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Best photos of famous people wearing true vintage leather jackets (military, but not only)

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Think you’ll find Starsky’s jacket an early G1 rather than an M422/a - hard to tell from last pic but pocket flaps dont look scalloped enough to be the latter?
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Think you’ll find Starsky’s jacket an early G1 rather than an M422/a - hard to tell from last pic but pocket flaps dont look scalloped enough to be the latter?
Watched a 1974 episode the other day -- no stencil on the collar back -- and no sign of a costumer removal -- so an early G-1 could be correct.
 

Dubpynchon

Well-Known Member
Watched a 1974 episode the other day -- no stencil on the collar back -- and no sign of a costumer removal -- so an early G-1 could be correct.
Can you remember which episode you watched? I downloaded all the episodes but I can't find Starsky in a G1 in any of them. The filming ethos was different back then, films cost money so slip-ups and the like were ignored, it's funny to watch sometimes.
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Can you remember which episode you watched? I downloaded all the episodes but I can't find Starsky in a G1 in any of them.
?? The whole first season he switches back and forth from the blue windbreaker to a safari-like jacket to the G-1 type flight jacket.

2 episodes that stand out: one about a skip-tracing, bail bond company that's covering up a murder -- at the end they catch the bad guy in an old paint factory -- had to laugh when the G-1 gets doused from an old paint can filled with yellow paint. Don't all old flight jackets end up with paint on them at some point? :D

The second one actually shows Starsky's apartment; he's taking care of an old highschool crush who's hit hard times. One scene shows Starsky about to leave to look for the bad guy and he grabs the G-1 and his shoulder holster from a hook on the back of his door -- safety first, right?

I'm only a couple episodes into Season 2 and they're odd, special episodes where they're under "deep cover" and dressed weird (pin-stripe suits for Vegas). I know he starts wearing a weathered, brown highwayman-like jacket at some point, but I haven't seen it yet.

*Edit: Looking at the season 1 episode list on Prime and Episode 17: Silence features a pic of Starsky in the G-1.
nR78SLZ.png


Also, Episode 22: Bounty Hunter is the bail bond episode I mention above. #20 Running is the other episode I mentioned. Also looks like they're 1975-1976 episodes, thought the series was earlier.
 
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Dubpynchon

Well-Known Member
?? The whole first season he switches back and forth from the blue windbreaker to a safari-like jacket to the G-1 type flight jacket.

2 episodes that stand out: one about a skip-tracing, bail bond company that's covering up a murder -- at the end they catch the bad guy in an old paint factory -- had to laugh when the G-1 gets doused from an old paint can filled with yellow paint. Don't all old flight jackets end up with paint on them at some point? :D

The second one actually shows Starsky's apartment; he's taking care of an old highschool crush who's hit hard times. One scene shows Starsky about to leave to look for the bad guy and he grabs the G-1 and his shoulder holster from a hook on the back of his door -- safety first, right?

I'm only a couple episodes into Season 2 and they're odd, special episodes where they're under "deep cover" and dressed weird (pin-stripe suits for Vegas). I know he starts wearing a weathered, brown highwayman-like jacket at some point, but I haven't seen it yet.

*Edit: Looking at the season 1 episode list on Prime and Episode 17: Silence features a pic of Starsky in the G-1.
nR78SLZ.png


Also, Episode 22: Bounty Hunter is the bail bond episode I mention above. #20 Running is the other episode I mentioned. Also looks like they're 1975-1976 episodes, thought the series was earlier.
Great thanks, I'll have a look.
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
I know he starts wearing a weathered, brown highwayman-like jacket at some point, but I haven't seen it yet.
Debuts second season, third episode. Nice looking, lived-in, jacket. Thought I caught a glimpse of a tartan lining.

Wonder if this replaces the G-1 from now on -- probably couldn't clean off the yellow paint! ;)
 

Grant

Well-Known Member
This guys isn't famous, but he should be.

