917_k
Well-Known Member
Hey all,
As some of you know, I have a bit of an obsession with the B-15 flight jacket. So here we have my latest acquisition and now the 13th B-15 jacket in my collection. Amazingly I’ve actually got three B-15B jackets, with this being the one that finally ticks all my boxes (the 1st one I acquired is quite large and has a replacement zipper, the 2nd is a total wreck and needs restoring).
For anyone not familiar with these, the B-15B was a replacement for the wartime B-15A and the first version issued in nylon. Like a lot of clothing during this transitional phase, when the Air Force separated from the Army, the jackets were still issued in olive green. Interestingly, a lot of kit was also issued under a wartime contract that was continued by the Air Force: AF33(038), (you’ll see wartime issued clothing with the order number 33-038).
Gardner Corporation were 1 of three manufacturers contracted to produce the B-15B, the other two being Great Lakes Manufacturing and Reed Products Inc. Great Lakes and Reed produced the first spec, in around 1949, with Gardner producing the second version around 1949-50 and now being the more common of the B-15Bs that turn up (it’s still a very rare jacket). The Gardner jacket features Prentice zippers and a different style of leather oxygen mask tab on the front, other than that they’re all basically the same.
This jacket is pretty special because it’s completely original and still includes the original zipper. I believe Prentice zippers were quite weak and so a lot of these jackets have had the zippers replaced. The Air Force ‘meatball’ is still clear and visible, as is the Air Force lettering. It’s a 38 as well, so fits nicely.
To complete the ensemble I also acquired a pair of matching A-11B flight trousers, made by Sigmund Eisner. There’s not a lot of interest in flight trousers, so they can often be found dirt cheap. These though are very rare and I’ve only ever seen 1 otr pair.
Enjoy!
As some of you know, I have a bit of an obsession with the B-15 flight jacket. So here we have my latest acquisition and now the 13th B-15 jacket in my collection. Amazingly I’ve actually got three B-15B jackets, with this being the one that finally ticks all my boxes (the 1st one I acquired is quite large and has a replacement zipper, the 2nd is a total wreck and needs restoring).
For anyone not familiar with these, the B-15B was a replacement for the wartime B-15A and the first version issued in nylon. Like a lot of clothing during this transitional phase, when the Air Force separated from the Army, the jackets were still issued in olive green. Interestingly, a lot of kit was also issued under a wartime contract that was continued by the Air Force: AF33(038), (you’ll see wartime issued clothing with the order number 33-038).
Gardner Corporation were 1 of three manufacturers contracted to produce the B-15B, the other two being Great Lakes Manufacturing and Reed Products Inc. Great Lakes and Reed produced the first spec, in around 1949, with Gardner producing the second version around 1949-50 and now being the more common of the B-15Bs that turn up (it’s still a very rare jacket). The Gardner jacket features Prentice zippers and a different style of leather oxygen mask tab on the front, other than that they’re all basically the same.
This jacket is pretty special because it’s completely original and still includes the original zipper. I believe Prentice zippers were quite weak and so a lot of these jackets have had the zippers replaced. The Air Force ‘meatball’ is still clear and visible, as is the Air Force lettering. It’s a 38 as well, so fits nicely.
To complete the ensemble I also acquired a pair of matching A-11B flight trousers, made by Sigmund Eisner. There’s not a lot of interest in flight trousers, so they can often be found dirt cheap. These though are very rare and I’ve only ever seen 1 otr pair.
Enjoy!
