American Red Cross
(ARC)
. ...III. Uniforms
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-. Insignia
-. Service and Dress Uniform
Part I..Part II
-. Work Attire
-. Miscellaneous
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Service and Dress Uniform - Part I
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ARC Winter Uniform
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The blue-gray ARC winter outdoor uniform could be worn by all qualified volunteers and staff members qualified and paid by the American Red Cross.
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Copyright by BLITZKIREGBABY
.. It consisted of a single-breasted jacket with matching six-gore skirt. The jacket had big bellows type pockets on each hip and a convertible collar that could be worn with the collar buttoned or open. 

Bronze ARC insignia was pinned on each side of the collar parallel to its edge. The Red Cross patch was sewn on the upper left sleeve an inch below the shoulder seam. If a volunteer bar was worn, it was sewn one-half inch below the Red Cross patch. 

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Removable colored epaulets indicated the corps in which the wearer of the uniform was serving (Overview of the various corps colors under the ARC insignia section ). Paid staff and unenrolled members wore plain epaulets. The epaulets were fastened with two ARC buttons onto the jacket.

A white shirt with the round ARC enrollment pin placed at neck level was worn underneath the jacket. Unenrolled volunteers and paid stuff wore the Red Cross pin at the neck of the shirt. The collar had to be kept inside the uniform.

Nevertheless, several wartime pictures (especially of Red Cross members serving overseas) show the shirt's collar worn outside the uniform due to its better working comfort and more stylish appearance. Such wearing of the shirt was a technical breach of American Red Cross directives because it did not use the Red Cross pin and additionally covered the collar insignia. 
On some pictures one can see that this problem was solved with fastening the Red Cross pin at one side of the shirt's collar and the ARC insignia on the other side.

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Copyright by BLITZKIREGBABY
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The uniform was worn with a visored cap made of the same material as the suit or coat. The cap had a self bow in the front with a Red Cross pin placed in the center of the bow. 
Black shoes were worn at all times. Natural colored silk or cotton stockings were prescribed as authorized hosiery. Black gloves were worn for everyday use, and white gloves were required for dress occasions. 
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ARC Summer Uniform
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Copyright by BLITZKIREGBABY
... The summer uniform was made of a lightweight gray Palm Beach material.  During World War II, Palm Beach was a trademark fabric made in plain or twill weave with cotton warp and mohair filling (named for Palm Beach, Florida). The jacket was closed with three ARC buttons and had two hip pockets with buttoned flaps. Like the winter uniform, it was worn with removable colored epaulets. 
The headgear was a matching ARC visored cap of the same design as the winter cap.
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
ARC Summer Visor Cap
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ARC Topcoat
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A matching box style topcoat could be worn with the winter uniform. 
It was single-breasted with a 4-button front, small collar and vent back. Like the outdoor uniforms, it was worn with removable shoulder epaulets fastened with two ARC buttons. 
The coat was equipped with a button-in detachable red flannel lining. It had a green lining and green epaulets when worn by members of the ARC Motor Corps.

A matching summerweight coat in the same design as the winter coat could be worn over the summer uniform.

.. Picture Source: Recruiting Poster Volunteer for Victory
Winter outdoor uniform and matching topcoat
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Copyright by BLITZKIREGBABY
ARC Winter Overcoat
.v Besides the 4-button topcoat, American Red Cross members could also wear a different styled overcoat that was closed with two ARC buttons at the waistline. If more protection was required, the coat could be closed high with a button under the collar. This coat had wide lapels. Removable epaulets could be attached. The coat was equipped with a detachable red flannel lining.
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Copyright by BLITZKIREGBABY
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Some Red Cross branches like the ARC Military Welfare Corps, the Motor Corps and the ARC Clubmobile service provided their members additional distinctive outdoor uniforms.
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American Red Cross Motor Corps
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Motor Corps Winter Uniform (Coatdress)

The winter coatdress was made of gray-blue cavalry twill.  During World War II, cavalry twill was a rugged and strong double-twill woven fabric made of worsted wool. The single-breasted dress was closed with six ARC buttons. The four large patch pockets had pointed, buttoned flaps. 

Picture Source: Who is Who in Uniform, Street and Smith Publication, ca.1942/43A white shirt with a black four-in-hand-tie was worn underneath the dress. The black leather belt was two inches wide. A black pouch was attached to the belt on the left side.
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The uniform was worn with black shoes and beige or gray cotton or rayon hose. Black or gray gloves were used for everyday wear, while white gloves were required for dress occasions.
 

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The collars had green collar tabs with center black stripes and button fastenings at the upper ends. The ARC insignia was pinned at the lower end of each collar tab.

The Motor Corps Volunteer Pin was worn on the left lapel and the Motor Corps patch was sewn on the upper left sleeve with the emergency first aid emblem (for qualified members) one-half inch below.
Rank insignia were worn on the epaulets.

The coatdress was worn with an overseas cap made of the same material and trimmed with a green piping. The Red Cross pin was worn on the left front of the cap.

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Motor Corps Summer Uniform
(Coatdress)

Members of the Motors Corps wore a double-breasted gray-blue spun rayon coatdress during the summer months. It was closed with eight ARC buttons, had four patch pockets with buttoned flaps, sleeve tabs and shoulder epaulets. 

The distinctive ARC insignia were placed in the same way as on the winter coatdress. 

A white detachable dickey or shirt with a black four-in-hand-tie was worn underneath the dress.

A plain overseas cap made of rayon completed the outfit. The Red Cross pin was worn on the left front portion of the cap.

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Motor Corps Seersucker Uniform
(Coatdress)

The blue seersucker uniform was buttoned down the front with black ARC plastic buttons.

It was equipped with a self-material belt, a breast patch pocket and two vertical slit hip pockets.

The ARC Motor Corps patch was sewn on the upper left sleeve and green colored epaulets were worn on the shoulders. The Motor Corps Volunteer pin was fastened on the left lapel. It was worn with a matching visored seersucker service cap.

The seersucker uniform was introduced during the war because because of its comfort and laundering ease.

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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Picture Source: American Women in Uniform by Mary Steel Ross, 1943, p.13
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Motors Corps Topcoat

The Motor Corps topcoat was made of gray-blue cavalry twill. It had wide lapels, sleeve tabs, a single-breasted front that closed with four ARC buttons and a belt of self-material. 

The coat was worn with green epaulets and the Motors Corps patch sewn on the upper left sleeve. 

The coat was equipped with a detachable green Arlac flannel lining. The flannel was cotton napped on one or both sides to imitate wool, which was in wartime short supply.

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Motor Corps Topcoat
(Variation)

This Motor Corps topcoat variation was also made of gray-blue cavalry twill. It had a double breasted front, sleeve tabs and four large patch pockets with pointed, buttoned flaps. 

The collars had green collar tabs with center black stripes. The ARC insignia was pinned at the lower end of each collar tab and the Motors Corps patch  was sewn on the upper left sleeve. 

 

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Copyright by BLITZKRIEGBABY
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continue to:
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Insignia
Service and Dress Uniform
Part I...Part II
Work Attire
Miscellaneous
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[ I. Development ]..[ II. Facts about the ARC ]..[ III. Uniforms ]..[ IV. Sources ]
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