Korean War Era/Cold War-era - U.S. Army M-1949 Arctic Mittins with Wool Liners, 1951 production

It is said that the M1949 Mitten was designed for the Korean War. While certainly that was when it was first used, the Koran war started nearly a year after the mitten's design. Maybe the people in charge of these contracts knew something the rest of us didn't know?

Korea split into two distinct governments in 1948. North Korea was led by communist dictator Kim Il Sung, while South Korea was owned ruled "democratically" by Syngman Rhee - both claimed to be the only legitimate government. In June of 1950 North Korea, after months of fomenting unrest, invaded the south.

These mittens were the perfect cold weather gear for one of the biggest proxy wars of the Cold War. They feature a multi-layer design with a leather palm and a fuzzy wool/cotton blend back. A removeable wool-blend inner mitten snapped into the gauntlet of the glove for better warmth.

These were used through the Korean War, and despite being essentially replaced by the M1951 mitten and the M1956 mitten, it was still issued until at least 2016, albeit with a different liner and with  contemporary camo patterns. They were that good.

This pair was made in 1951 by Fred Ostermann Co. They are pretty large, but no size is evident.

This pair is well-used but in usable shape, with no obvious holes or tears. Included are the liner mittens that were with these when we found them.