After conversion to military status gilt regulation coat Army buttons
replaced the WAAC plastic buttons and the Army Eagle was worn on the cap
instead of the WAAC Eagle. Nevertheless WAC personnel still could wear
the WAAC buttons and cap insignia in a change-over period.
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The members of the WAC continued to wear the already existing WAAC
uniforms - with the noted change of the buttons and cap insignia.
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Officers' WAAC Service Uniform
converted to WAC Service Uniform
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The shoulder straps indicate that
this was a WAAC jacket previously because the shoulder straps were already
replaced by shoulder loops shortly before the conversion into the WAC.
Therefore, the WAAC plastic buttons on the jacket have been replaced by
gilt Army regulation buttons to enable the original owner to continue the
wearing of the uniform.
Note embroidered Army Air Force
patch on the sleeve. Some officers preferred to wear the more expensive
embroidered patches on their best service uniform. |
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WAC Officer's Summer Uniform
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The problem with the closure of the old WAAC jacket that did not
allow comfortable sitting when the jacket was buttoned was changed with
the new issued WAC jackets. The lenght of the jacket was shortened about
2 inches and the spacing between the buttons reduced about 1/2 inch.
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A picture showing the differences very clear can be found here
in the previous part about the WAAC uniforms.
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Note: The WAC officer's summer
uniform is worn with the matching trocpical worsted officer's garrison
cap with gold-black piping. |
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WAC Winter Service Uniform,
Officers'
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The dark olive-drab jacket could
be worn with a matching skirt or with a light shade drab (pink) skirt.
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The photo on the left side shows
the correct wear of the WAC utility purse.
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On the right side the officer's
"pinks and greens" combination is presented. Like here, a pink shirt with
pink tie could be worn underneath the jacket.
Especially, WACs who served within
the Eurpean Theatre of Operations (ETO) preferred to wear male pattern
garrison caps. On the picture a pink male pattern garrison cap is worn.
It was also possible to wear the dark olive-drab winter wool caps with
this outfit. |
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WAC Service Uniform, Enlisted
Women
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Left Side:
Enlisted Summer Service Uniform
worn without jacket. Especially,
during the work or under hot weather conditions the jacket was removed.
The three chevrons indicate the
rank as sergeant.
..
Right Side:
Enlisted Winter Service Uniform
The winter uniform for enlisted
personnel was made of olive drab covert wool. The photo shows the uniform
of a corporal as the two chevrons on the sleeve beneath the Army Air Force
patch indicate. The sloping stripe on the lower sleeve stands for three
years of service while the three small stripes above it indicate each 6
months' period of serving overseas. |
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Extensive revisions of the WAC uniforms were considered in early
1944 due to repeated criticism of several parts of the uniform attire that
proved unsatisfactory in service.
Even in public, the WAC members were considered as the less attractive
dressed servicewomen of all the Armed Forces. This fact was confirmed by
opinion polls.
Most of the changes were approved by May 1944.
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WAC Tropical-Worsted Summer
Uniform, Enlisted Personnel
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Especially welcome was the general issue of summer tropical worsted
uniforms for enlisted WAC personnel during the summer of 1944. Replacing
the stiff cotton twill uniform was an effective change that gave enlisted
WAC members a much more attractive and neat appearance. Additionally, the
WAC
jackets received a new design of the hip pockets. To avoid the appearance
of gaping, the slash pockets were changed from a double welt to a single.
Better padding was used to improve the shoulder line and the the button
closure was respaced on the front to raise the lowest button nearer to
the waist line. Another becoming addition was the newly introduced
cotton chamois (a pale yellow color) dress gloves and a chamois dress scarf
authorized to wear with this summer uniform.
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Uniform, WAC, Summer, Tropical-Worsted,
Khaki, Summer Uniform (dated April 1944) worn with Cap, Garrison, Tropical-Worsted,
WAC Members. Note: new hip pocket design, improved shoulder line, and higher
placed button closure |
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Uniform, WAC, Summer, Tropical-Worsted,
Khaki, Summer Uniform worn with chamois gloves and scarf. |
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On some WWII photos (like shown below) enlisted
WAC members wear tropical worsted summer jackets with shoulder loops. Usually
shoulder loops on service jackets were reserved for officer's attire only.
However, since a number of officer's summer uniforms were left over in
the stock (due to delayed delivery and preferential private purchase) these
were issued to enlisted WAC members additional to the newly produced ones
to guarantee the complete supply of tropical worsted uniforms to all WAC
personnel during the summer 1944.
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Picture Source:
WWII US Army Uniforms
by Shelby L. Stanton, p. 218
Officer's summer jacket with epaulets
and old slit pocket design worn by enlisted personnel. |
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Winter Service Uniform, Officer's
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old pocket design
new pocket design
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Later, the uniform for enlisted personnel
was revised once more. Both the summer and winter service uniform received
shoulder epaulets.
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Winter Service Uniform, Enlisted Women
with new pocket design and shoulder epaulets
(Picture Courtesy: Steve Livingston)
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