Unconverted M38 smock late war

[Gran Sasso]

Unusual to see one of those unconverted so late:

[Sergey K.]

Not often, Patrick, really. What date you think this photo made ? Probably got it from training school at the late stage of the war ? And looking to this photo I think he must feel very hot wore this smock while allies dressed much more lighter..

[Willi Z.]

One veteran of the 4th FJD I know very well wore a splinter 3rd model smock, but it became soaked in blood after providing first aid to a comrade in May of 1944 in Italy. He received a new smock and it turned out to be an unconverted green step-in. He hated the damn thing, and when he was captured in June near Rome, he couldn't wait to ditch it.

So, obviously unconverted smocks were still on the supply chain. And as Sergey mentioned, when the schools were shut down in the middle of 1944, DD helmets and green smocks were issued from the schools. It does appear, however, that these seem to have been given out to FJ formations in Holland in the fall of 1944. As FJ formations were being rebuilt to replace the losses in Normandy.

I suspect this photo was taken in Italy.

[Eric Queen]

Makes you wonder if the M38 > M42 leg conversion could have been done but without adding the M40 pockets. Difficult (for me) to tell from this photo.