My M-422A Arrived Yesterday

[entertainment]

B-3 LabelView attachment 63487View attachment 63488View attachment 63489

"Permanently affixed garment-care labels were required in the U.S. beginning in 1972." according to the vintagefashionguild.com

Quick Tips for Dating Vintage - Vintage Fashion Guild

Quick Tips for Dating Vintage Here are some quick, easy-to-remember tips. They don’t necessarily place a garment in a specific year, but they will help you narrow down the time range. KEEP IT TOGETHER – fasteners Men’s dress trousers continue to have button flies through the 1940s. Belt loops...

vintagefashionguild.org

Given the "L" label rather than a chest size, it is probably even later.
I would call that one more B-3 inspired than a repro with the pockets and cuffs (despite the label). But looks like a nice quality jacket.

 

[tda003]

One good thing to come out of it is that since it's neither original nor accurate, I won't have to sit in the beer cooler and watch "Twelve O'clock High" when wearing it any longer.

 

[Spitfireace]

What we call sort of there but not there. It's the Cirrus of B3's.

 

[tda003]

Please tell me more about the cuffs. I thought B-3 jackets had cuffs. They appear in WWII photos, though shorter. These were turned up more, but aren't sewn up. What's the difference?

 

[Spitfireace]

B'3s had about a three inch strip of leather around the end of the sleeve forming a cuff. The Irvin did not and just had the end of the sleeve turned up to reveal about an inch or so of sheep fleece. No handwarmer pockets in the B-3 or Irvin.

 

[tda003]

Plus, Irvins had a zipper. This is clearly a variation on a B-3 and not an Irvin.

 

[Spitfireace]

I missed that. There is no zipper in your jacket?

 

[tda003]

No zipper. It's a B-3 type, not Irvin.

However, I have an AMAZING Irvin repro I'll post there as soon as I down load the photos.

 

[flyincowboy]

YEP CIVILIAN B3 most of the times confused with the irwin jacket and the AIRFORCE B3!

 

[Spitfireace]

Irvin jacket.

 

[flyincowboy]

Sorry my bad! irvin jacket.

 

[Micawber]

Now then, the Irwin jacket is as rare as hens teeth or rocking horse shyte

 

[tda003]

Back to my M-422A. It's named in the lining to "Lt. E A Reed", but no branch of service (USN or USMC). Navy tended to put patches on their flight jackets and this has never had a patch sewn nor has it ever had a name tag applied. Is there a way to research this officer? He may not even be a pilot as these sometimes found their way to non-aviation folks. Some were even "midnight requisitioned".

My father got a pair of Para Marine jump boots this way from an NCO he successfully defended who was accused of stealing some. Jump boots were rough out, had higher tops than boondockers and laced all the way up as opposed to the hook system.

Can anyone tell me how to research Lt. Reed? Thanks.

 

[tda003]

FWIW. I found 2nd. Lt. Everett A. Reed in 2 different locations in January 1944. One at the Aviation Detachment, Marine Barracks, Marine Aviation Training Center, NAS, Corpus Christi, Tx. The second, also January 1944, Marine Aviation Detachment, Naval Air Gunners School, Hollywood, FL. Not sure how that works, but guessing there weren't 2 2nd lieutenants with that name. I can't find anything further, so I don't know what became of him.

 

[tda003]

Is there a way to determine when my M-422A was made (like my G-1)?

 

[MikeyB-17]

Have a look here (although that contract’s date is uncertain):-

How to date US military clothing and G-1 jackets from the label

How to date US military clothing and G-1 jackets from the label. I have done this to make an easy to find guide by using the forums search function. For fact checking I have edited the thread to show the sources of information highlighted in red. G-1 contract dates MIL-J-7823E (AS)...

www.vintageleatherjackets.org

 

[tda003]

Sadly, researching @nd Lt. Everett A Reed, I found out that he enlisted in what the news article listed as the "Navy Air Corps" in July, 1942. He received his Naval Aviator wings on December 24, 1943 in Corpus Christi, TX, attended aerial gunnery school in Hollywood, FL in January 1944 and was killed in a flight crash in Southern California on March 21, 1944.

 

[bazelot]

beautiful M422A. Congrats

 

[tda003]

Thanks. Kermit3d found it for me.