Original U.S. WWII 82nd Airborne Division M1942 Paratrooper Jump Jacket without Reinforcements with Crown Zipper & Original Belt

Original Item: Only One Available. This Original M1942 Airborne Jump jacket in Olive Drab #3 offered in very good, used condition. The coat consists of four front patch pockets with two button snaps on each top flap, with 2 rows on the pockets, to secure different sized items. The jacket also has a dual-zippered knife pocket located on the upper lapel which was designed to contain a switchblade pocketknife, used to cut the parachute rigging if entangled. The top two pockets were also angled inward to make items easier to retrieve with the opposite hand.

The jacket has an 82nd Airborne Division patch on the left shoulder in fair condition, however the patch has very minor stitching and may have been added later. The jacket shows good service wear with some staining. There are no markings we could find, and there is no tag in the pockets. 

Due to the somewhat fragile nature of the uniform, the M1942 pattern was often reinforced with thicker, tougher canvas on the elbows, crotch and knees. However, this example was never reinforced, indicating early issue. The M42 was worn by Paratroops assigned to Airborne units. The M42 was eventually phased out in favor of the M1943 Uniform which was a darker green, OD #7. Despite this, various individuals chose to keep their M42s in order to show their veteran status.

The CROWN zipper is in good order without any serious damage. There is some stitching loss in spots including one of the shoulder straps and the pockets.

This is a very nice service-worn M1942 jump jacket, ready for display.