VLJ "WW2 Fit"

[Southoftheborder]

The whole idea of so called wartime fit is daft. It's been done to death here and other places. I remember posting the little and large pic further up on the FL fifteen years ago on another 'A2 wartime fit' thread and I don't suppose I was the first to use it to illustrate the meaninglessness of the concept then.

They wore what they were given and you might as well start a thread on the wartime fit of the British Army greatcoat....

 

[Micawber]

The whole idea of so called wartime fit is daft. It's been done to death here and other places. I remember posting the little and large pic further up on the FL fifteen years ago on another 'A2 wartime fit' thread and I don't suppose I was the first to use it to illustrate the meaninglessness of the concept then.

They wore what they were given and you might as well start a thread on the wartime fit of the British Army greatcoat....

Well said Sir!

 

[Thomas Koehle]

I doubt they had the opportunity to try a couple on when they were issued either. I’m picturing “size? Here you go. Next.”

Second that!

Never heard ANY quartermaster to ask "are you happy with the size?" - or "do you like the fit?" - even during my time at the "Bundeswehr" we got more or less the gear thrown after us and after settling down we swapped sizes with our comrades ...

 

[Thomas Koehle]

View attachment 103223

That tall dude - well seems he didn't complain about "tunneling" of the sleeves whatsoever ...

 

[Silver Surfer]

Kinda like jimmy stewart, (6’1”) who was issued a size 40 rw. The quartermaster must have issued it to him on an early Monday morning……..” oh my head hurts, spinning, and my vision is still blurry”

 

[B-Man2]

Kinda like jimmy stewart, (6’1”) who was issued a size 40 rw. The quartermaster must have issued it to him on an early Monday morning……..” oh my head hurts, spinning, and my vision is still blurry”

Yeah … Another Oops!
An interesting story about him. He gave his height at different levels throughout his life . See link

How tall was James Stewart?

Jimmy Stewart height was 6ft 3 or 190.5 cm tall. Discover more Celebrity Heights and Vote on how tall you think any Celebrity is!

www.celebheights.com

 

[johnwayne]

The old ‘fit’ controversy rumbles on! All I would add is that an A2 in my mind looks much better when it does fit trim, much easier of course for the generally younger ‘frame’ - nothing worse in my book than those big blousey Avirex’s!! At the risk of repeating myself, my early 90’s house ELC was always a great fit and still is BUT, it was only when I got my GW Doniger did I realise what a perfect fit is!! The big difference is the shoulder seams on the GW actually sit on the shoulders whereas the ELC droop albeit where the sleeves end on the wrists is pretty much the same as is the body fit - the GW just feels so much better!!

 

[Pa12]

Yeah … Another Oops! View attachment 103269

That tall with a 40 inch chest would be tough to fit without a tailor. Reminds me of how my first Avirex fit in 1985. Too bad. I loved that jacket.

 

[Smithy]

One thing which gets overlooked enormously aside from the nutritional difference is the difference in the male muscular physique from the 30s/40s to now in first world countries. The growth of weight-based strength training took off from the late 50s (the bench press didn't start to be a common exercise until then for example) led to a marked difference in the male physique. Not everyone but a significant proportion of the population strength train or have strength trained which means a lot of men have more muscular upper bodies than those guys in wartime. Chest size especially is one area where there is a marked difference. This is another factor that will and does affect how an A-2 fits a lot of guys now compared to back then.

 

[saucerfiend]

Were you guys looking for this pic? I just happened to have it in my files.

 

[Pa12]

Were you guys looking for this pic? I just happened to have it in my files.

View attachment 103339

Yes I believe that’s it.

 

[Thomas Koehle]

Were you guys looking for this pic? I just happened to have it in my files.

View attachment 103339

The holy grail!
Nirvana!
Paradise!

 

[blackrat2]

Talk about eye candy..look at the piles of that stuff

 

[B-Man2]

Were you guys looking for this pic? I just happened to have it in my files.

View attachment 103339

Notice the guy dealing out the stuff was an officer and a pilot rather than a supply sergeant. I’m wondering if it was a staged photo for some press stuff. So I’m wondering if the guy in the photo went on to be an advisor to the Avirex company after the war

 

[Pa12]

Notice the guy dealing out the stuff was an officer and a pilot rather than a supply sergeant. I’m wondering if it was a staged photo for some press stuff. So I’m wondering if the guy in the photo went on to be an advisor to the Avirex company after the war

I’m sure it was probably staged. I remember back in the 80’s a film company came to my work. They were doing a cover for some career magazine. We were all too busy fixing airplanes so they grabbed a couple of cleaners, stuck a tool in their hand and had them pose beside an airplane for a photo shoot

 

[B-Man2]

Some text here might clarify the point you're trying to make with this picture, @ZuZu. Not meaning that as snark - I'd like to hear your argument.

Damn … Are those all air victories on the side of that cockpit ?? If they are … who the hell was that guy.?

 

[Richard W.]

Mission markers. They are eyeballs.

The “Snoopers” were the 111th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron and all the a/c carried that noseart.

 

[Micawber]

Were you guys looking for this pic? I just happened to have it in my files.

View attachment 103339

I'm familiar with that photo but that's not the one I had in mind. If or when I get chance I will try to go through some of my own collection of images and see if I can locate it... or them.