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US ARMY SERVICE SHIRT, PATTERN 1911 – RARE MEXICAN
PUNITIVE EXPEDITION UNIFORM ITEM - IN EXCELLENT,
UNISSUED LIKE NEW CONDITION – JEFFERSONVILLE
QUARTERMASTER DEPOT TAG INTACT: One of the
scarcer and most sought after pieces of early Twentieth
Century US Army uniforming, and commonly associated with
the 1916 Mexican Punitive Expedition.
As described on pages 11-12 of Uniforms and Equipment
of the Last Campaign 1916 by William Machado, and
shown in numerous photographs throughout the work, the
Pattern 1911 Service Shirt was a collared pull over
style and manufactured of the same wool as the service
coat and trousers. The shirt featured two breast pockets
covered with buttoned flaps, three plastic buttons
closing the placket, and the sleeves were reinforced with
rounded elbow patches.
Considering these shirts were issued from the time
before the Punitive Expedition, during the First World
War, through the 1920’s and 30’s, and to some extent,
were issued from surviving stocks during World War Two,
the survival rate of these 1911 Shirts in collections
today is fairly low.
I have the specimens of this rare shirt listed below,
each described individually with accompanying
photographs.
NOTE:
Photographing wool material presents some interesting
challenges in lighting and contrast. It results in a
trade off between trying to maintain the accurate and
consistent coloring between photographs and providing
sufficient detail of specific features. Any variations
in the coloring you see in the photographs below is due
to the limitations of the photography and is not due to
fading, bleached areas, or discoloration of the
material.
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NO. 1
US ARMY SERVICE SHIRT, PATTERN 1911: This
Pattern 1911 Service Shirt has survived the years in
like new, unissued condition.
This specimen, correct with all the above mentioned
features, is literally in like new condition, obviously
never issued as it retains the full Jeffersonville
Quartermaster Depot size and maker’s paper tag on the
inside of the back of the neck, still attached with the
large basting stitches which are sewn over the exterior
edge of the back of the collar. If this shirt had ever
been worn, this tag would certainly have been removed
before the solider put it on.
The material is in
excellent condition with no sign of discoloration, wear,
or damage, and most importantly, there is no moth
damage. All of the seams are intact, all of the
original buttons are present, and the label is full form
and very legible. That this shirt survived
without being issued, and in this excellent condition,
defies all probability. (0426) $550
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NO. 2 US
ARMY SERVICE SHIRT, PATTERN 1911:
Correct with all the above mentioned features, this
Pattern 1911 Service Shirt was issued and worn, but has
survived the years in respectable condition.
The material is in very
good condition with no discoloration and no weakening of
the fibers. As shown in the photos below, there is a
small (˝”) hole along the seam under the right armpit
area, and a small (˝”) in the right sleeve immediately
above the elbow patch. There is a few spots of minor
staining as shown in the photos, but nothing that is
particularly noticeable without close inspection. Most
importantly, there is no moth damage. All of the seams
are intact, and all of the original buttons are
present.
In spite of being issued
and obviously worn, this shirt has still survived in
very nice condition, and it is a credible example of a
very rare Pattern 1911 shirt.
(1103) $350
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