Original Item: Only One Available. This is a good service-worn example of an original U.S. Army WWII Parka, Arctic, Outer Cover, manufactured by H.P. Shapiro & Co. under a Quartermaster Corps contract dated November 14, 1942. Developed for extreme cold-weather use, garments of this type formed part of the specialized winter clothing issued to American personnel operating in arctic and mountainous environments during World War II, including troops undergoing mountain and winter warfare training.

The original Quartermaster label remains sewn inside the front pocket and reads:

PARKA, ARCTIC, OUTER
COVER
LONG
H.P. SHAPIRO
& CO. INC.
P.O. No. 6617
Dated Nov. 14, 1942
Q.M.C. Tent. Spec.
P.Q.D. No. 290
Dated 10/23/42
Stock No. 55-P-3770
Phila. Q.M. Dept.
Inspector

The label is especially useful in dating this example, with the November 14, 1942 purchase order placing its manufacture during the period when the U.S. Army was rapidly expanding and refining specialized equipment for cold-weather and mountain operations. The designation LONG identifies the garment's issued size or length classification, while the Philadelphia Quartermaster Depot information reflects the Quartermaster Corps procurement system responsible for developing and supplying specialized clothing during the war.

The fur collar is in fair shape but the material is a bit fragile. One of the two grommets for the tightening strap is gone with the fabric torn around it. The tie strings are retained but the one side is loose due to the missing grommet. The buttons are retained and the material has held up well.

The U.S. Army devoted considerable effort during the early years of World War II to developing clothing suitable for troops expected to operate in severe winter climates. Specialized parkas, overgarments, insulated clothing, ski equipment, and other cold-weather items were particularly important to units training for mountain warfare, most famously the troops that ultimately formed the 10th Mountain Division, as well as personnel stationed in Alaska and other northern environments. This outer parka belongs to that broader wartime effort to equip American soldiers for conditions far beyond those encountered in ordinary temperate-zone field service.

With its intact and highly informative H.P. Shapiro & Co. Quartermaster label, November 1942 contract date, surviving fur collar, original fastening hardware, and honest service wear, this is a strong example of early-war U.S. Army specialized cold-weather clothing. The surviving procurement information provides unusually precise documentation for the garment's manufacture and places it squarely within the Army's wartime expansion of arctic and mountain equipment during the first full year of American participation in World War II.

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: ~13
Shoulder to sleeve: 25
Shoulder to shoulder: 26
Chest width: 28
Waist: 28.5
Hip: 27
Front length: 36