Griffon_301
Well-Known Member
Thanks to Brice, I got a new original jacket, to join my collection.
Several weeks ago, I contacted him about the possibility of sourcing a original US Navy Vietnam era WEP jacket for me.
I had toyed with the idea of ordering a BR one when Fardin placed his orders for the Fall and Winter with BR earlier in the year, but as I had no idea about their measurements, I didn't order one finally.
Of course Brice was able to find a proper example for me and today, I was able to unpack it and try it on finally.
It is a size 46R from Imperial Outerwear and of course, knowing who sourced it, it is in pristine condition.
Being a WEP, it is very short in the body so it might no be everyone's cup and one member here once even called it "one of the ugliest flight jackets ever designed" but personally I really like the cut and fit as I have come to prefer jackets that are a bit shorter in the body.
I think I can understand why it was a favourite of fighter pilots back in its days.
This is what I found on the net regarding some history of the WEP jacket, courtesy of the usmilitariaforum...
"The "WEPS" jacket came in the the USN/USMC in 1950 as the J-WFS, Jacket, Winter Flying Suit, and was matched with the T-WFS, Trousers , Winter Flying Suit. both procured by BUAER & BUWEP.
In 1960, the jacket was renamed to Jacket-Suits, Flying Winter MIL-S-18342 C (WEP) (Weapons). All of these jackets and trousers were to be worn under the "poopy suit", but fighter pilots being fighter pilots they became very popular as out wear flight jackets in the 60's - all the way to the late 80's.
Mostly "stiff wing" Pilots wore them, the Helicopter guys rarely saw them in the late 70's and into the 80's. by that time we were getting issued the CWU-45P J-CWFS, Jacket Cold Weather Flyers System. as well as the CWU-36 (Summer weight) and a issued turtle neck and matching long johns could be worn. if you were on cruise, either a Gator Freighter (LPH, LHA, LHD) or a Big Carrier, you could get away with wearing your flight deck jersey under your flight suit instead of the white turtle neck, red, blue, brown, green yellow, etc.
Anyways the "WEPS" jackets were not designed as outer jackets and wore out fairly quickly. "WEPS" pretty much came from the tag and the Pilots/Aircrew called them this.
The 1950's MIL SPEC was
MIL-S-18342
MIL-S-18342A
1960's:
MIL-S-18342B
MIL-S-18342C
They were produced under the last MIL-SPEC into the late 70's."
Mine is from the last spec and if I read the label correctly, it dates from 1968.
this completes my trio of original Vietnam era USN jackets, the other two being th A-2 Deck Jacket and the Star G-1, both of which I got from Thomas.
to come to the end of my lengthy post, I include a fit pic of the jacket and a pic of it's label.
once again, a big thank you to Brice for everything!
Several weeks ago, I contacted him about the possibility of sourcing a original US Navy Vietnam era WEP jacket for me.
I had toyed with the idea of ordering a BR one when Fardin placed his orders for the Fall and Winter with BR earlier in the year, but as I had no idea about their measurements, I didn't order one finally.
Of course Brice was able to find a proper example for me and today, I was able to unpack it and try it on finally.
It is a size 46R from Imperial Outerwear and of course, knowing who sourced it, it is in pristine condition.
Being a WEP, it is very short in the body so it might no be everyone's cup and one member here once even called it "one of the ugliest flight jackets ever designed" but personally I really like the cut and fit as I have come to prefer jackets that are a bit shorter in the body.
I think I can understand why it was a favourite of fighter pilots back in its days.
This is what I found on the net regarding some history of the WEP jacket, courtesy of the usmilitariaforum...
"The "WEPS" jacket came in the the USN/USMC in 1950 as the J-WFS, Jacket, Winter Flying Suit, and was matched with the T-WFS, Trousers , Winter Flying Suit. both procured by BUAER & BUWEP.
In 1960, the jacket was renamed to Jacket-Suits, Flying Winter MIL-S-18342 C (WEP) (Weapons). All of these jackets and trousers were to be worn under the "poopy suit", but fighter pilots being fighter pilots they became very popular as out wear flight jackets in the 60's - all the way to the late 80's.
Mostly "stiff wing" Pilots wore them, the Helicopter guys rarely saw them in the late 70's and into the 80's. by that time we were getting issued the CWU-45P J-CWFS, Jacket Cold Weather Flyers System. as well as the CWU-36 (Summer weight) and a issued turtle neck and matching long johns could be worn. if you were on cruise, either a Gator Freighter (LPH, LHA, LHD) or a Big Carrier, you could get away with wearing your flight deck jersey under your flight suit instead of the white turtle neck, red, blue, brown, green yellow, etc.
Anyways the "WEPS" jackets were not designed as outer jackets and wore out fairly quickly. "WEPS" pretty much came from the tag and the Pilots/Aircrew called them this.
The 1950's MIL SPEC was
MIL-S-18342
MIL-S-18342A
1960's:
MIL-S-18342B
MIL-S-18342C
They were produced under the last MIL-SPEC into the late 70's."
Mine is from the last spec and if I read the label correctly, it dates from 1968.
this completes my trio of original Vietnam era USN jackets, the other two being th A-2 Deck Jacket and the Star G-1, both of which I got from Thomas.
to come to the end of my lengthy post, I include a fit pic of the jacket and a pic of it's label.
once again, a big thank you to Brice for everything!
