32 Ounce Roll Collar Olive Drab Melton Wool Overcoat based on Specification PQD 164 Dated April 2, 1942. Here with a amphibious unit patch and rank insignia. Plastic buttons.

The WWII melton wool overcoat originated in 1927 when the enlisted man's winter wool uniform went through major design changes. Dating back to WWI, the melton overcoat was a late 19th-century, double breasted, ulster-style design with a standing and falling collar. The new overcoat, approved on 3 March 1927, was notably different in that it was redesigned with more up to date features. The new look included a notched lapel, and convertible, roll collar. These updated features would remain with the overcoat until it was discontinued. Specification PQD 164 was a variant of the WWII overcoat brought about by the urgent need, early in the war, to conserve critical strategic military commodities. The enormous consumptive demand placed on wool and brass by the massive, 6 3/4 pound, full length, overcoat was further compounded by its mandatory issue status. These characteristics made it a priority target for conservation efforts.