In early 1943, the Army Quartermaster Corps began looking at a shorter wool service coat as the current 4-pocket service coat was not functional for field operations. General Eisenhower enjoyed the look and functionality of the British Battle Dress coat that they were using and asked his Chief Quartermaster to produce a version of their own. Thus, the "Ike Jacket" was born.
The Ike, also known as the ETO jacket, was shorter than the 4 pocket service coat and ended in a waist band that could be sinched to snugness. The button front and breast pockets had their buttons concealed to reduce catching on equipment. There are also two inside breast pockets. The garment was made with field washing in mind. So, the shoulder pads were made of a washable material, which eliminated the need of dry cleaning. The front breast pockets were pleated, to allow for more storage and the collar could be turned up to keep the neck warm.
The Ike Jacket became standardized for issue in mid-1944. Later that year, the Service Coat became superceded by the Ike and fell to a limited standard. The jacket was intended for dual purpose. It was designed to be worn under the M43 jacket, serving as a second liner. The coat was also designed big to accomodate layering underneath, such as sweatshirts and the wool shirt. However, because troops issued the new Ike weren't issued a Service Coat, the new jacket proved to be to big when used alone as a dress uniform. As a result, many soldiers went and had their Ike jackets fitted so that they were snug... effectively reducing their intended field purpose.
As mentioned above, Ike Jackets didn't really get to the troops on the front until almost the end of the war. Just as well as the pace of the advance was swift and didn't allow for much time back at garrison, if at all. Once again, it must be restated that there are not many events that we attend where the unit is garrisoned. So, this type of jacket should be last on your shopping inventory.
When looking for a proper Ike jacket, the most important thing to look for is size. Remember, soldiers did a lot of alterations, especially on these jackets, so what is printed on the jacket may not fit true to that size. Always best to get measurements if you're not able to try it on yourself. Like the service coat, there is little variation, save for the waist band, which may extend past the front button fly with snaps or end at the fly with a plastic button.
The Ike Jacket above was actually worn by a veteran who was a corporal attached to TASCOM (Theater Army Support Command) stationed in France after the Korean War.
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