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USAF in Korea - color photos
- Thread starter dujardin
- Start date
6148th T.C.Squadron
Member
Very coooool man. The Korean war is interesting in that there is a transition of WW2 aircraft, and flight jackets, showing old and new. Thanks for the great pictures. I'm becoming interested
in the flight helmets, may have to invest. I like the Japanese navy wool squadron baseball cap in the case.
in the flight helmets, may have to invest. I like the Japanese navy wool squadron baseball cap in the case.
GoodTimesGone
New Member
Non-uniformity was the uniform of the day in that era for sure. Lt. Kratt is too young to have been issued an A-2 in his career but it looks like there is possibly a worn air corps decal on his sleeve. The third to last photo shows a private purchase leather jacket. No contract maker had pocket flaps that shape. Thanks Marcel. You always seem to find the most interesting and rare photos.
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Tom
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Tom
6148th T.C.Squadron
Member
I am also seeing the infamous RED wool baseball cap.
Treetopflyer
Member
I like the picture of the K-2 Airbase sign. The AF numbered air fields because the pilots couldn't pronounce the actual Korean names of the air fields. They thought it would just be easier to give them numbers.
a2jacketpatches
Active Member
The large squadron patch on the M-51 looks great. I remember seeing similar on an M-43. The pocket was removed, patch sewn, and re-stitched to the jacket.
YoungMedic
Well-Known Member
Rutger said:Wow, terrific! Love the many different things, including deviations from the regular stuff.
Half way I saw a well known feller : Daniel "Chappy: James, who was with the 8th TFW in Vietnam with Robin Olds.
Yeah it was cool to see Chappie in there. I recently visited the Arlington National Cemetary and saw his headstone on a corner intersection. After reading Robin Olds: Fighter Pilot a couple years ago it was amazing to come across Chappie out of all the markers there.
Peter Graham
Well-Known Member
Great photos Marcel. Many thanks. The first pic shows three eras of US flight jackets in one photo. Leather, cloth and nylon. Fascinating.
rayfel
New Member
Dave (dmar836)
We would call "K-XX tower" and our call sign was "mosquito-XX" when flying T-6's and L-19's. When flying the C-47 radio relay aircraft our call was "mosquito shirley*" (only one aloft at any time.) *Must have been the commander's wife.
This might be a good place to repost the homer and tower frequency chart, which identified all K fields as of Dec 1951.
GoodTimesGone
Lt Kratt (flying an F-84) certainly could have been old enough when he was issued his A-2. I was not quite 19 when I was issued mine in June 1951 with the 6147th Tac Con Gp. Of course it was recycled from WWII, as was much of our gear. In fact mine was pre-owned (I love that euphemism for used.) A photo of the restored jacket (mannikin thanks to Dave dmar836) and other stuff, cloth blood chit, ID blood chit, L-19 photos etc, is posted at: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=16159
I hope I'm designating the thread properly and it can be accessed.
Going through the old shoe box I’ve set aside some photos and ephemera, although not directly related to vintage jackets, I have the impression that they would be of some interest to the members.
C-47 radio relay aircraft. We had three of these modified aircraft, one was usually down for service and we had one as a hot backup. We would loiter over central Korea for up to 6 hours retransmitting comm and providing airborne control for tactical strikes against ground targets.
Occasionally we were tasked to dump safe conduct passes over enemy lines. I was told by some of our troops that the Chinese and North Koreans appreciated the passes as loo paper, much nicer than the leaves and grass they usually used.
Pointie Talkie
T-6 down
Houseboy and me. He looked about 9 but was actually 14. Probably malnutrition.
This is how we were shipped over - on a slow boat to Korea.
U.S.S. W. A Mann above deck
U.S.S. W. A Mann below deck
Thanksgiving at K-6, 1951
Ray
We would call "K-XX tower" and our call sign was "mosquito-XX" when flying T-6's and L-19's. When flying the C-47 radio relay aircraft our call was "mosquito shirley*" (only one aloft at any time.) *Must have been the commander's wife.
This might be a good place to repost the homer and tower frequency chart, which identified all K fields as of Dec 1951.
