Original Item: Vintage 1940 - 1945 WWII United States Navy rubberized USN Deck Jacket in size 42. The jacket is in excellent condition, with shearling lining, fur collar and all buttons fully functional zipper. A highly sought after USN deck jacket and finding one in this condition is rare, act quickly!

Since its establishment in October 1775, the United States Navy has grown and developed exponentially over the last 120 years. From the ashes of the Civil War, where maritime warfare was put to the test, to the vast campaigns of the Spanish American War, the beginnings of the Twentieth Century saw the rise of a modern navy.

Under Roosevelt’s administration, the US Navy became the second largest seaborne fighting force in the world (second only to the Royal Navy). But, while the Navy’s power continued to expand, the uniforms of its sailors were still very much of the old school. Using wool as the main source of insulation for colder climates and cotton for cooler environments, the appearance of a US Navy sailor was formal and traditional, with work uniforms not being what they were thirty years later.

From outposts in the North Atlantic to Alaskan station stops, the humble peacoat was the go-to garment for combatting cold weather prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Already in long-standing service, the peacoat had gone through a number of iterations in the first decades of the Twentieth Century. However, its key design principles remained the same and they still do to this day. Made from a body of navy blue heavyweight wool, with a double breasted front, two chest pockets, a large fold down collar (with chinstrap closure for those biting winds when the collar was stood up), brown corduroy pocket linings and limited decorative adornment, it was a beautifully functional and understated piece of military outerwear.

Rising out of the 1930s; an era of economic downturn and depression, the Navy had not seen significant development in its uniforms for many years. Overdue for a re-vamp which coincided with the global scale of the Second World War, the US Navy took the opportunity to develop three separate clothing systems for varying environments.

These would include cold weather, wet weather and tropical weather. With ships stationed everywhere from Dutch Harbor to Oahu and the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean, a uniform was needed for every kind of environment. From photographic evidence and the study of history, it’s clear that the cold weather uniform, commonly now referred to as the N1, was the most popular used by US sailors during WWII.