T-5 Harness Colors

NOTE: This is all original research by Joshua DeJong and the result of many hours of personal study with archival documents, period photographs, and  original relics. Please don't plagiarize the information. 

        Few topics generate more controversy than the correct shades of WWII gear. And the T-5 parachute harness is no exception. At times it can feel like a veritable minefield of myths, half-truths, and the occasional bold-faced lie. One generation of history enthusiasts stubbornly asserted that white parachutes were standard issue for D-day. Others counter with wild claims of safety yellow harnesses and even pink webbing. Still others remain adamant that anything other than white and OD#7 harnesses is pure fiction. This deep dive will tackle each myth in turn, separating truth from fiction, then illustrate the real colors and demonstrate how you can identify them in period photographs. The story of harness colors begins with the Aircorps standard procedures back in 1941…
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Why white harnesses in the first place?
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            When the T-5 parachute was initially adopted in June 1941, all parachute harnesses were white. Or, in more technical terms, “natural undyed” as opposed to bleached bright white (like many cheap repros today).   Since troop parachutes at this time were designed by the Air Corps, not the army, by default the T-5 fell in line with Air Corps doctrine.  The Air Corps reasoning for white chutes was two-fold. `
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    1)        First and most importantly, parachute materials were traditionally white because dye reduced tensile strength. Parachutes had the dual mandate of high strength, to withstand the force upon parachute deployment, while also being as compact as possible.  Due to a shortage of European flax, the preferred fiber for webbing, cotton was substituted in late 1941. Cotton was considered an inferior material – lower strength with greater bulk. Even with specially cultivated extra-long staple fibers, cotton was still 100 pounds lower in tensile strength and 20% bulkier. The common dyes of the 1940s tended to compound the problem by further reducing the strength, and increasing the bulk. This plays into the story later...

            

Early White Harness (Switlik mfg, May 1942 production) Also note pack of Lucky Strike smokes discarded on the ground

  2)      And secondly, from an economic standpoint, dyed webbing cost significantly more. Costs were often as much as 50% higher on dyed material. While a canopy had a lifespan of 7 years, cotton harnesses were only rated for 2 years outside the continental US before requiring replacement. Thus, the additional cost a dyed harness would be multiplied several times over the lifespan of a single parachute canopy.  For the Air Corps, the functional and cost downsides outweighed any marginal cosmetic benefit. 

Unbuckling the harness to access your weapon (training jump, England)

            Airmen might float to earth and land alone in a quiet field, but paratroopers could often expect to land in a hail of bullets. Camouflage could provide those few additional seconds of concealment needed to doff their chute, and bring their weapon to bear against the enemy with return fire. For airmen, the parachute was a plan of last resort; for paratroopers, it was their primary plan. Intentionally jumping directly into the teeth of the enemy is exactly what those crazy paratroopers aimed to do.​

            With a contested landing scenario in mind, camouflage became an important concern. First on the agenda was the canopy, with its substantial 600 square foot surface. Various camouflage print patterns were tested beginning in November 1942.  Airborne command initially planned to procure parachutes in 50/50 white and camouflage. In March 1943, the now iconic camouflage print pattern was standardized for use. Along with the canopy, the suspension lines, and all external features including the harness were to be camouflaged. And thus, from the spring of 1943 onward, virtually all T-5 harness production shifted to the camouflage model. And here is where many myths abound.

What are the actual colors?  

  
Color #1: Pea Green 
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​            The majority of 1943 production uses the “pea green” webbing shade. This color category can vary slightly from batch to batch, from a bright pea green to duller light olive. Of the three primary color pigments (red, blue, yellow), this color formulation has a high percentage of yellow, and over time fades to a more golden tan  color. This pea green shade typically appears just slightly darker than the standard M-1942 jumpsuit. For jumpsuits treated with CC-2 (as most in Normandy) there will be little to no contrast.
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​Color #2: "Khaki"
            The second shade is a “khaki” color very close to the OD#3 of the jumpsuit. This color is usually seen slightly after the pea green, but both colors were produced concurrently. Less green and more brown/tan, of the three primary colors this color formulation has a heavier red base. This heavier red base leads to a pinkish tint when faded. This color is found extensively on harnesses produced by Highstown Rug Company, although not exclusively. In period photographs, it typically matches the standard M-1942 jumpsuit, and and will be slightly lighter than the CC-2 treated jumpsuits in Normandy.

