For waterproofing their soldiers, the Army in 1938 issued out a rubberized fabric coat. It had no hood - just a collar - and buttoned up in the front. The coat also had two slash pockets which opened in to the jacket to allow access to the uniform underneath. It was not very popular with the troops. Later in the war, a synthetic fabric raincoat became the standard issue.
The favored option, which came out later, was the poncho. The Army began looking at and testing the Marine Corps poncho. By 1943, the Army began field testing ponchos and by 1944, the first issue was reaching troops overseas. The first design of the poncho was hoodless, with only a drawstring at the neck to keep water out. They were also initially made of resin treated cotton, but eventually were made of the same synthetic material that the later raincoats were made of. Snaps on either side of the poncho could be closed in order to form sleeves. The snaps were also part of a plan to be able to dual purpose the poncho as a shelter half, thus knocking out the canvas shelter half and the raincoat at the same time.
We reenact in Southern California. It's not too often where it rains on us enough to want rain protection. Still, it happens, and sometimes it's nice just to have the coat or poncho because that's what the guys had during the war. Original raincoats are tricky to find, especially online, and may be pricey depending on the size. G.I.s never favored the raincoat and opted for the poncho when it got to them. The raincoat can serve as a nice ground cover when it's not raining. The color for either garment shouldn't be too green. If you're going the way of the poncho, remember that the World War 2 style was hoodless. It is possible to take a post-war version and cut the hood off, but I am sure there are some Korean War reenactors who would cringe at the thought.
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