Ironically enough, looking at the Osprey book I referred to earlier, I'm wondering if they two figures are supposed to be wearing chocolate brown uniforms after all. The book mentioned pinks and greens as part of older, 1944-era uniforms, and I'm looking at late 1944-early 1045.

First, are you looking at US Army Officers or Enlisted Men in your Osprey book?

Second, there were NO differences between Officers' Class A "Dress" Uniforms from February of 1942 until well into the mid 1950s- I don't quite understand how you or the OSPREY book could be saying that "1944-era uniforms" could be different from anything you're looking at from "late 1944-early 1945"..? Ditto, the EMs' Class A Wool Serge Shade 39 OD uniforms...

You can't believe everything you read, because the OSPREY book or the author of the book could be wrong, which I doubt. Or could it be possible that you're not quite understanding what the author is trying to say..? It happens sometimes that mistakes are made in books because of artists' or printers' errors... I don't know- I don't have your book in front of my eyes, so I can't comment on what your book says...

The ONLY US Army Uniforms that underwent any real changes were COMBAT Uniforms, when the US Army started issuing the M1943 Combat Jackets & Trousers AND the M1943 Combat Boots in mid to late 1944. Even so, the 1941/1942-style US Army COMBAT clothing in many cases, was still being worn beyond VE and VJ Days in 1945, some articles of which were still being worn into the mid 1950s, as I mentioned in relation to the CLass A "Dress" Uniforms.

During WWII, it was the OFFICERS of the US Army who wore the "Pinks and Greens", which weren't really "PINK" OR "GREEN". "Pinks and Greens" were really Dark OD Shade 51 "Elastique" for the OFFICERS' COATS, and DRAB TROUSERS, ON OCCASION. "DRAB" looked a little bit "pink" in certain lighting conditions, so that's where the name "PINKS"comes from. There was NO OFFICIAL NAME for the "Pinks and Greens", PERIOD.

The "Elastique" Dark OD Shade 51, was also sometimes referred to as "Chocolate", but the color was actually a VERY DARK, RICH OD (Olive Drab), with a slightly brownish cast.

"PINKS and GREENS" were ONLY A NICKNAME for that OPTIONAL way of wearing the Officers' Class A "Dress" Uniform. OFFICIALLY, US ARMY Class A "Dress" Uniforms were to be worn with Dark OD Shade 51 TROUSERS, NOT the Drab (Pink) Trousers. "Pinks and Greens" were STRICTLY OFFICERS' clothing items, and the words, "PINKS and GREENS" were strictly slang expressions, which were originally coined by the US Army Officers who chose to wear them in that fashion...

EMs, or Enlisted Men, wore OD Wool Serge Class A Uniform items in the Winter, Spring and Autumn, which after 1942, were issued in OD Wool Serge Shade 39; these were a completely different color and texture from the Officers' clothing.

Khaki Cotton Shade 1 Uniform items were worn by both Officers and EMs in the Summer, and in especially hot geographical areas, when they were required to wear their Class A "Dress and Service" Uniforms, respectively...

There were NO such things as "1944-era uniforms" or "late 1944-early 1945" US Army Uniforms. What they WERE, were new-issue uniforms, starting in February 1942, and worn until into the mid-1950s...

Have I cleared anything up for you..? Sometimes books and their authors, in the interests of brevity, can leave the reader mightily confused...

If you think that THIS is nuts, try reading the GERMAN WWII Uniform Regs, IN GERMAN!!!

The Miminart kit got the paint directions wrong, so you cannot go by those. Also the Osprey book didn't say a lot about service as opposed to combat uniforms. Thanks for the explanation. I assumed the trousers were tan rather than any type of pink.

The "tan" trousers you're referring to were actually the Khaki Shade 1 Cotton Class A Uniform Trousers, which matched the summer-weight Khaki Shade 1 Cotton Service Coats and Service Shirts. There were also Officers' and EMs' Service Caps and Garrison Caps which were manufactured in Khaki Shade 1 Cotton. Khaki Shade 1 Cotton Uniform items weren't supposed to be worn with the Dark OD Shade 51 Officers' Service Coats, Trousers or Service Shirts. That's what "Drab" was for.

"Drab" is actually the color's name for the "Pink" Trousers in the "Pinks and Greens".

"Drab" is a "beige-y" almost chocolate-milk color with just the tiniest touch of pink to it... You'd have to see an actual WWII-vintage Drab item to be able to understand the differences between it, US Khaki Shade 1, US Dark OD Shade 51 "Elastique", and EMs' OD Shade 39 Wool Serge... Am I making any sense..?