Interesting Picture from our War Archives

[KariJ]

Gents
Today I met with an interesting war time picture from our war archives. In my opinion in this picture the russian pilot investigated by Finnish officer is wearing an B3 jacket or an Irvin

. The location of Rukajärvi (64°5′N, 32°47′E) where this picture is supposed to be taken makes me wonder, how common US flight jackets were among soviet pilots. The still existing propaganda text tells something chicken shit about how this person fled to Finland and how well we are (were) treating him for his bravery There is also some other issues those makes me wonder if this picture never ever has been taken in front. But the fact is that officially and also probably not Finnish Air Force did have allied flight jackets

 

[Officer Dibley]

Defo not an Irvin.
Not sure i’ve heard of an A-3.
Nor is it a B-3.
Looks like a Russian issue jacket

 

[KariJ]

Defo not an Irvin.
Not sure i’ve heard of an A-3.
Nor is it a B-3.
Looks like a Russian issue jacket

My mistake Sir I ment B3

 

[Officer Dibley]

No problem Kari I guessed that might be the case.
I have never seen UK or US flying clothing used by the Soviets. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen of course but the sheepskin is wrong, no fur to the cuffs and i think it’s a cloth jacket not shearling or leather.
I recall they dug a poor Soviet pilot up in his Hurricane 10 years ago in and incredible state of preservation. He did look like he might have been wearing an RAF helmet. I’ve no desire to look for those photos again. God rest his soul.
Dave

 

[KariJ]

No problem Kari I guessed that might be the case.
I have never seen UK or US flying clothing used by the Soviets. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen of course but the sheepskin is wrong, no fur to the cuffs and i think it’s a cloth jacket not shearling or leather.
I recall they dug a poor Soviet pilot up in his Hurricane 10 years ago in and incredible state of preservation. He did look like he might have been wearing an RAF helmet. I’ve no desire to look for those photos again. God rest his soul.
Dave

Thank You Sir. Me neither, but I have seen lots of pictures of "Soviet gear" originatin from US and UK, including jeeps M11 pistols roughout boots etc. This picture still makes me wonder of what that jacket is, because it is not common issue item seen in northern/Finnish fronts

 

[Officer Dibley]

Some possibilities Kari. Last is similar to the Irvin.

 

[KariJ]

Yes the last one was common among officers and among political officers specially. This jacket in (my) picture does not have any fur on the end of the sleeves and it also seems to have scuffs/knits/snow blocks inside sleeves.

Also that lining visible inside sleeves is not made from "common soviet" materials (usually stuffed stinking felt).

Usually sov/rus belt buckles were made from brass as well as buttons (what I have met).

Of course this is Our mil propaganda picture propably has been taken somewhere in Helsinki area, but that person looks like a russian (nose, ears, shape of the skull) but that gear does not

 

[Nickb123]

Ken of Aero has stated here that the U.S. supplied the Russians with flight jackets via Lend Lease.

The biggest contract Aero Leather of Beacon NY ever received

About 20 years ago we bought what we believed to be an immediate post war Civilian jacket made by Aero Leather Clothing of Beacon, New York. What was intriguing was the design, knitted cuffs on a Half Belt is unique to this jacket, the style of the wind flap is very rare for a US made jacket of...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

 

[Officer Dibley]

I came across this pic which shows Soviet pilots wearing Irvin jackets & trousers....

 

[Flightengineer]

I came across this pic which shows Soviet pilots wearing Irvin jackets & trousers....

View attachment 28487

Irvin jackets were often used by Soviet pilots

Here is the Soviet ace Alexander Pokryshkin

 

[Officer Dibley]

I had no idea D

 

[B-Man2]

Now I would bet that somewhere in a Russian military warehouse or storage facility or in some attic someplace there’s a crate with a bunch of new Irvin’s left over from the war. The reason I suspect this is because about 10 years ago a Swedish friend and a Firearms collector went to Russia to see about purchasing some German P.38s that were seized new in crates and were being released by the Russian government for sale. My friend said that when he arrived at this massive storage or warehouse facility, it was packed to the roof top with crates of guns , uniforms, ammunition and just about anything that could be lifted or moved. All of it in factory new condition.

 

[Flightengineer]

Now I would bet that somewhere in a Russian military warehouse or storage facility or in some attic someplace there’s a crate with a bunch of new Irvin’s left over from the war. The reason I suspect this is because about 10 years ago a Swedish friend and a Firearms collector went to Russia to see about purchasing some German P.38s that were seized new in crates and were being released by the Russian government for sale. My friend said that when he arrived at this massive storage or warehouse facility, it was packed to the roof top with crates of guns , uniforms, ammunition and just about anything that could be lifted or moved. All of it in factory new condition.

Ha ha I’m not sure about jackets, but when I served more than 30 years ago, I saw Australian precerved meat in cans from WW2 in one army warehouse . True, no one tried to try them and even open

 

[B-Man2]

Ha ha I’m not sure about jackets, but when I served more than 30 years ago, I saw Australian precerved meat in cans from WW2 in one army warehouse . True, no one tried to try them and even open

Hi Dimitry
Don’t want to hijack the thread, but my friend said that he saw thousands of cases of WWII weapons seized from the Germans and cases of US Thompson Sub machine guns from lend lease as well as train car loads of other things.

 

[Officer Dibley]

A few years ago a lots of US webbing belts were sold by a UK dealer stating they were from Russian stocks ....