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Italian WWII Flight Jackets

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PaoloCroci

New Member
Hi, I'm new on the forum (I've surfed and lurked for a while) but I'm more frequent on the Fedora Lounge;
so I repost here some pictures of italian flight jacktes of WWII that I posted on that board;
I hope them to be of some interest.

These jackets, as for what I've learned, were used since the '30s, and had many variation, specially in the disposition of the pockets and in having them (pockets) zippered of not; they look quite "tankerish" of "B15ish", but it's an independent, preceding design, probably depending on sporting jackets of the time.
They had a removable liner and (fake) mouton collar.

This should be an earlier version:
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... 91paft.jpg

The back: they were issued quite large, probably to fit over uniforms or flight suits:
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti7.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti6.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti3.jpg

in summer, worn without lining and mouton collar:
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti2.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti4.jpg

Italian aces:
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... Piloti.jpg

Italian pilots using german aircratfts (and probably others, too) were also issued german gear (kanaljacke etc.):
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... iloti8.jpg

finally, some private purchase leather jacket:
http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... obl134.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... obl009.jpg

http://i822.photobucket.com/albums/zz14 ... obl008.jpg

Hope it was of some interest!
ciao!!
 
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PaoloCroci

New Member
By the way, I don't know if the pilot in the leather jacket is always the same; otherwise, as the jackets design looks quite the same in all the three pictures, could we guess it's some sort of issued jacket? Or a widespread popular design, maybe, like the "biker" jacktes used by some german pilots.

Because of the general, and comprehensible, lack of market and of interest, italian flight jackets don't have a repro maker that I know...
anyway I think they will not be impossible to re-make, maybe starting from a B10 or cloth B15 pattern...

ciao!
 
better duck

better duck

Well-Known Member
He Paolo, that was interesting, thanks.
Tastewise (and let's remember, there is no accounting for taste..) I don't like these baggy jackets very much. The American A2, B10, M422A look so much sharper - or is that just my eyes being used to those jackets?
But still: keep them coming, there are interesting anyway
 
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PaoloCroci

New Member
Thank you for the answer, Better Duck!

Fashion-wise, I completely agree with you; if I have to buy a "good" leather jacket (which will happen soon, I hope ;) ) it will be a M422, G1 or an A2... still wondering

anyway, I'll keep learning things from the forum :)

ciao!
 
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dmar836

Well-Known Member
Great stuff. Thanks for posting. The best looking IMO is the one on the right in the last pic. I suppose it's because it fits most like the US jackets of the period did. The others look much like what most Americans wear these days.
Dave
 
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PaoloCroci

New Member
CHECK6 very kindly sent me this pictures he took in a Belgian museum of an italian flight jacket, suit, and boots.

This is the first time I have the chance to observe italian WWII pilot's boots, so I thank him a lot.

TutaRegia2.jpg


TutaRegia3.jpg


TutaRegia1.jpg
 
CHECK6

CHECK6

New Member
Thank you for posting Paolo ,this equipment was provided to our museum by the Italian air force and it is completely NOS.

Fab
 
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PaoloCroci

New Member
On a side note, in Italy there were two firms, Marus and Giusti, producing flight suits and jackets during WWII.
I don't have a clue on what happened to Marus;
but Giusti kept making suits and jackets for the Aeronautica (italian air force) after the war, switching to making L2Bs (I guess this happened during the '60s; I've seen pictures of pilots in the '50s wearing jackets identical to those of WWII).

Giusti's L2Bs, however, kept some particular of the older jackets, such as the removable liner (which saved the expense of issuing two jackets) and the rounded "ends" of the knit waistband.
I guess this has something to do with Giusti using the same machinery whenever possible, but I'm no expert...

ciao!
 
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