​Color #3: Olive Drab Shade 7 

          The last color is olive green equivalent to OD#7. This color first shows up sporadically in August 1943 production, although it isn’t regularly seen until later in the year. It is almost universal by the beginning of 1944 production. During this time, the army was rapidly transitioning uniforms and equipment to the darker OD#7 color (think M-1943 uniform), and the parachute harness followed suit. This OD#7 color sharply contrasts against the backdrop of the lighter M1942 jumpsuit in Normandy. For Market Garden & Varsity, it will largely blend into the color of the M-1943 uniform. ​ For Normandy, this color is in the minority.

​Below are two case studies, from operation Varsity and a USA training jump. (click on the pictures to enlarge)

​Myth #1: White harnesses for D-day
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            One common idea is that white harnesses were standard issue for D-day. This largely stems from documentary footage – most period footage seen in D-day documentaries is not actually from D-day. You will be hard pressed to find footage from the actual jump on the night of June 5-6. And, stress NIGHT. When you see DAYLIGHT footage of a jump with white harnesses, you should immediately recognize something is amiss. Some of the most common footage is actually from the Nadzab jump in New Guinea, September 5, 1943. This myth was also pushed in the early 2000s by some of the earliest T-5 reproducers. I still have their 2009 price sheet with their D-day “white harness and static line” model listed.
​          A twist on this myth is the 50/50 white/camouflage notion. One historian remarks that sadly “half of the chutes used on D-Day were camo chutes. The rest had glorious white canopies, which made splendid targets.” This stems from a misunderstanding of the Airborne Command 50/50 initial procurement plan. This was only a temporary policy from early 1943. By the fall of 1943 they were shipping almost exclusively camouflage parachutes to the ETO.  Thankfully, this white harness myth has lost much of its steam over the past 10 years, but still resurfaces from time to time.
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Myth #2: Yellow & Pink Harnesses
  
       Since then, another common claim is that harnesses were made in yellow and even pink. However, remember that camouflage and concealment was the entire purpose of the dyed webbing in the first place. Yellow and pink are generally not recognized for their camouflage abilities. T-5 parachutes were never made with yellow webbing, or pink for that matter. “But,” says the collector, “when surveying surviving relics from the battlefield, many harnesses I see are indeed a dull golden color, and sometimes even have a pinkish hue.”

​True enough, but if you rewound history to 1944, you would not find any yellow or pink harnesses. These colors result from fading. Recalling our prior discussion on dyed materials, many standard dyes typically used for field gear were not suitable for parachutes, due to the loss of tensile strength. New dye formulations were required to maintain the rated 2,900 pound tensile strength. On an item with a lifespan of 2 years, color fastness and fade resistance was not the prime concern. These early dyed harnesses were particularly prone to poor colorfastness, especially after 80 years has passed.
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"Golden" color harness, from faded pea green

Pinkish tinged webbing, faded from Hightstown harness

Myth #3: Only white & OD#7 Harnesses

            In response, another myth, often by more educated collectors, is touted. This myth holds that harnesses were only made in white, and dark olive drab #7. Any color variation is attributed to fading. And indeed, we can point to examples of OD7 webbing that have faded over the years to similar shades. But this alone cannot account for all the variation.

​ A close study of wartime photographs clearly reveals harnesses that are neither white, nor dark OD#7. When examining photos, dark OD#7 webbing will contrast noticeably against the lighter khaki (OD#3) of the M-1942 jumpsuit. Many harnesses do NOT contrast, and are clearly not dark OD#7.