I just read on an American site that WW2 uniform buttons were hinged like a locket so that the wearer could insert photos of his / her loved ones. I've never heard this before. Is it true?
I am also very doubtful of that. Certainly not in the British services as they were all "solid", except ones especially created for secret escape maps etc, as Morse says. And I also doubt that hinged buttons would be safe, especially after the uniform has been worn in combat and been knocked about. Imagine all those button covers flapping about after the catches have failed. And the Germans would have removed all buttons from POWs because of the risk of escape equipment being hidden in them.
Harder to manufacture too, I guess. My knowledge of buttons extends to compasses and the top one not being done up by fighter pilots! LOL.
On Marine Craft, when we were issued with a Rum ration or when we out for a drink, we used a Toast which went like this! One button undone, Fighter Command! Two buttons, undone, Bomber Command! No Buttons! Marine Craft! And then someone would cry "yang sing" - chinese for down in one! The brass buttons used to corrode in sea water.
I've just had a look at a number of sites selling/detailing WW2 buttons and I haven't seen a single one with hinged/locket feature for ordinary uniforms. And no-one seems to have detailed anything of this sort.
that really is odd. never heard this before in my life. I've seen buttons converted to lockets as sweetheart tokens, got one myself, but beyond that nothing
