2539o. (uniform) U.S. Coast Guard Shore Establishment Uniform, Khaki Jacket, Second Class Petty Officer, Boatswain Rating. c.1943. Excellent cotton jacket with rating on arm, complete with brass shore establishment collar insignia. Rating of Boatswain second class. This uniform belonged to Harold Henry Giger, who was born in 1895. Giger was the youngest of 7 children from a farm family in Elmdale, Kansas. He graduated from the University of Kansas (KU) in May of 1918 during the war. He joined the US Navy and did his basic training at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center. He was commissioned as an officer and spent the rest of his service in the states. During WWII he joined the US Coast Guard and served in a reserve capacity. While this resembles the very common CPO style khaki jacket, it is not. This is a style of US Coast Guard jacket that was worn only by Coast Guard Shore Establishment personnel during WW2. It differs from the standard khaki CPO jacket in that it has grommets on the collar for the screw back insignia, has 4 buttons down the front (not 3) and the bottom pockets are open, rather than a buttoned flap. It has the early right facing Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class rate on the right arm and a blue embroidered Coast Guard shield on the right cuff. Very good condition, no moth holes, a few small spots, light soiling. With U.S. Coast Guard Clothing Depot tag, no size noted. Marked to “H.H. Giger”. Buttons are brass regulation Coast Guard, with brass screw-post Shore Establishment collar insignia (brass screwback insignia with a United States Coast Guard circular seal with crossed anchors behind). The Shore Establishment uniform was for members of the Temporary Reserve, the Mounted Beach Patrol, and also optional with all enlisted men when on shore details. It was worn by men up to the grade of Chief Petty Officer. (VG+). $95.