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Blue MA-1!

oose

Active Member
Hi all,
I picked this one up in the hope that it may have been a B-15c Mod as the photo's were poor, but it turns out to be a first contact Lion Uniform MA-1 from around 1954-55 period that has been re-dyed blue. The jacket itself is in great condition Knits and crown zippers are perfect and the USAF logo on the arm is not faded, so its never been dry-cleaned. I suspect it was dyed blue early in its life and the colour is pretty spot on, not much different to my N-2a. It also fits perfectly and I will use it as a regular wearer, plus my wife prefers the blue. Here are a few shots along with some of originals (undyed)! :D






All the best
Stu
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Oose, that is cooler than the back side of the pillow!

Is the first Lion 1954-1955 or 1953? I ask because 1953 marked the last of the blue jackets...I have an N-2A from that year. A guy could have dyed his new MA-1 in an effort to match his other jackets. Maybe?

AF
 

Rutger

Well-Known Member
And so the myth of the non-existent blue MA-1 is no longer a myth.
Maybe DrH could run some tests to see from which era the dye originates.
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Rutger said:
And so the myth of the non-existent blue MA-1 is no longer a myth.
Maybe DrH could run some tests to see from which era the dye originates.
Nope. Still a myth. Still never seen one that I know to have been made and issued as a blue MA-1.

AF
 

oose

Active Member
Atticus said:
Rutger said:
And so the myth of the non-existent blue MA-1 is no longer a myth.
Maybe DrH could run some tests to see from which era the dye originates.
Nope. Still a myth. Still never seen one that I know to have been made and issued as a blue MA-1.

AF
I totally agree, it never existed, this is as near as your going to get! :D :lol:

All the best
Stu
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
oose said:
Atticus said:
Rutger said:
And so the myth of the non-existent blue MA-1 is no longer a myth.
Maybe DrH could run some tests to see from which era the dye originates.
Nope. Still a myth. Still never seen one that I know to have been made and issued as a blue MA-1.

AF
I totally agree, it never existed, this is as near as your going to get! :D :lol:

All the best
Stu
To put it in context of another popular debate, I don't think Stu's Blue MA-1 was born a Blue MA-1. I think it is a Blue MA-1 because it made a conscious decision to adopt an alternative lifestyle. :)

AF
 

flightmac

Member



Was there a caption to this one? I ask because I can see WRS (which I'm sure to stands for "Weather Reconnaissance Squadron" on it), but can't read the squadron number on the other side of the captain's bars. I was a crewmember (Flight Engineer) with the last remaining WRS from the 1990s to the early 2000s. I wish I could decipher which wings those are.
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
Atticus said:
oose said:
Hi Pepe,
The guy is from the 55th WRS, there are more here at my site
https://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/ ... y/weather/

Here is a shot from Hollywood, William Holden in 'Toward the Unknown' made in 1955-56 wearing Lion Ma-1

All the best
Stu
Stu, how can you tell from the photo that Holden isn't wearing a D-Mod? After all these years, I still have a hard time telling them apart.

AF

I can't say with certainty of course, but to me the sleeve zip is the giveaway. All the D-Mods I've seen with Crowns (Rolens?) have the spring-loaded puller.
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
flightmac said:
I wish I could decipher which wings those are.

Pepe, I was wondering that myself. My first thought was Enlisted Aircrew until I saw the Captain's rank, but if he was assigned to a position such as weather officer would he have worn Officer Aircrew wings like the ones depicted below?

United_States_Air_Force_Officer_Aircrew_Badge.svg
 

Peter Graham

Well-Known Member
watchmanjimg said:
I can't say with certainty of course, but to me the sleeve zip is the giveaway. All the D-Mods I've seen with Crowns (Rolens?) have the spring-loaded puller.
Yup. Concur with that.
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
Peter Graham said:
watchmanjimg said:
I can't say with certainty of course, but to me the sleeve zip is the giveaway. All the D-Mods I've seen with Crowns (Rolens?) have the spring-loaded puller.
Yup. Concur with that.

This discussion reminded me of an earlier thread in which we agonized over Major Carl Farmer's jacket, which appears below:

37de54e3b749ee72_large.jpg


Most of our attention was focused on the collar stitching and main zipper, but does anyone still think it's a B-15D Modified after looking at this photo?
 

oose

Active Member
Hi,
Here are two shots I have of a B-15D Mod, see arm zip and placement of the oxygen tab. The stitching on the leather tab of the arm pocket can also give away the various contracts.


All the best
Stu
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
Stu, as always you come up with the most outstanding photos! Both of these have spring-loaded pullers on the sleeve zips, which furthers the contention that this feature distinguishes the B-15D Mod from the MA-1. The jacket in the upper photo looks like a Rolen based on the oxygen mask tab, but I can't see the one in the lower photo clearly enough to tell if it's the same type.
 

oose

Active Member
watchmanjimg said:
Stu, as always you come up with the most outstanding photos! Both of these have spring-loaded pullers on the sleeve zips, which furthers the contention that this feature distinguishes the B-15D Mod from the MA-1. The jacket in the upper photo looks like a Rolen based on the oxygen mask tab, but I can't see the one in the lower photo clearly enough to tell if it's the same type.
Jim,
There all up at the blog! :D (I think this the same jacket, just being worn by different pilots for the official squadron photo)
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Also...at least in these photos...the D-Mods have leather pull tabs on the main zips and the Lions have cloth pullers.

AF
 

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