US Personnel ID No.s?

still looking but

http://home.att.net/~steinert/us_army_ww2_dog_tags.htm

looks rather usefull for a start.

First number (or letter) is wheter you are regular army, draftee, officer etc, second number is where your from, or so I gather at least.

What is the number Matt?

In that 'big book of Yanks' there is a copy of the 'what you should write on your gear' page which might reveal if it is an abreviated labeling or not. But I'm at work so can't check it.

'A' is apparently the prefix for WAC (Army).

Women's Army Corps

So it might be a lady's HBT jacket!

Nope... Just and abreviated number. I'm getting there

'1. Marks required; where placed. - Clothing will be marked on the inside of each garment with the initial letter of the enlisted man's last name, followed by a dash and the last four figures of the enlisted man's Army serial number, for example, W-6046.'

So it beloned to a person who's last name began with 'A', and the last 4 digits of his Serial Number was '1852'

This is fun.

Nope... Well It could be... Though it is marked with an abreviated number.

I'm getting there

'1. Marks required; where placed. - Clothing will be marked on the inside of each garment with the initial letter of the enlisted man's last name, followed by a dash and the last four figures of the enlisted man's Army serial number, for example, W-6046.'

So it beloned to a person who's last name began with 'A', and the last 4 digits of his Serial Number was '1852'

This is fun.

Right, the first digit (or two digits) of a standard serial number tell you whether he had enlisted, or had been drafted through the Selective Service, and whether he had been a National Guardsman in his home state. the next digit along tells you which Corps Area he was from.

Regular Army Numbers start with a 1
1st Corps Area - 11,000,000 to 11,999,999
2nd Corps Area - 12,000,000 to 12,999,999
3rd Corps Area - 13,000,000 to 13,999,999
4th Corps Area - 14,000,000 to 14,999,999
5th Corps Area - 15,000,000 to 15,999,999
6th Corps Area - 16,000,000 to 16,999,999
7th Corps Area - 17,000,000 to 17,999,999
8th Corps Area - 18,000,000 to 18,999,999
9th Corps Area - 19,000,000 to 19,999,999
Hawaiian Department - 10,100,000 to 10,199,999
Panama Canal Department - 10,200,000 to 10,299,999
Philippine Department - 10,300,000 to 10,399,999
Puerto Rican Department - 10,400,000 to 10,499,999

National Guard - Numbers starting with 20
1st Corps Area - 20,100,000 to 20,199,999
2nd Corps Area - 20,200,000 to 20,299,999
3rd Corps Area - 20,300,000 to 20,399,999
4th Corps Area - 20,400,000 to 20,499,999
5th Corps Area - 20,500,000 to 20,599,999
6th Corps Area - 20,600,000 to 20,699,999
7th Corps Area - 20,700,000 to 20,799,999
8th Corps Area - 20,800,000 to 20,899,999
9th Corps Area - 20,900,000 to 20,999,999
Hawaiian Department - 20,010,000 to 20,019,999
Puerto Rican Department - 20,020,000 to 20,029,999

'Draftees' - Numbers starting with 3
1st Corps Area - 31,000,000 to 31,999,999
2nd Corps Area - 32,000,000 to 32,999,999
3rd Corps Area - 33,000,000 to 33,999,999
4th Corps Area - 34,000,000 to 34,999,999
5th Corps Area - 35,000,000 to 35,999,999
6th Corps Area - 36,000,000 to 36,999,999
7th Corps Area - 37,000,000 to 37,999,999
8th Corps Area - 38,000,000 to 38,999,999
9th Corps Area - 39,000,000 to 39,999,999
Hawaiian Department - 30,100,000 to 30,199,999
Panama Canal Department - 30,200,000 to 30,299,999
Philippine Department - 30,300,000 to 30,399,999
Puerto Rican Department - 30,400,000 to 30,499,999

Corps Areas were -
1st Corps Area (Maine-New Hampshire-Vermont-Massachusetts-Rhode Island-Connecticut) HQ=Boston, Mass.
2nd Corps Area (New Jersey-Delaware-New York) HQ=Governors Island, N.Y.
3rd Corps Area (Pennsylvania-Maryland-Virginia-District of Columbia) HQ=Baltimore, Md.
4th Corps Area (North Carolina-South Carolina-Georgia-Florida-Alabama-Tennessee-Mississippi-Louisiana) HQ=Atlanta, Ga.
5th Corps Area (Ohio-West Virginia-Indiana-Kentucky) HQ=Ft. Hayes, Ohio
6th Corps Area (Illinois-Michigan-Wisconsin) HQ=Chicago, Ill.
7th Corps Area (Missouri-Kansas-Arkansas-Iowa-Nebraska-Minnesota-North Dakota-South Dakota) HQ=Omaha, Nebr.
8th Corps Area (Texas-Oklahoma-Colorado-New Mexico-Arizona (partly) HQ= Ft. Sam Houston, Tex.
9th Corps Area (Washington-Oregon-Idaho-Montana-Wyoming-Utah-Nevada-Arizona (partly)-California-Alaska (attached) HQ=Presidio of San Francisco, Calif.

There may be more, but that is what I found as yet.

And of course officers are different again... gah. I can't decide what to go for for my tags.

Well you can't have O-1, because it's taken already.

Are you saying my Pershing Impression isn't up to scratch?

I suppose you have to ask which American accent you do best...

Though I hadn't managed to find anything on the officer numbers, and whether they listed where he was from. Awkward officers.

It is the first digits of the full Service Number.

Given that it is the last 4 digits of his (I am assuming that it is a he) Service Number then there is no way to tell which Corps he was from - that I can see/think off.

Hi. I see your logic, but just because your jacket is of an early pattern, it doesn't mean to say that it was early war. The US Army issued gear an a subscribed to "limited standard, to be issued issue until exhausted" and wasn't fashion conscious enough to withdraw items of clothing because they were "early pattern". If you ripped your pants, for instance and they weren't repairable, you'd get whatever the supply sergeant had. Indeed, if you look at enough photos of GIs in England prior to D-Day you'll see a variety of fatigue shirts with fatigue pants. The same goes for open ended shelter halves, the transition between M1941 (field) and M1943 (combat) jackets and is almost endless.

So my friend, don't dismiss what you have - it's still viable!