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Flight jacket layering in the Navy

mulceber

Moderator
The thread about C-2 sweaters spawned this question - did Navy pilots have anything equivalent to the AAF's C-2 that they'd use to layer underneath their flight jackets? I see that Pike Bros. makes a Navy-colored C-2, but I'm guessing that's just a color variation, not something the Navy actually used. But a good light sweater seems like something like that would make G-1 jackets wearable down to the freezing point.
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
Probably need to look at pics of Navy aviators in Korea (maybe the Aleutians if they got there?).

Doesn't seem like many Navy pilots wore G-1s in combat in the south Pacific -- at least based on pics I've seen.
 

ZuZu

Well-Known Member
I've always worn one of these- I've literally had one since the late 1960s. Not the same sweater but the same type. US Navy GOB sweater- the coolest sweater you can get IMO. You can still find some on line. I like the old very dark navy blue ones- the newer ones are sometimes black (although the color is still "blue" on the label). Here in the Bay Area they are perfect under a G-1 type jacket. Back East I wore them under a pea coat.

$ dsa.JPG


They work because they're made of relatively thin wool and they fit snugly. The classic WW2 commando sweater (US).
 
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mulceber

Moderator
I've always worn one of these- I've literally had one since the late 1960s. Not the same sweater but the same type. US Navy GOB sweater- the coolest sweater you can get IMO. You can still find some on line. I like the old very dark navy blue ones- the newer ones are sometimes black (although the color is still "blue" on the label). Here in the Bay Area they are perfect under a G-1 type jacket. Back East I wore them under a pea coat.

View attachment 94927

They work because they're made of relatively thin wool and they fit snugly. The classic WW2 commando sweater (US).
I'll keep an eye out for one! Pickings on ebay look slim right now, but I'm not in a great rush.
 

ZuZu

Well-Known Member
I'll keep an eye out for one! Pickings on ebay look slim right now, but I'm not in a great rush.

I want to sell 2 of them that I have- both in great shape- one marked Large and one 44 but both too small for me. I'll post them on the sale page soon. The 44 fits me EXACTLY like this:

navy-ww2-sailor-knit-wool-gob-watch_1_b6f588807f589b956e9c8164f2b95ede (2).jpg


I had the Eastman one but I can't find it. The pattern on it is not quite right- kinda like the jackets- but the quality is excellent- like their jackets.
 

Skyhawk

Well-Known Member
Some of the pilots I knew wore flight deck jerseys under their flight suits for an extra layer. They are like a thick long sleeve Tee shirt.
Obviously that was not in WWII.
We got issued a nice black wool sweater they called a "Watch Sweater" that was just for the enlisted guys though. I think I wore it once. Should have worn it more...
.
 

Griffon_301

Well-Known Member
for me its either my BR CPO shirt or the ELC USN sweater underneath the Navy jackets temperatures require an additional layer under the G-1/M-422a.
 

warguy

Well-Known Member
I love wearing my BR blue sweatshirt under my M-422A. Usually a white T under the sweatshirt and I have found it is a warm ensemble for most days where I live.
 
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