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Since the publication of what is now Volume One of the GI Collector Guide five years ago, its unmitigated success and the many contacts I have been able to entertain with other avid collectors the World over have compelled me to update this first attempt.
Volume Two contains an overwhelming majority of new collectables, especially regarding the Draft, the induction and training of recruits, the WAC, the Medical Department, the Corps of Chaplains, the Military Police, the Signal Corps and the small personal possessions of every GI. Several chapters, such as Uniforms and Equipment are now exhaustive thanks to major additions.
I wish you a happy reading and invite you to read again the foreword to Volume One, as my approach to the subject has not changed since.
Ever since my younger years, I have been interested in my country's historic past, especially in the Second World War and the United States Army. I was fascinated by the tremendous power it brought to bear to overcome the enemy. This army not only supplied its soldiers with the most modern equipment and uniforms, suitable for any combat situation, but went as far as treating them with their favorite drinks or candy bars.
I started collecting in the early eighties and I always strove to acquire items in the best possible condition, as their markings, when still readable, provide a wealth of information about manufacture dates and models. My only source then was a photocopy of the 1943 Quartermaster Corps Supply Catalog 3-1, but many books and articles on the subject have been published since.
I have aimed in this book to gather as much information as possible on the uniforms and equipment of the American soldier in Europe during the 1943-1945 period. All the while, I cannot boast that all will be told here, as it is most likely that future research will uncover more material.
The purpose of this book is also to assist the enthusiast in his quest for authentic items while the militaria market is nowadays « infected » with numerous repros, notwithstanding the leftovers from the wardrobes of recent American war movies and TV serials.
I hope that young collectors reading this book will be attracted to American WW2 militaria, so that the sacrifice of those who fought for the liberation of Europe is not forgotten.
Henri-Paul Enjames
