^10.1 ^10.2 ^10.3 ^10.4 "Treatments". TCW. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
↑ "Winter Wool and Moths: Repairing a Museum-Grade Textile | Unframed". unframed.lacma.org. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
↑ "https://www.westdean.org.uk/study/school-of-conservation/blog/books-and-library-materials/moths-and-uniforms-at-the-museum-of-the-order-of-st-john". West Dean. Retrieved 2019-04-19. External link in |title= (help)
↑ "Winter Wool and Moths: Repairing a Museum-Grade Textile | Unframed". unframed.lacma.org. Retrieved 2019-05-02.
↑ Timar-Balazsy, Agnes. (2012). Chemical Principles of Textile Conservation. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 9781136000348. OCLC 815974805. Search this book on