WWII Uniforms and Flight Gear (3)

WWII Uniforms and Flight Gear
Ed Nored Private Collection
photos copyright ©2006 by Ed Nored, used by permission Bomber Crews 1 Bomber Crews 2 Bomber Crews 3 Bomber Crews 4 Fighter Pilots
F-2 Booklet F-3 Booklet

Photo #25 - Page 2 from the F-2 Heated Suit Instruction Booklet. Compare to the photo below.

Photo #26 - Above is a recreation of the illustration found in the F-2 Instruction Booklet. I have left out the wool shirt and long underwear. Also, where the A-12 mittens are shown, I used the more correct A-9 mittens. The A-12 mittens may have been a mistake of the creator of the booklet since in the F-3 Booklet they show the A-12 mittens, but describe them as the A-9

Photo #27 - The photo above shows the connecting points from the F-2 pants to the inside of the F-2 jacket.

Photo #28 - This photo as well as the next few photos show more of the F-2 heated uniform. You've seen the outside of the uniform worn by the volunteers. Above you see the heated pant liner that buttons into the outer pants. To the left and above is the heated jacket liner which buttons into the outer jacket, both complete with their wire inserts. Shown again is the heated bootie. An example of the F-2 EM grade outer jacket is to the right and a B-6 helmet is shown. To see a very rare photo of a crewman wearing just the heated jacket liner, see this page from the 457th Bomb Group website.

Photo #29 - This waist gunner wears the F-2 heated uniform, the unmarked (redgroup) Q.A.C., B-4 or AN6519-1 Mae West, AN-6530 goggles, A-14 O2 mask and heated gloves. He's all hooked up and ready to go.

Photo #30 - Above are 4 outer F-2 jackets. The F-2 jacket lying in front of the other 3 shows how sometimes the flight equipment was numbered using ordinary paint. The jacket has the number 137 painted with a brush in the back of the collar. Another number, 32, is painted on the cuff. Remember that all this flight gear is military equipment that has to be stored, maintained and accounted for, and to do that each item has to have a number. Concerning the other jackets, on the left is an Officer's grade jacket. The other 2 jackets neither reveal nor suggest any discernible evidence as to what ranks were to wear them. The color shade among all of the F-2 jackets I've owned (about 20 examples) range from brown to dark green to chocolate brown. The lighter colored Enlisted Mans grade is lighter then the rest, always with a shearling collar and easily identified.
In the Lead Crew photo for Mission #265 you will see the crew of "Mercy's Madhouse" wearing the same examples as shown above. I see 5 or maybe 6 of the men are wearing the F-2 heated uniform. Sgt. Boone, ball turret gunner, is wearing the RAF flight boots. You can see a pair of them in the Fighter Pilot Section at photo # 5 and # 6.

Photo #31 - The equipment shown above is based on T/Sgt Joe Vieira in Lead Crew Mission #267. It shows the F-2 uniform with a light summer weight AN-H-15 flight helmet with either B-7 or AN-6530 goggles. The two types of goggles are nearly identical. In the crew shot of Vieira, the bag at his feet is the M-1936 Musette bag. It shows up much better in other shots of him. T/Sgt Joe Vieira flew two tours and it is worthwhile doing a search of this mans record here at the 303rd site.

Photo #32 - Page 2 from the F-3 Heated Suit Instruction Booklet. Compare to the photo below.

Photo #33 - Above is a recreation of the illustration found in the F-3 Instruction Booklet. I have excluded the wool shirt, trousers and long underwear.

Photo #34 - Above are two examples of navigator cases. The hats in top row left to right are the B-1, the short billed HBT cap and the B-2 leather with shearling cap. Next row L-R the A-3 mechanics cap, overseas cap and the officers crusher cap. All hats except the leather B-2 can be seen in the Middlemas Crew of the 360th. The B-2 can be seen on all of the 5 men kneeling in Lead Crew Mission #191.

Photo #35 - Beginning with the above photo and a few others I will do my best to show you the gear that the early crews wore. Above on the left is the B-3 Mae West over the A-2 jacket with headset over officers crusher cap. On the far right is the B-3 jacket with B-6 helmet. If you have never seen the item in the center before, let me confirm that it is as blue as you think it is -- the famous F-1 "blue bunny" heated suit. To see examples of this suit go to the 359th Eisenhart Crew. Eisenhart is wearing an F-2 and is shaking the hand of Gen Travis, who is wearing the F-1. Another example is the Cogswell Crew. Look at S/Sgt Paul Davis. Also see the Fyler crew and Lt. Jackson in Lead Crew #75.

Photo #36 - You should understand that because new and improved flight gear arrived, it didn't mean that all of the early items of flight gear was thrown away. You can still see traces of it in 1945 including the F-1 suit. Two of the quickest items to disappear would have been the heavy leather shearling B-3 jacket and A-3 pants. Pictured above is the A-4 flight suit which in some cases would have been worn over the F-1. Go to Lead Crew Mission #191 and check out Lt Nance. In Lead Crew Mission #219, 1Lt Blythe is wearing the A-4 flight suit underneath the F-2 heated uniform.

Photo #37 - Over the F-1 and over the A-4 suit, if desired, came the A-3 leather pants, shown here without the A-4. After the pants, the B-3 jacket would top things off.

Photo #38 - Shown are the gloves that go with the F-1. The cords of the gloves that plug into the connectors at the wrist have been cut off and disposed of long ago. From a collecting aspect, the gloves and the booties that go with this suit are extremely rare. The cord and plug leading from the glove are nearly the same as the plug you have on any of your present day lamps or appliances. To see gloves hanging from the F-1, see Lead Crew Mission #30. The man with the gloves is wearing what appears to be the AAC B-1 flight suit. The yellow tag on the suit states this particular F-1 has been inspected and found to be "serviceable" and dated 1945. I will let the next owner of this suit determine if it works or not.

[photos and comments copyright and courtesy of Ed Nored]

The uniforms and gear presented here are from the private collection of Ed Nored. Any reproduction or other use of these photographs is strictly forbidden. 303rdBG.com was granted exclusive rights to these photographs solely for historical purposes. These items are not for sale on eBay or elsewhere.