American WW2 Soldiers Hated These 5 Pieces of Gear

WWII led to the development of some of the most amazing gear and equipment. However, there are also pieces of gear that were not held in high regard by the US soldiers.

1. Sleeping Bags

WWII wool sleeping bags came around in 1944. They were meant to supplement standard wool blankets that soldiers used. Basically, these were thicker wool blanket material that was sewn in the shape of a mummy sleeping bag to seal the heat. Some soldiers say that it’s as warm as two of the normal wool blankets while taking up much less space.

However, many soldiers on the front lines hated them. The men are against the idea of the sleeping bag because they believe they can’t get out of it fast enough. Not being able to get out of your sleeping bag to grab your rifle when under attack could actually get you killed.

2. Gas Masks

While soldiers didn’t necessarily hate the item itself, they hated carrying it. More specifically, having to carry around gas masks instead of other things they want to carry. That’s because most WWII frontline soldiers are constantly on the move. Thus, it wasn’t uncommon for them to carry all of their possessions at any given time.

3. Wool Shirt

Overall, wool shirts are a practical garment. However, some soldiers didn’t like these shirts for one main reason- the wool used to make certain versions of the shirt was very coarse. This irritated the necks of some soldiers.

Wool shirts irritated some soldiers enough that they came up with creative ways to keep the shirts from rubbing on their necks. For instance, troops wearing wool shirts can often be seen wearing makeshift neckerchiefs often made from nylon parachute fabric or some other material.

4. M41 Jacket

This jacket is so iconic and probably it’s the first thing that you picture when you think of a WWII infantryman. However, it had a lot of drawbacks that led it to be replaced.

Firstly, the jacket stopped at the waist which is kind of a mistake since longer jackets are a lot warmer and more practical. The light color of the jacket also has its drawbacks. It didn’t blend in with the dark European foliage in the summer causing some soldiers to turn their jackets inside out so that the dark wool lining would be exposed instead of the light-colored exterior.

These jackets are not supposed to be reversible. When they started wearing jackets with wool lining that was meant to keep them warm from the outside, then we knew that it was not the best jacket for their situation. The pockets of the M41 are the worst part because of the way they’re angled, causing things to fall out easily.

5. Leggings

Leggings were an iconic-looking piece of gear for US soldiers but were generally not well-liked. Leggings were intended to be worn over a soldier’s boots to keep water, rocks, dirt, or mud from getting inside.

However, they take a long time to put on and take off. They also don’t give enough protection from moisture and mud. Soldiers would also complain they would get snagged on things while they were on the move.