US Army Camo uniforms in ETO?

[hellfish]

I just came across a picture today showing US Paratroopers and mech units wearing camo uniforms in Normandy. I think the paratroopers were 82nd AB and the mech folks were from, according to the bumper IDs on their HTs from the 2nd Armored Division's 41st Infantry.

Any insight? Was this a fluke? Misrepresented picture?

[MikeyD]

I'm working from VERY VERY distant memory here, but I believe a few units did have pacific-style camou uniforms in Europe but they were pulled quickly when it was realized that G.I.s tended to equate camou uniforms with SS uniforms, with the resulting friendly-fire incidents.

[Roach]

As far as I am aware for certain (and even then I am probably wrong!), the only units in the ETO that briefly wore the camouflage uniform were elements of the 30th Infantry Division and the 17th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Armoured Division.

[easy-v]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Roach:

As far as I am aware for certain (and even then I am probably wrong!), the only units in the ETO that briefly wore the camouflage uniform were elements of the 30th Infantry Division and the 17th Engineer Battalion of the 2nd Armoured Division.<hr></blockquote>

Yeah, what Roach said, and the uniform used the same "duck hunting" camo pattern printed on the late herring bone twill (HBT) uniform. I've seen these at gunshows, and I think US Cav makes a repro of them. The primary reason why they weren't implemented on a wide scale is that the GI's were accustomed to seeing SS and FJ in camo, and that at that point in time, introducing camo uniforms would only introduce a complicating factor. It was also felt that the then present OD uniform did an adequate job of blending in with the environment

...what you may have seen were someparatroopers (notably the pathfinders) spray painted their jump suits (they did not look like the mod in question). Of all branches of the infantry, you are more likely to see field customizations among the airborne