Need Information On U.S.M.C. Tank Crew Gear, Circa 1929

[Old Man]

I pretty much build just aeroplanes, but I do have one tank bee buzzing in my bonnet, namely a U.S.M.C. 6-Ton (U.S. Renault FT),operating with the China Expeditionary Force at Tientsin in 1929. I have a 1/72 kit of the tank in question, and some references with reliable marking information, and even a couple of photographs of the wee beasties in China. When I build this, I want to have the hatches open, and the crew in place (they usually were driven this way, and there is something truly odd about the sight of the driver's head through the open hatch in the front of one of these). One stumbling block at this point is that I have no idea what the crew would have been wearing --- some kind of helmet, regular uniform or some sort of jumpsuit? I expect I will have to re-work some 1/72 Airfix pilot figures (I have several nice ones saved aside) for the crew. Any information on this anyone has will be much appreciated.

[Tank]

I will try to look this weekend at the info I have. My guess that any helmet would be a leather similar to early football players and pilots. Best I recall the uniform would be just the regular uniform of the period. Tank uniforms did come along til much later. The equipment shouldn't be to dissimilar to what the Army wore at the time.

[Old Man]

I will try to look this weekend at the info I have. My guess that any helmet would be a leather similar to early football players and pilots. Best I recall the uniform would be just the regular uniform of the period. Tank uniforms did come along til much later. The equipment shouldn't be to dissimilar to what the Army wore at the time.

Thank you, Sir. Even that is something of a help; I am a fish out of water in this area.

[Tank]

Khaki was the field uniform of the day.

http://chinamarine.org/Tientsin/ButlersExpedition.aspx

For a helmet, the WWI style if they wore one.

HTH

[Old Man]

Thank you very much, Sir. It looks like I could put a stetson on the commander, and a leather helmet-cap on the driver, without stretching things too far...

That is a great site. I have a book on the China Marines, but the pictures and ephemera there really bring things home. I did a scratch-build of a VF-10M FB-1 in China several years ago. I should have a picture somewhere, and I will try and hunt up a site (the book-mark was lost with a computer crash) that had a video of some home-movie footage from Tientsin of the Marines, including some of the tanks in training exercises. It was a fascinating incident, and I have a great interest in the history of that period in China.

Edited September 14, 2011 by Old Man

[AgentG]

Khaki shirt, for sure. Forest green wool trousers or khaki trousers depending on the season. Leather football style helmet with or without holes in the crown. Field shoes most likely with leggings. This time period saw blue denim coveralls and bib style overalls as a work uniform. Pith helmets were making an appearence and the standard cover for the field was the "Field Cover". Think smokey the bear hat. Steel helmets were the WW I style.

G