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6. Special Information. Small "Pocket Guides" for some Theaters of Operation are available. One of these is to be issued to each person going overseas, covering the Theater to which the person is to be sent. Any further special information may be requested from the Operations and Training Branch, Office Chief of Engineers. 

The following notes, contributed by an officer who has traveled in several theaters of operations, are of value:

a. Shoes must be new or nearly so.

b. Everyone must have gloves for use on transport (to go down ropes in case of abandon ship). 

c. Overshoes all around will be needed. 

d. See that canvas leggings are dyed dark O.D. 

e. Check contents of housewives and get all missing buttons replaced. Buy spare O.D. buttons at Port Exchange. 

f. If possible get new style spoons, knives, and forks, with slot in handle, so that they can be hung on messkit handle and dunked in boiling wash water. 

g. Check shoe and legging laces, and take spares.

h. Do not let men load up in U.S. too heavily on cigarettes, soap, shaving cream, etc. These things can be bought cheaply (cig. $0.60 carton) at ship P-X. 

i. No laundry service is available on shipboard and the chances of men doing laundry are remote since wet clothes cannot be hung up to dry. 

j. Officers will not have access to bedding rolls or trunk lockers (if issued). These go into hold. 

k. We (officers) find it best to carry in musette bag..... 1-bath towel, 1-drawers, 1-undershirt, 2-ors, light wool socks, shaving & toilet materials, a small amount of 1st aid material (iodine, plaster, bandaids), flashlight, extra shoe laces, mess kit (not needed by officers on ship however), extra O.D. shirt, and raincoat (rolled and trapped under flap on bag). If you misplace your hand luggage you can still live for many days out of your musette bag. 

l. For officers--a short overcoat or trench coat, a blouse, an extra pair of O.D. trousers, one suit light wool underwear, extra cotton underwear, two extra towels, a windbreaker or jacket, extra pair shoes, light weight slippers, extra socks, one cotton O.D. shirt, extra insignia, canvas leggings, 

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