Large Named Army Air Force WAC Uniform Group

An extraordinarily large and complete uniform and accoutrement group of Sergeant Margaret Zema of Ohio, who served in the Army Air Force in England during World War II as a member of the Womens Army Corps. This is a group that almost literally has “too much to describe”. Many, if not most, of the articles have Sergeant Zema’s name stamp or cloth name tag inside of them. Her Army serial number of A-500221 also appears on many of the items. The group is comprised of the following items:

– Sergeant Zema’s Class “A” uniform, comprised of her olive drab wool WAC tunic and skirt. The uniform jacket has an interior Philadelphia Quartermaster tag dated May 19, 1943, and a stated size of 14 regular. Zema’s cloth name tag is sewn into the jacket collar. The sleeves have Sergeant chevrons while the lower left sleeve has three overseas stripes and a Good Conduct stripe. The Army Air Force collar disks on the uniform are theater made screw back examples that were actually made from British coins (the coins were likely half-pennies, and it was probably more profitable to use the coins to make insignia to sell to the Yanks!). On the left shoulder is the Army Air Force patch while on the right shoulder is the patch of the United States Strategic Air Forces, embroidered on white wool. The tunic has a two place ribbon bar that carries the ribbons of the Army Good Conduct Medal and the Womens Army Corps Service Medal, and with this ribbon bar are pinned the ribbons for the American Campaign Medal, the European Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. On the right breast of the tunic is the embroidered discharge eagle. As noted previously, the uniform includes the olive drab wool skirt.

– Another class “A” uniform, consisting of jacket and trousers, with the uniform pieces being theater in the United Kingdom. The jacket is a British “Battle Dress” style woman’s jacket in olive drab wool, accompanied by olive drab wool pleated trousers. Both pieces have interior manufacturer labels from two contractors in Great Britain. The jacket has clutch back Army Air Force collar disks, Sergeant chevrons, an Army Air Force patch on the left shoulder and a patch of the United States Strategic Air Forces, with olive drab border, on the right shoulder. While the uniform itself was made in Great Britain, the insignia on the jacket is American made.

– A very interesting “Battle Dress” style “jacket” that was actually tailored into a jacket from an olive drab wool enlisted man’s shirt, size 34. Sergeant Zema’s name tag is again found in the collar. The jacket has Sergeant chevrons and an Army Air Force patch on the left shoulder.

– A woman’s HBT fatigue uniform, shirt and trousers, with the shirt being a size “Small” and displaying plain plastic buttons. It looks like Sergeant Zema did some painting while wearing this uniform since it has quite a few paint spots on it.

– Headgear in the group consists of three caps: a wool “Jeep” cap, size small, and two WAC “banana” caps in olive wool. One is size 21 1/2 and the other is size 22. One of the caps has wear to the very front that has left it with two holes.

– Sergeant Zema’s Womens Army Corps issued brown leather shoulder bag.

– Sergeant Zema’s Army issue belted woman’s trench coat in olive green poplin, with a removable blanket wool lining and hood.

– Three pairs of boots. Two pairs are low cut ankle boots and there is a pair of G.I.-style “Buckle boots”. The boots show wear and use.

– Five uniform shirts: one in olive drab wool, size 34, with an Army Air Force shoulder patch; a “pink” wool shirt, size 34; a khaki cotton regulation officer’s shirt, size 14-32. The tail was cut off of this man’s shirt to make it wearable by Sergeant Zema, whose name tag is in the shirt; a khaki cotton shirt on which the cuffs were removed, again presumably to make it wearable; and a khaki cotton shirt with cut off sleeves.

– Uniform neckties, consisting of two wool neckties in khaki and one in “chocolate” colored wool, as well as a wool uniform scarf, a wool undershirt, and wool dress gloves; a WWII cotton sweatshirt with “U.S. Army” and “Fort Brady” on the front.

– A small parachute, tied in a bundle, with a handwritten note reading “This is a parachute I brought home from England during the Second World War.

– The group includes a large amount of paper material that was saved by Sergeant Zema. These items include U.S. Army publications on London and on England as a whole; manuals; publications on the Womens Army Corps; and British postcards.

This is a remarkably large and complete named grouping of uniforms and associated items belonging to a woman who served in the Army Air Force in England during World War II.
While he HBT fatigue uniform and boots show obvious use, and the trench coat shows wear and storage effects, the various class “A” uniforms are in excellent condition.