Only One Available - During World War II, the Army Amphibious Forces Engineer Special Brigades were created to develop units of men trained in Amphibious warfare. During the war, these brigades saw extensive combat in the European Theatre of Operations, including Sicily, Italy, and Normandy. This jacket belonged to a Technical Sergeant who was awarded the Bronze Star with an Oak Leaf Cluster while serving with the Army Amphibious Forces in Europe.

The jacket is in great condition with very few condition issues. It has U.S. & Engineer collar discs, Technical Sergeant rates on both sleeves, two overseas service bars denoting 12-17 months overseas on the left cuff, an Army Amphibious Forces patch on the left shoulder, an Engineer Special Brigade seahorse patch on the left breast pocket, a Marksman ladder badge with Rifle, Ex. Pistol, and Carbine bars, and a 3-place ribbon bar. The ribbon bar has a Bronze Star with an OLC, an Army Good Conduct Medal, and European African Middle-Eastern Campaign Medal with three campaign stars and an arrowhead device. The Arrowhead Device denotes participation in an amphibious assault, parachute jump, or glider landing. The jacket is unnamed.

The tag on the interior right pocket reads “Jackets, Field, Wool, O.D. Stock No. 53-J-384-595 Size 36R T.D.M. Clothing Mfg. Corp. Cont. W36-030-44 qm.5976 Dated June 8, 1944 Pattern Date 5/12/44 Spec. P.Q.D. No. 437 Phila. Q.M. Depot”

Concept and development

At the onset of direct American involvement in World War II, it was obvious that the U.S. military would need a large strategic and tactical amphibious capability. In 1941, the United States' amphibious forces were divided into two corps: one Atlantic; one Pacific. Both amphibious corps were combined Army and Marine Corps commands, administered by the U.S. Navy. The Atlantic Corps consisted of the 1st Infantry Division and the 1st Marine Division, and the Pacific Corps consisted of the 3rd Infantry Division and the 2nd Marine Division. As this set-up quickly proved itself unwieldy, the Joint Staff surprisingly appointed the U.S. Army, and not the Marine Corps, to develop doctrine for sustained amphibious operations. On 20 May 1942, the Army activated its Amphibious Training Command at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. Subsequently, the Army also activated the Engineer Amphibian Command.

Initially, the Amphibious Training Command (later, Amphibious Training Center) was tasked to train no fewer than 12 Army divisions (including 1 armored division) in amphibious operations. As the war progressed, the Marine Corps expanded to six divisions and the Army and the Navy began to fight over the procurement and assignment of landing craft and other amphibious assault equipment, resulting in the Army's decision to ultimately close the Amphibious Training Center. Per its agreement with the Navy, the Army continued to train Engineer Amphibian Brigades, for while the Marine Corps was adept at the initial waves of amphibious assaults, the Marine Corps had yet to create an effective doctrine concerning subsequent support waves. This task fell to the EABs.

Deployment & Subordinate Units

The 1st, 5th, and 6th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the European Theater of Operations, while the 2nd and 4th Engineer Special Brigades were assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. The 3rd Engineer Special Brigade was assigned directly to the Amphibious Training Center; responsible for the training of various Army units in amphibious warfare until the dissolution of the Amphibious Training Center. It was then assigned to the Pacific Theater of Operations. The 1st Engineer Special Brigade was the only ESB to fight in both theaters of the war.

The various subordinate engineer boat, engineer amphibian, and engineer shore regiments were all redesignated as engineer boat & shore regiments (EB&SR) by the end of the war.