GoodTimesGone
Lt Kratt (flying an F-84) certainly could have been old enough when he was issued his A-2. I was not quite 19 when I was issued mine in June 1951 with the 6147th Tac Con Gp. Of course it was recycled from WWII, as was much of our gear. In fact mine was pre-owned (I love that euphemism for used.) A photo of the restored jacket (mannikin thanks to Dave dmar836) and other stuff, cloth blood chit, ID blood chit, L-19 photos etc, is posted at: viewtopic.php?f=29&t=16159
I hope I'm designating the thread properly and it can be accessed.
Going through the old shoe box I’ve set aside some photos and ephemera, although not directly related to vintage jackets, I have the impression that they would be of some interest to the members.
C-47 radio relay aircraft. We had three of these modified aircraft, one was usually down for service and we had one as a hot backup. We would loiter over central Korea for up to 6 hours retransmitting comm and providing airborne control for tactical strikes against ground targets.
Occasionally we were tasked to dump safe conduct passes over enemy lines. I was told by some of our troops that the Chinese and North Koreans appreciated the passes as loo paper, much nicer than the leaves and grass they usually used.
Pointie Talkie
T-6 down
Houseboy and me. He looked about 9 but was actually 14. Probably malnutrition.
This is how we were shipped over - on a slow boat to Korea.
U.S.S. W. A Mann above deck
U.S.S. W. A Mann below deck
Thanksgiving at K-6, 1951
Ray
GoodTimesGone
New Member
I was guessing Lt. Kratt traded for or purchased his A-2. I didn't know they were still being re-issued through the supply system in the early '50s. Very interesting. My dad was in the 25th Division, Artillery in Korea from 1951-1953. I'm always interested to hear any information concerning the Korean War. Thanks for serving your country.
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Tom
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Tom
6148th T.C.Squadron
Member
Ray thanks again for the posts. Dave
rayfel
New Member
Dave (dmar836)
I was air crew during my time with 6147th TCG. I would have loved to have got flight training and been rated, but I would have had to first go through OCS, which was impossible since I was a high school dropout. Also, my eyesight was not up to par. I did get my GED during my last station at Tyndall AFB and eventually got my electrical engineering degree under the Korean war GI bill. Not nearly as good as the WWII bill.
The T-6 crew were bruised and shaken up, but otherwise ok.
Tom (GoodTimesGone)
How's your dad doing? He obviously must be an old codger like me. Scoring an A-2 jacket for flight personnel in korea was a matter of luck. Since they were no longer in production, it all depended on what was kicking around in supply. I would have preferred one size larger, it was a bit snug, but it was the only one available at the time so I grabbed it.
Here's a photo of the A-11 hemet I was issued, also recycled from WII, which I rarely used. Notice the Army Air Forces logo. I was also issued an oxygen mask which I never used. We never flew above 10,000 feet.
The head form is a ceramic sculpture my ex wife did in the cubist style many years ago. It just happened that the helmet fit it perfectly, so its been on it since she generously let me keep it when we divorced 40 years ago.
This link:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=16159&start=10
should access the earlier thread I was trying to designate earlier in this thread.
Ray
I was air crew during my time with 6147th TCG. I would have loved to have got flight training and been rated, but I would have had to first go through OCS, which was impossible since I was a high school dropout. Also, my eyesight was not up to par. I did get my GED during my last station at Tyndall AFB and eventually got my electrical engineering degree under the Korean war GI bill. Not nearly as good as the WWII bill.
The T-6 crew were bruised and shaken up, but otherwise ok.
Tom (GoodTimesGone)
How's your dad doing? He obviously must be an old codger like me. Scoring an A-2 jacket for flight personnel in korea was a matter of luck. Since they were no longer in production, it all depended on what was kicking around in supply. I would have preferred one size larger, it was a bit snug, but it was the only one available at the time so I grabbed it.
Here's a photo of the A-11 hemet I was issued, also recycled from WII, which I rarely used. Notice the Army Air Forces logo. I was also issued an oxygen mask which I never used. We never flew above 10,000 feet.
The head form is a ceramic sculpture my ex wife did in the cubist style many years ago. It just happened that the helmet fit it perfectly, so its been on it since she generously let me keep it when we divorced 40 years ago.
This link:
viewtopic.php?f=29&t=16159&start=10
should access the earlier thread I was trying to designate earlier in this thread.
Ray
