M-1949 Arctic Mittens : US Army

Pair of gauntlet style 'Mittens, Arctic, M-1949' as issued to US Army personnel for wear in very cold climates or conditions. The mittens comprise an inner and an outer glove, the inner being made of wool and cotton, the outer of cotton with thick leather palms and Alpaca backs. The inner glove fits snugly inside the outer, and is retained in place by four brass press studs at the cuff. On the back of each outer glove is a pair of adjustment straps made of green cotton webbing. The inside wrist of the right hand glove is marked in pen with the numeral '47', while the outer wrist of the left hand glove is marked in black ink with the size marking 'S' and a series of Korean characters in blue biro and red felt marker. The mittens are not a pair, the left being marked with the maker's name 'MID-STATE MFG. CO.' and the date '1950', while the right is marked 'GLOBE SPORTING GOODS MFG. CO.' with the date '1951'.

The 'Mitten, Arctic, M-1949' was introduced in 1949 for issue to US Army personnel working in very cold climates or conditions. Such conditions were frequently encountered in winter operations during the war in Korea, and the mittens were widely used by both American and Commonwealth personnel when they could be obtained. Although clumsy, they were suitable for wear in un-pressurised aircraft, where the cold at high altitude could otherwise be intolerable