M 1943 field jacket : Sergeant R J Brennan, Royal Australian Air Force

American Army M-1943 heavyweight olive green cotton twill field jacket as issued to Australian forces during the Korean War. The jacket has a concealed six button front closure with a further four buttons at the throat enabling the collar to be turned up and secured against the weather as required. There are two expanding breast pockets and two large internal waist pockets, all having pointed external flaps secured by concealed buttons. The cuffs are secured by a single button, as are the shoulder straps. The jacket is lined with a fine khaki cotton fabric and has a stitched drawstring sleeve at the waist, from which the string has been removed. The size marking '34L' is stamped in black inside the collar. All buttons are brown plastic, several being partially broken.

The 'Jacket, Field, M-1943' was the culmination of a series of attempts by the US Army to provide its troops with a durable windproof and water resistant garment for wear in cold climates. It was also designed for use in extremely cold temperatures by using the 'Jacket, Field, Pile, OD, M-1943' as a liner. This system of garments proved so successful and popular that it remained in service long after the Second World War, and was widely issued to Australian forces during the Korean War, to combat the extreme shortage of efficient Australian cold weather clothing. This jacket was worn by A2407 Sergeant Rex Brennan during his service in Korea. Brennan joined the RAAF in May 1945, and later volunteered to serve with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces, arriving in Japan to join 81 Wing in June 1947. He helped to form, and later manage, a service radio broadcasting unit which received the US call sign WKLU, and after the outbreak of the war in Korea produced a number of recorded broadcasts from the frontline around Taegu, at the limit of the North Korean advance. These broadcasts were later heard in Australia on radio 2CH as 'Report from Korea'. Rex Brennan returned to Australia in January 1951.