1f1fa_1f1f2.png
WWII uncovered: 77th Anniversary of D-Day: Remembering the Heroes We Lost
♠️
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton, of Elkins West Virginia, was among the verified 2,501 Americans to perish during Operation Overlord in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Leading the 3rd Battalion, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, Wolverton was known to put the needs of his men first. He was a true soldier's soldier.
"In late November 1942, LTC Strayer s 2/506 left Camp Toccoa on foot and marched 118 miles to Atlanta. From Atlanta they took the train to Fort Benning. Not to be outdone, 3/506th s commander, Major Wolverton (soon to become LTC), who had learned of a world record held by the Japanese for the longest march, decided he wanted to beat that record and at the same time, show up the 2/506. Major Wolverton gave the order for 3/506 to take the train from Toccoa to Atlanta. Then, at Atlanta, 3rd Battalion detrained and, wearing packs and carrying weapons, began a foot march to Fort Benning. The great leader that he was, Major Wolverton chose to march with his men and led the 700 soldiers on the gruelling 138 mile march from the front of the long green line. He proved that he would never order his men to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself."
"At 8pm on the evening of June 5th, Robert called his Battalion together at the parade grounds. Robert started off by saying that he'd meet the entirety of his men one year from then at the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City. Then he led them in prayer:
“Men, I am not a religious man and I don’t know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. I would like you to get down on your knees and pray and while you do this do not look down, but look up, with heads held high to the sky. In a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if you will, use us as your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We only ask this, that if die, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. Protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead, and with us now as we each pray to you.” (citation reference Project Vigil and West Virginia State Library)
Upon landing Wolverton's canopy snagged in the limbs of a tree, leaving him to dangle only a few feet from the ground. As he struggled to free himself, he was killed by German troops.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton was 29 years old at the time of his death. Lest We Forget.

A2.jpg
 

Smithy

Well-Known Member
This guys isn't famous, but he should be.

1f1fa_1f1f2.png
WWII uncovered: 77th Anniversary of D-Day: Remembering the Heroes We Lost
♠️
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton, of Elkins West Virginia, was among the verified 2,501 Americans to perish during Operation Overlord in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
Leading the 3rd Battalion, 506 Parachute Infantry Regiment, Wolverton was known to put the needs of his men first. He was a true soldier's soldier.
"In late November 1942, LTC Strayer s 2/506 left Camp Toccoa on foot and marched 118 miles to Atlanta. From Atlanta they took the train to Fort Benning. Not to be outdone, 3/506th s commander, Major Wolverton (soon to become LTC), who had learned of a world record held by the Japanese for the longest march, decided he wanted to beat that record and at the same time, show up the 2/506. Major Wolverton gave the order for 3/506 to take the train from Toccoa to Atlanta. Then, at Atlanta, 3rd Battalion detrained and, wearing packs and carrying weapons, began a foot march to Fort Benning. The great leader that he was, Major Wolverton chose to march with his men and led the 700 soldiers on the gruelling 138 mile march from the front of the long green line. He proved that he would never order his men to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself."
"At 8pm on the evening of June 5th, Robert called his Battalion together at the parade grounds. Robert started off by saying that he'd meet the entirety of his men one year from then at the Muehlebach Hotel in Kansas City. Then he led them in prayer:
“Men, I am not a religious man and I don’t know your feelings in this matter, but I am going to ask you to pray with me for the success of the mission before us. I would like you to get down on your knees and pray and while you do this do not look down, but look up, with heads held high to the sky. In a few short hours we will be in battle with the enemy. We do not join battle afraid. We do not ask favors or indulgence but ask that, if you will, use us as your instrument for the right and an aid in returning peace to the world. We do not know or seek what our fate will be. We only ask this, that if die, that we die as men would die, without complaining, without pleading and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. Protect our loved ones and be near us in the fire ahead, and with us now as we each pray to you.” (citation reference Project Vigil and West Virginia State Library)
Upon landing Wolverton's canopy snagged in the limbs of a tree, leaving him to dangle only a few feet from the ground. As he struggled to free himself, he was killed by German troops.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Lee Wolverton was 29 years old at the time of his death. Lest We Forget.

