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Irvin suits
- Thread starter flyboy
- Start date
Peter Graham
Well-Known Member
rich said:
I thought this brilliant photo could use a helping hand. Would the aircraft in the background be theirs? If so, we're pre-war......... and I might well be wrong,
but did bomber crews wear 36 pattern boots?
Thanks for posting this great picture Soren.
Hey Rich. Welcome back mate. I'd also say pre-war, and an official photo shoot. No other gear apart from one pair of gloves, also all brand new suits, combed hair and nice shiny boots. Great photo though.
flyboy said:I am pretty sure that 1936 pattern boots were used by both Fighter Command pilots and Bomber Command crews. Both pre-war and in 1940-41.
This is a photo from autumn 1940 - taken after a raid on Berlin
And this early aircrew: (left)
You are quite right Soren, thanks for reminding me - for some reason, I only associate Bomber crews with the 30 & 41 pattern suede boots. Perhaps it's because I've never seen fighter pilots wear them. Until you post a picture of one that is!
Lebensgefahr
Active Member
Hello Rich
Good to see you back
36 pattern boots were worn by all aircrew regardless of the command they served in.
While i wouldn`t say it never happened, you don`t tend to see fighter pilots of single engined aircraft wearing 40 or 41 pattern boots.
As a matter of interest the chap second left in the photo with the Whitley in the background, looks to be wearing pre war 30 pattern boots .
Although it depended what people were issued with, a lot of aircrew stuck with a particular piece of equipment if they liked it. I have plenty of photo`s of aircrew wearing B type helmets, 36 pattern boots etc late on in the war.
Although i`m not suggesting it was common, i have a great photo of a chap who has bolted the flip shield from a pair of Mk 1v`s straight on to his helmet.
LG
Good to see you back
36 pattern boots were worn by all aircrew regardless of the command they served in.
While i wouldn`t say it never happened, you don`t tend to see fighter pilots of single engined aircraft wearing 40 or 41 pattern boots.
As a matter of interest the chap second left in the photo with the Whitley in the background, looks to be wearing pre war 30 pattern boots .
Although it depended what people were issued with, a lot of aircrew stuck with a particular piece of equipment if they liked it. I have plenty of photo`s of aircrew wearing B type helmets, 36 pattern boots etc late on in the war.
Although i`m not suggesting it was common, i have a great photo of a chap who has bolted the flip shield from a pair of Mk 1v`s straight on to his helmet.
LG
Lebensgefahr
Active Member
Hello Rich
Please find below the photo as requested. Sorry for the poor quality.
Somehow i don`t think this was normal practice
LG
Please find below the photo as requested. Sorry for the poor quality.
Somehow i don`t think this was normal practice
LG
Lebensgefahr
Active Member
Hello Rich
The picture uploaded successfully here but then i cleared out some photo`s in my photobucket library not realising that it would delete it here. I thought that once it was uploaded here that was it. Obviously i was wrong
Second time lucky
LG :ugeek:
The picture uploaded successfully here but then i cleared out some photo`s in my photobucket library not realising that it would delete it here. I thought that once it was uploaded here that was it. Obviously i was wrong
Second time lucky
LG :ugeek:
Lebensgefahr said:Hello Rich
The picture uploaded successfully here but then i cleared out some photo`s in my photobucket library not realising that it would delete it here. I thought that once it was uploaded here that was it. Obviously i was wrong
That one worked, many thanks LG. I assume he did this to create 'instant sunglasses' without having to faff about with his goggles? I've certainly never seen this done before but I'm confident that if it were a common modification, you'd surely have a pair in your collection.
Lebensgefahr
Active Member
Hello Rich
It`s one of those things that if you saw it at a military fair you wouldn`t believe it. A nice thing to have if you knew it was real but a bit Heath Robinson for me.
One thing i have learned is that if one piece of kit could be put with something else you can bet your bottom dollar that somebody somewhere did it.
I know a Mossie navigator who after going to an escape and evasion lecture took out the kapok pads in his Mae West and stuffed clothes in instead. What price bouyancy !
LG
It`s one of those things that if you saw it at a military fair you wouldn`t believe it. A nice thing to have if you knew it was real but a bit Heath Robinson for me.
One thing i have learned is that if one piece of kit could be put with something else you can bet your bottom dollar that somebody somewhere did it.
I know a Mossie navigator who after going to an escape and evasion lecture took out the kapok pads in his Mae West and stuffed clothes in instead. What price bouyancy !
LG
