Artillery HBT Tunic - Opinions?

[LDR]

Can anyone give their opinions on this HBT tunic? I have compared it with reference and other photos of HBT tunics on the forum and i like what i see. However i am no expert, this being the first HBT tunic i have handled.
THe eagle has gone, though the thread and slight remnants of the backing are visible. The shoulder boards have also gone, but again there are signs of the dark green boards under the seam, so presume they were sew on ones.
Also it appears to have the chest darts, everyone talks about.
Inside is stamped T42.
Anyway here are some pictures, please let me know if more are required.

Thank you.

Front:


Back:



Inside:


Collar Tabs:



Collar Back:


Collar Catch:


Collar Buttons:



Eagle Front Remains:


Eagle Reverse:


Pocket:


Internal Pocket:


Shoulder Board Remains - can see where it was sewn in:



Buttons Rings:


Stamp:


Belt Holes Outside:


Belt Holes Inside:


Cuff Button:



Cuff End:

[Johnny R]

Tunic

Original "2nd pattern" HBT tunic with original insignia removed and per/early war enlisted tabs sewn on. I would restore it with mid-war insignia. Nice solid tunic, no question on the originality. This is the hardest to find pattern in HBT. A Keeper.

[LDR]

Thanks for the reply. The tabs look like they have been on there along time, would these have been sewn on during the war?

[TONY Q.W.]

Thanks for the reply. The tabs look like they have been on there along time, would these have been sewn on during the war?

LDR, look behind the collar for any previous stitching marks from previous collar tabs. If you don't see any then the current tabs are original to the tunic.

[LDR]

I've had a look and there are a lot of threads on the back, which makes it hard to tell.
However i have taken some pictures, and ringed some bits of thread which may be old thread..i 'm not sure:

Red rings show thread that appears to be attached to nothing:


Blue shows thread from current tabs:


Bearing this in mind, do people think these are replaced (at the time or post war), and what sort of value would you put on this HBT?

Thanks

Lewis

[JPhilip]

This is the hardest to find pattern in HBT. A Keeper.

Hello,
IMO the hardest pattern to find in HBT is not the M42, but the M41 which was produced in low quantity before this one appeared (only talking about 4 pockets HBT tunics of course, otherwise there are more scarce ones...)

[CWP]

The early tabs you show would not have been attached at the factory but could have been put on during the war. Sewing early insignia on later tunics seems to have been a widespread practice. The sewn-in boards are not factory either and were probably also of an earlier vintage than the tunic. I would keep the tabs on.

[LDR]

Thanks Chris, the tabs do look like they have been there for some time.

Why was it practice to put on early tabs, were they higher quality or just looked better?

[CWP]

I think it was personal preference. As insignia changed, some soldiers may have enjoyed wearing the earlier insignia because it made them look like a veteran or set them apart from the new recruits. The soldier may have been proud of being an Artillerist and liked wearing the branch color on the tabs. Or he just thought it looked better.

[LDR]

Can anyone give me an approximate value, bearing in mind the eagle and shoulder boards have been removed?

[LDR]

A couple more things i forgot to mention. If the boards werent sewn in from the factory, then wouldnt there be marks left for the shoulder loops? I cannot see any marks or holes left if loops have been removed.
Also both the top pockets and lower right pocket flaps are are sewn down with one thread in each corner holding them down...almost like you find a new suit. Would these have been sewn down at the factory when first made?

[LDR]

Does anyone know why the pocket flaps are sewn down in each corner?

Can anyone give me a fair value on this jacket?

Thanks

ldr

[airborne_steve]

After looking at these pictures, I believe the original tabs are still attached under the earlier tabs. I think you can see a sewing line on the back side of the collar.

I would say that the tunic is worth around $700+

Steve

[LDR]

Thanks Steve, you may be right on regarding the tabs, as on the backs of both of them there is what looks like a line of stitch going length ways, just under half way up. I presume the original tabs would have been quite abit thinner in width?
So how do i tell without pulling the other tabs off!

Do you know why the flaps are sewn down each corner? Would they have left the factory like that?

[airborne_steve]

The pocket flaps (I assume) are sewn on the end flaps. My guess is that this was done, by the solider, so that he wouldn't look like a rag-bag. I did the same thing to my Army BDUs, I tacked down the pocket flaps on the end tips to give my uniform a pressed look without having to iron it. If you wash an cotton uniform it comes out of the dryer looking like a mess and having pockets already flat to the tunic makes it easier to press.

Steve