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History of RAF flight clothing

dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
I was intrigued by the pith flight helmet here are photos of one.

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dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
Pathe newsreel from 1934.
No. 2 sqn RAF on patrol over the Khyber Pass.
They are wearing the helmets in the flying footage.


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D97x7

Well-Known Member
Fascinating stuff, this was what I was talking to my neighbour about over Christmas, she was telling me how the RFC had a vote on what colour uniforms to wear, they chose blue like the navy as they thought the green was a bit lady like, or words to that effect, it was a most enjoyable hour.
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
The conversion of the standard pith helmet used by British forces in tropical climes to the pith flying helmet used in the RAF was actually a natural evolution. Cork based flying helmets were two of the first types used by the RFC and RNAS. The first was the French Roold helmet which was adopted in April 1914 just prior to the outbreak of war and which was joined shortly after by the British designed Warren helmet (Ptn No 8115, August, 1914). The conversion of the pith helmet to flying duties was a logical idea, if perhaps not the most practical - airmen found them to be exceedingly ungainly in the air and the airflow had a very nasty tendency to catch the brim and whip the man's head suddenly in unwanted directions. Needless to say its time in the service was very short lived!
 

dinomartino1

Well-Known Member
I can never a pith helmet twithout instantly thinking of Gunner Harold Herbert Horace Willy "Lofty" Sugden, RA.

BSM Williams
"Is it a mushroom? No.
Is it a soldier? No
It's Gunner Sugden."

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