The Real McCoy's
MA26001
Cotton Herringbone Twill
GREEN
The REVERSIBLE FROGSKIN CAMOUFLAGE APRON has been made from a herringbone twill frogskin camouflage cotton and can be adjusted using the olive drab herringbone twill draw cord mechanism. The bag features a reinforced single large apron pocket, one-size waist lashings, single needle construction and bar tack reinforcements.
The Red Cross Apron Bag or ‘Ditty Bag’, as it was commonly known, was used for both field and personal items by soldiers during the first and second world wars. This example can be worn as a small apron tied around the waist, or tied around the shoulder. These bags were made and filled by volunteers who would pass them on to soldiers being treated at Red Cross Hospitals. On occasions where a soldier would have areas of their uniform cut away such as pockets, the Ditty bag could also be on hand to transport any personal items that they were carrying.
The frogskin camouflage has been developed through close study of deadstock examples, with careful attention paid to the green tones and even the twist of the yarn. The print is applied using dyes in the same manner as the original, allowing it to fade over time and gradually shift toward the yellowed tones commonly seen in vintage pieces.
The pattern entered service in 1942 following an urgent request from Douglas MacArthur for a large quantity of jungle combat uniforms. The initial production run consisted of reversible garments printed on white HBT fabric. One side featured a green, multi-tonal pattern intended for jungle environments, while the reverse used lighter tan and brown tones for beach and shoreline operations in the Pacific.
The camouflage itself was developed by Norvell Gillespie, a San Francisco-based horticulturalist with a background in botanical observation. Rather than drawing from existing military precedents, Gillespie studied natural concealment, specifically the way amphibians blend into their surroundings. The irregular, organic spotting of a frog’s skin became the conceptual basis for the pattern. When issued to troops, the uniforms were quickly nicknamed “frogskin suits,” a term that endured long after official use ended.
Despite its innovative intent, early field feedback was mixed. Marines operating in dense Pacific jungle environments reported that the green side of the pattern appeared too bright and high-contrast to provide effective concealment. The camouflage also saw limited deployment with the Army, including use on the one-piece M-1942 suit in the European theater. There, the pattern’s visual similarity to certain German camouflage designs contributed to several documented friendly-fire incidents. As a result, enthusiasm for the pattern declined during the war years.
The Marine Corps continued development based on combat feedback, resulting in the P1942 two-piece uniform, which offered greater practicality and storage capacity. A further refinement followed in the form of the P1944 reversible two-piece uniform. However, by the time the P1944 entered broader circulation, the war in the Pacific had already ended. Camouflage garments were still considered limited-issue equipment, and production numbers for P1944 were comparatively low.
Although the wartime lifespan of frogskin camouflage was brief, its postwar influence was substantial. Large quantities of surplus uniforms were released after 1945, and returning servicemen frequently wore them for hunting and outdoor work. Their effectiveness in marsh and woodland settings did not go unnoticed, and commercial manufacturers soon adapted the pattern for civilian use. In this context, frogskin became widely known as “duck hunter camouflage.”
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