A-1s in WW2?

[Xopher]

Could y’all please tell me what you know about the use of A-1 jackets in WW2.

I know they were primarily a between wars piece of kit, but I have heard often that they saw “limited use” during the Second World War, but I haven’t been able to find any more information about the specifics.

Are there any accounts of any old timer fighter pilots or bomber pilots wearing A-1s early in the war?

I have not seen Masters of the Air yet, but I have seen photos of the one character wearing the pre war white B-3 jackets, and I’m not sure what year the show is taking place but I’d imagine ‘43 or so. So the fellow obviously was used an old model early on and was fortunate enough to stay alive a while.

I was wondering if there are any similar cases with A-1s? Any notable figures? Fighter pilots with confirmed kills?

Did I once hear there was an A-1 on the Doolittle Raid, or is that a myth?

Thanks all!

 

[mulceber]

TBH, I've heard the same thing as you, but I've never seen a single photo of a pilot wearing an A-1 during the war. This is just a guess, but I suspect the "limited use" was its classification - if any pilots still had the A-1, they could still use it and not be considered out of uniform. But I'd be shocked if they were issuing them, even old stock A-1s by the time WW2 came around. And given how small the air corps was in the early 1930s, anyone who still had an A-1 would likely be AT LEAST a major by the time the US entered the war, and they would likely have upgraded to the cooler new kit.

I have not seen Masters of the Air yet, but I have seen photos of the one character wearing the pre war white B-3 jackets, and I’m not sure what year the show is taking place but I’d imagine ‘43 or so. So the fellow obviously was used an old model early on and was fortunate enough to stay alive a while.

Yeah, that's John "Bucky" Egan. He joined up in about '40 or '41, iirc. The white B-3 was unusual by that point, but it was still standard flying equipment. He wore one because he liked standing out from a crowd.