Private purchase jacket with painted patch on Navy pilot.

[oose]

Been a while... but found this photo of a Navy pilot in a rather unusal private purchase jacket with a large painted squadron or group patch. Thought a few of you may appreciate something a little more unusual!

Happy New Year all!

 

[Smithy]

That is out of the ordinary. I'm hopeless with Navy stuff so what's the patch and is that a kangaroo on it?

 

[Micawber]

I rather like that...

 

[johnwayne]

Quite cool looking jacket that, would be even better with slightly less accentuated scoop on those pocket flaps!

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Cool pic - always interesting to see individuals with such unique equipment

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Looks like a Conmar zipper but I very much doubt if the jacket is American made

 

[Silver Surfer]

my first thought,, exactly, conmar zipper. the jacket looks every bit like the 1930s-40s euro cycle jackets often called "luftwaffe" jackets. whatever it is, it looks pretty damn nice.

 

[dujardin]

wowwwwwwwwwwwww brilliant

thanksssssssssssss

will copy this in my file

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

my first thought,, exactly, conmar zipper. the jacket looks every bit like the 1930s-40s euro cycle jackets often called "luftwaffe" jackets. whatever it is, it looks pretty damn nice.

If the insignia does depict a Kangaroo, maybe it's an Australian made jacket? I'm hardy familiar with vintage Oz leathers
It's not saying "European" to me, although I see why we can't totally dismiss the French/German origins, I'm sure it's not Canadian either despite the likelyhood of the zipper being a Conmar although it could easily be a Lightning which would give further credence to a "Down Under" manufacture?

 

[Otter]

Very trim looking jacket , I like it. I am gobsmacked at the length of the G1 on the guy on the lhs of the photo.

 

[B-Man2]

A little surprised that he was permitted to wear that jacket as it’s totally out of uniform. No US Naval markings. No rank showing. Doesn’t conform to USN dress codes of the time. It looks to be a post WWII photo and uniform dress codes had been tightened down by then.

 

[unclegrumpy]

Ooze....question...any further information or clues regarding this photo?

A couple of observations...the man to the left is a pilot as can be seen by his name tag. He is also wearing the Navy's "aviation green" uniform...note his pants and cap. Also note the rank insignia on his collar.

The fellow in question is not wearing "aviation green"....that could mean something...meaning he was not in aviation or it could have been a time of the year where either tans or greens were worn. I don't see either rank on his collar or a name tag on his jacket. What this possibly could indicate he was not authorized or issued a G-1...which is why he has a private purchase jacket.

Clearly this guy has some association with the Squadron. However, it might not be as a pilot. Without some more clues it is hard to know, but I have seen civilian technical representatives wearing a mix of military and civilian clothing. Their military clothing often correlates with their jobs...mechanics wearing enlisted uniforms and supervisors wearing officers. There was special insignia for these guys, but it was not always worn...especially in the Navy...and particularly on visor caps.

 

[B-Man2]

Take a closer look at Headgear Insignia, this explains a lot
http://uniform-reference.net/insignia/usn/usn_ww2_officer.html

So the guy is a lieutenant …….. The chart is misleading in that your first thought is, he may be a one star admiral but look again, the hats are over the ranks they represent.
As a low grade officer he would still have to conform to USN dress codes or ………...did I miss something?

 

[B-Man2]

Why lieutenant? Look more attentively
P.S. If you look more closely, you can see the personal name on the left pocket flap, Andy kangaroo with wings, and around kangaroo the name of the squad, and all this against the background of an old star AAF.

Ok granted all those things you describe are there, but I’m still missing your point. He’s still wearing a low grade naval officers hat and a naval uniform. So the jacket is a private purchase non issue item which makes it a violation of formal naval dress regs for that period . Unless I’m being a little dense here I’m still not connecting your dots, but work with me I’m trainable

 

[dinomartino1]

Yes there where regs but then as now you can get away with whatever the the base commander or CO will allow.
If the photo was taken in Australia maybe a catalina sqn?

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

I've blown this up and am pretty certain I can read VP401 on the patch (Someone on here must have better IT programmes that I have)
That sounded like a USN Patrol Squadron but a google search refers to a Hawker Sea Hawk Prototype VP401, an aircraft that the Royal Navy entered in Air Races in the late 40s.

Wikipedia states

"During service evaluations of the Sea Hawk, Australian and Canadian pilots from their naval services flew examples of the aircraft and there were official suggestions they would adopt the type as standard equipment"

The Kangaroo is clear, my money is firmly on an Australian made PP jacket most likely worn by an Aussie test pilot.........maybe photographed at an Air Race?

 

[dinomartino1]

I've blown this up and am pretty certain I can read VP401 on the patch (Someone on here must have better IT programmes that I have)
That sounded like a USN Patrol Squadron but a google search referes to a Hawker Sea Hawk Prototype VP401, an aircraft that the Royal Navy entered in Air Races in the late 40s.

Wikipedia states

"During service evaluations of the Sea Hawk, Australian and Canadian pilots from their naval services flew examples of the aircraft and there were official suggestions they would adopt the type as standard equipment"

The Kangaroo is clear, my money is firmly on an Australian made PP jacket most likely worn by an Aussie test pilot.........maybe photographed at an Air Race?

Being in Australia it is driving me crazy to find out what that patch is.
I can make out VS as the first letters on the top of the patch at the left.

VS Scouting Squadron
VS-D Scouting Squadron (Naval District)
VSB Scout Bombing Squadron

Inactive sqn list here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inactive_United_States_Navy_aircraft_squadrons

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

 

[Ken at Aero Leather]

Being in Australia it is driving me crazy to find out what that patch is.
I can make out VS as the first letters on top of the patch at the left.

VS Scouting Squadron
VS-D Scouting Squadron (Naval District)
VSB Scout Bombing Squadron

I'd agree VS on the zipper side VP401 on the sleeve side

 

[dinomartino1]

I also see it as at the top left VS on right VP401 or VP40, and at the bottom of the patch like , and it also seems to me that the man who is back standing in 55j14 (look at the shoulders).
But this officer is exactly from the US Navy. Perhaps the jacket as a memory about of some a person or event, like talisman.

As Ken said perhaps the hawker sea hunter as more numbers are matching if we are reading them correctly.
"On 2 September 1947, the P.1040 prototype, VP401, sometimes referred to as the Hawker N.7/46 after the related naval specification, conducted its maiden flight from RAF Boscome Down"
If it's anything to do with test flights maybe late 1940s?