View attachment 62657

It's great to look at nice jackets - and let's face it that's why we're all here - but for me these kinds of posts are far, far more worthwhile and infinitely better. Because for me, remembering these men who wore the stuff we love is far more important than the clothes, jackets, clobber themselves. I know that people will say that wearing these things is a way of paying tribute to these guys but when you attach an actual person and what they did/what they sacrificed to this clothing and clobber then that's so much more important (well for me anyway).

Terrific post Grant, one of the best on here in a long time.
 

johnwayne

Well-Known Member
Yes, the ‘One that Got Away’ - Baron Franz von Werra! Not up on flying boots but are they not British type?
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Yes, the ‘One that Got Away’ - Baron Franz von Werra! Not up on flying boots but are they not British type?
The best flight boots ever… some even wired heated…The one and only to wear with a real authentic ( looking or WWII ) original Luftwaffe flight jacket…
IMHO..:)
BTW : Franz von Werra was half Swiss origine… his mother only spoke french and not a word of german.
5C85DE56-E61C-4E29-92D7-97690F65CEAE.jpeg
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
See, said I wasn’t up on flying boots!
Think on seeing those, British boots were brown leather too?
German early ones were brown, russet…
later versions were black, white and blue-grey…
Smashed to ruble Germany had to deal and cope with whatwever raw material was handy…
But still 3 to 5 x the ( collectors) price on whats paid for allied „ equivalents „…
The Czech air force reproduced them
until mid… 1960‘s … Very often sold as WWII Luftwaffe on Ebay and others…but real experts know..:)
 
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Rory Schultz

Well-Known Member

A side note: I met Hardy Kruger when he toured through the USA when I was a student. He was giving a speech about his growing up in Nazi Germany being drafted as a teenager serving until the end of the war. He mentioned that the jacket, pants, uniform, boots, was worn by a real Luftwaffe Pilot (don't recall who) loaned to him for the movie. His speech was mostly about how difficult it was living under the Nazi thumb and so forth.
 
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Pilot

Well-Known Member
A side note: I met Hardy Kruger when he toured through the USA when I was a student. He was giving a speech about his growing up in Nazi Germany being drafted as a teenager serving until the end of the war. He mentioned that the jacket, pants, uniform, boots, was worn by a real Luftwaffe Pilot (don't recall who) loaned to him for the movie. His speech was mostly about how difficult it was living under the Nazi thumb and so forth.
Ruhe in Frieden Hardy!
 

Rory Schultz

Well-Known Member
Oh, by the way, I just remembered something else he said. He said all of the German public knew of what was happening to the people in Concentration Camps and were NOT remorseful about it. He said many times at the end of the war as the Russians approached the POW's and Jews etc were forced marched towards the interior of Germany to cover up their atrocities that when they passed through towns the citizens would come out and personally murder them also. He stated, "that it was impossible for anyone to not know what was happening!"
Some civilians after the war were executed for murdering POW's
 

Pilot

Well-Known Member
Oh, by the way, I just remembered something else he said. He said all of the German public knew of what was happening to the people in Concentration Camps and were NOT remorseful about it. He said many times at the end of the war as the Russians approached the POW's and Jews etc were forced marched towards the interior of Germany to cover up their atrocities that when they passed through towns the citizens would come out and personally murder them also. He stated, "that it was impossible for anyone to not know what was happening!"
Some civilians after the war were executed for murdering POW's
Agree, he even said the allied fliers knew about those camps and saw those huge not camouflaged complexes … and did not bomb a single one of them… ( logically since none never confused them with military camps..). The IRC even sent parcels.. at least to the allied POW‘s. Documented in many reports and diaries.
Yes he said all this!
 

MauldinFan

Well-Known Member
I've often wondered about this shot, as the helmet is some kind of civilian pre-war one without radio receivers. This movie used A-11 helmets and US goggles, nothing like this is to be seen anywhere in the movie.
So, where'd it come from? I'd bet that when they were taking this shot, they wanted someone on his head but couldn't find what they needed right away, so someone had this sitting around?
 
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