The Origins and Evolution of The USN 37J1 Flight Jacket - The Navy's First Bomber jacket

[Skyhawk]

I am starting this thread to discuss the 37J1 flight jacket and it's origins. It was the first USN light weight leather flight jacket, and quite possibly the first bomber jacket ever.

I will be editing this thread regularly and adding to it as well. After 10 + years of researching these jackets, I am still finding out more about them. I just stumbled on some new details today!

ORIGINS:
The earliest photos of the jacket show that the High Hats Squadron VF-1B, gave their demonstration aerobatic team a new stylish leather flight jacket to test out. They went on a tour of the USA to different airshows wearing them. Here is what they were flying:

Photographs of the jacket are dated as early as 1927 but they have wear at that point already. I believe this jacket was a test jacket for the new 37J1 program. The style is basically the same but the construction is much more complex and time consuming. It appears that changes were made, and shortly after we see the later 37J1 models appear, with new improvements and ease of construction incorporated.

Spalding "High Hats" 37J1 Type 1

- Capeskin (Probably Chestnut (Dark Russet) Color)
- 6 Main Buttons (Changed to 5 in later models)
- Welted style pockets (Changed to patch pockets later)
- Dark Seal Knits
- 2 Snaps at the waist, 1 Snap at the collar
- Intricate 1/8" stitching at the cuffs, waist, and neck (Simplified and reinforced on later models)

Snaps were set very high on this model. They were large ring snaps and not reinforced very well. The later 37J1's show a more robust reinforcement attachment, and they were set lower to not fit so tightly when snapped. Both improvements on this design.
I attribute this model to A.G Spalding & Bros. They were making leather flight suits and helmets for the USN at the time and also made civilian flight jackets that were similar.
Security Aviation Togs (SAT) could not have made this jacket. They started making jackets in 1931.
More to come.......

 

[Skyhawk]

After ideas were tested and lessons learned, it appears that the specifications were drawn up, and contracts awarded for the first large contracts of the 37J1 jackets. These drawings and specifications have never been found. Nor any labels of the contract jackets.
Those are a few of the questions that need to be answered about this jacket that have been lost to history.
1. The original drawings / specifications
2. The Companies who were awarded the contracts.


What we do know is that this standard version appeared around 1928 and this general format was followed for most of the contract jackets throughout the service life of the type of jacket.
37J1 jacket Type 2

- 5 Main Buttons
- Lowered and reinforced snaps on collar
- Mid level patch pockets with angled flaps
- Double stitch lines at the waist and cuffs
The liners on these first two have been identified as Dark Brown Cotton Sateen as seen on the right below on a screen shot from the movie Hell Divers. A wealth of information is in that movie as it has a lot of video footage of originals being worn.

 

[Skyhawk]

Another 2 variants of the 37J1 showed up later on in the history of the jacket. One was known as the "Admirals Jacket" worn by Admiral ballentine and is one of the few surviving jackets in modern times. This jacket was essentially identical to the #2 contract jacket except the pockets were bigger and had flat pocket flaps instead of the angled ones. Interestingly, they are similar to the modern G-1 pocket flaps. The liner in this jacket is tan, it does not appear to be replaced. It appears that this contract had a tan liner instead of the dark brown seen on others.
37J1 Jacket Type 3:

This jacket gives us insight to the original color of the 37J1 from the inside pocket photo. It was a Chestnut color like the A-1:

 

[Skyhawk]

I have obtained the original military specifications for the 37J1 series flight jackets!

This is amazing and sheds a lot of light on some of the construction of the jacket. There are elements of the construction and materials that are different than every reproduction I have seen of these jackets. Good Wear got it the most right. I have mentioned this to JC as we do chat occasionally.

We will be making the appropriate changes to our 37J1 jackets to bring them up to the military specifications. Stay tuned for updates. I would say our jacket was about 90% there. With the specifications in hand, we can bring that up to the level of actually passing the government specification standards.

The High Hats 37J1 will remain unchanged. That jacket was a precursor the 37J1 specifications and did not meet the final requirements for the issued 37J1 jacket.

 

[Skyhawk]

There are some huge revelations contained in the specifications. It is pretty detailed in the requirements of the design of the jacket. The pocket type, placement, shape and size are specified. The flap is not. That explains the variance we see with the angled shape vs the flat shape.

The knit attachment and lengths are all specified. They had very short cuffs. There are stitching requirements, thread type, and some unique reinforcement elements hidden within the jacket. With none of these rare original jackets available to study, these requirements could not be known as they are not visible in photos.


I didn't get too far into reading when the first huge revelation jumped out at me. There is a hide requirement.

The Mil Spec hide for the USN 37J1 flight jacket is NOT Capeskin!

No doubt that some Capeskin was used, as it is a kind of sheepskin. We have photographic evidence of Cape 37J1's. What always baffled me though is that so many 37J1's appear totally smooth, with no Cape characteristics at all. Now I know why.

Cape 37J1's:

Sheep 37J1's:

Looks like a mix of hides below. Some Sheep, Some Cape Sheep.