1946-1949 USAAF crews in variety of jackets

[deand]

1946-1949 USAAF crews in great variety of jackets! From this site:http://www.46th72nd.org/HistoryCDs/Disk-G/1946-1949 Ladd Air Field Crews/

dean

 

[Andrew]

Nice shots Dean, thanks...

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Really cool find! You sure don't see that mix of flight jackets too much. Real strange seeing A-2s and B-15a. Too bad Buzz doesn't make a B-15a anymore. For some reason, the o2 tabs and mic wire straps set it off compared to a plain old B-15.

 

[zoomer]

I presume A-2s indicated WW2 veteran status - maybe even early WW2 – and that wearing one would have been a major faux pas for more recent enlistees.

 

[deand]

Nylon and Leather...living in harmony, serving together:

Lookin' mean in a B-15:

dean

 

[Atticus]

One of the photos in the index shows this crusty guy wearing a Wright Field patch on his old A-2.

AF

 

[asiamiles]

I presume A-2s indicated WW2 veteran status - maybe even early WW2 – and that wearing one would have been a major faux pas for more recent enlistees.

Well, they simply wouldn't have been issued them, and from what we read about vets opinions of them, wouldn't have wanted one anyway. Whether "trading" went on ("Want to swap this A-2 for your B-15 and a bottle of Jack Daniels?") I wouldn't know.

 

[zoomer]

You're on to something there - B-15s are at least warm. A-2s might just have been what naval personnel call "salty."

 

[Weasel_Loader]

One of the photos in the index shows this crusty guy wearing a Wright Field patch on his old A-2.

AF

I noticed that too. Pretty strange to see one at that time period. :?

 

[havocpaul]

Great selection, reminds me how much I want a B-15A! Also notice in the 5th photo a guy wearing the M-43 Field jacket Liner....just like the one I have on eBay at the moment, confirms they were worn by USAF personnel.