Re dye

[Pa12]

It’s my understanding that the “russet “ A-2’s were re dyed and the decal applied. I was wondering if this included issued jackets in service or just unissued ones before they went out.

 

[mulceber]

Both russet and seal jackets were re-dyed, and it seems to have been just jackets that were in the quartermaster’s inventory. Jackets that were currently issued to an airman were left untouched.

 

[Pa12]

Both russet and seal jackets were re-dyed, and it seems to have been just jackets that were in the quartermaster’s inventory. Jackets that were currently issued to an airman were left untouched.

Ok. I thought it would be a bit ridiculous to be taking guys jackets back considering all that was going on. So theoretically there could have been surviving russet examples with no decals?

 

[B-Man2]

Ok. I thought it would be a bit ridiculous to be taking guys jackets back considering all that was going on. So theoretically there could have been surviving russet examples with no decals?

Pete
Not theoretical.. fact .
Look at WZ1999 and Grants original Russett jackets with no decals .

 

[Silver Surfer]

some [the nicer, better jobs] were sent back to the company that made them for refitting, including redying. as of 1942, the meatballs were applied to refitted a-2s

 

[mulceber]

Pete
Not theoretical.. fact .
Look at WZ1999 and Grants original Russett jackets with no decals .

Hah, was just going to say that. The reason we have so many russet examples today is that they were issued before they could be dyed and never made it back to the depot.

 

[Pa12]

Hah, was just going to say that. The reason we have so many russet examples today is that they were issued before they could be dyed and never made it back to the depot.

Thanks guys. I always wondered.

 

[Camel24hrs]

What happened to the jackets of bomber crews that were shot down? That’s a lot of A2s that were collected. Were they redyed and reissued?

 

[B-Man2]

Many of them were stock piled and re issued as needed. Many of them were re dyed on scene at the bomber group locations by parachute riggers and on site supply depot personnel tasked with maintaining flight survival gear and clothing. There are some great photos in the archives here of racks and racks of B-3s , B-1.fleece flight pants and bunny suits , that are in the survival gear maintenance huts awaiting repair and re issue

 

[CBI]

someone posted here (VLJ) the military instructions for re-dying - pretty wild, clean first rub with acetone!!!! then apply dye with large paintbrush ....................

 

[ZuZu]

Jackets that were currently issued to an airman were left untouched.

some [the nicer, better jobs] were sent back to the company that made them for refitting, including redying. as of 1942, the meatballs were applied to refitted a-2s

Many of them were stock piled and re issued as needed. Many of them were re dyed on scene at the bomber group locations by parachute riggers and on site supply depot personnel tasked with maintaining flight survival gear and clothing. There are some great photos in the archives here of racks and racks of B-3s , B-1.fleece flight pants and bunny suits , that are in the survival gear maintenance huts awaiting repair and re issue

Just wondering- where is the documentation for these statements? I went to Eastman's book and saw no actual documents (he doesn't have notes) and his description of the reissue process is told more as a story than anything else. I'm just curious- I think I've seen somewhere USAAF instructions on refurbishing sheepskin jackets but not A-2s. I'm sure there's a lot of truth in the story of army depots and the whole redying process etc. etc. but is there paper on this? Surely in the Japanese books? USAAF documents? Very curious I am.