This page will catalog some information related to reenacting US airborne divisions during WW2. I have an 82nd Airborne impression that I don’t often use. It’s a secondary impression that I’ll occasionally pull out but I’ve acquired various documents related to the 82nd in crafting the impression.
Geronimo US Airborne Uniforms Insignia and Equipment in World War II. Bill Rentz, 1999. Schiffer Military History. Atglen, PA
The images below are some high-quality pdf scans that came out of the book. Shows the 82nd in North Africa, individual equipment issued prior to a jump, how patches were sewn on, medical harness equipment, Arm Identification flag examples, 82nd patch examples, and stenciled jump jacket among others. For a complete view you can download the pdfs in a zip file here.
82nd Airborne in Normandy: A History in Period Photographs. Francois, Dominique. 2004. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History.
The images below are some high-quality scans that come out of the book. Shows aid station images, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment Basketball Team, beer drinking, dropping supply bundles, private photos taken before departing for Normandy, individual equipment, parachuting dogs, The Tennessee Maneuvers, and others.
At the Point of No Return: Pictorial History of the American Paratroopers in the Invasion of Normandy
Michel de Trez, 1994 D-Day Publishing, Belgium
The images below are some high-quality scans that come out of the book. It has examples of rigger-modified medical pouches and kits, platoon demo kits, and individual demo kits, as well as a few pictures of first aid and soldiers taking positions prior to an attack.
Why 1st Aid Kits on 17th Abn Div Helmet Nets by Lt Col David P. Schorr – This is a short document from the School of Combined Arms (Regular Course) 1946-1947. Schorr was the Executive Officer of the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment. It provides a brief explanation as to why the first aid kits were attached to the front of the helmet. Spoiler: It provides a distinctive outline making “friendlies” easily recognizable in the dark. Now obviously, it only applies to the 17th Airborne Division around Operation Varsity but “attaching stuff to a helmet during a jump” was also something done by the 82nd and 101st on other jumps. It makes it easier to carry more stuff into combat.