Interesting Duxford pic

[dmar836]

This is one of the pics on the kiosk under the indoor B-17 at Duxford. Obviously the early stages of suiting up for a mission.
Of interest to me are the use of both early F2 and the later F3 heated suits on the left so likely spring of '44 or later. Yet, the cloth flight helmet(A-8 or A-9) despite the obviously expected low temps. I suppose the M4 flak helmet could layer on that but all the steel helmets appear to be M-1s sans liner of course - I seldom see that in pics. The M-3 and M-4 came out by early '44 yet I don't see any other flak helmets around. Could they have preferred the M-1? Bags look full of heavy stuff so maybe more flak gear was in there.
These pics make me wish vets knew what items were and what were wearing at the time.

Anyone else see anything interesting?
Dave
Kansas City

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Interesting. Perhaps 15th Air Force location?

 

[Stony]

Anyone else see anything interesting?

Why is the one guy mooning the camera.

 

[Andrew]

Before I re-read your post I was going to say A-9 cloth helmets and M-1's but that's now obvious.

Don't know, what're we looking for?

 

[dmar836]

Oh, sorry. Didn't mean it to sound like a riddle. Just noticed those things and wondered if anyone noticed others.
This and a book I picked up in London got me looking a bit closer at the pics and seeing interesting things I hadn't seen in the common books in the US.

Dave

 

[dmar836]

From the case at Duxford. A nice thick patch on an A-2. It was a little swollen at the edges but still I haven't seen one that thick before.

Dave