AZPhil

Amazing work everybody. Jacqueline your work goes above amazing and gets an Outstanding. You made plain Jane lifeless mannequin faces into what look to be So realistic. I do love the eye's your doing. They are looking back at you, Not the empty expressions like the originals. You have some serious skills. I would love to be able to do that type of painting. I'm luck to do house baseboards without getting paint on the walls!! LOL!! I would have normally just pasted by this thread, Until I got 2 mannequins I'm looking at in USAAF uniforms and they have baby faces!!! Semper Fi Phil

I like it!!! This is the one I picked up a little while ago!!! The numbers are a specification drawing number and Air Corps Order Number . This being the contract number' Hrere is my Tag. Nice A-4 you got!! Semper Fi Phil

I'm very fortunate to have gotten to know Phil's daughter. She is finding these for me.. One other thing is this Nelson Crew photo.(Phil's original crew) It's not on the 384th website photo gallery. So I can add these to it. What is cool is that all the crew signed and put their addresses on the back. Any chance somebody recognizes the squadron emblem on the tail???

Hello Gent's, It just so happened that Phil's daughter mailed me more photo's of Phil while training stateside with his final crew. This is a period proof photo of why that pocket is so high up there!!! Phil wears floods and the HIKE!! Semper Fi Phil

Great job on a true work mule!!! Semper Fi Phil

Hello All, My 5'7" mannequin arrived yesterday and I got busy, Tried on all my uniforms. Then I dressed it up for my display to honor my uncle Joe. So 8th AF 384th Bomb Group, 545th Bomb Squadron out of Station #106 Grafton Underwood airfield. My uncle Joe flew multiple positions from Toggeler, Top Turret gunner, Waist gunner and then finished in the B-17 stinger as the Tailgunner, up until April 13th 1944 , When his B-17 Mrs Geezil was shotdown. shot down on the Schweinfurt mission. This was his 24th mission flown. He would parachute down into a field of German soldier on furlough . They were immediately take prisoner.He spent the duration of the war in Stalag XVIIB. In this display,I am using a set of British Type -C headset that I have a period photo of a B-17 crewmember using this type. Just wanted to step it up a bit!!! He is wearing his full uniform, With a B-14 flight jacket and a set of A-4 flight suit with it tied at the waist with its sleeves. I know I have worn my coveralls like that on the flight line and I also didn't want to cover up that B-14 jacket.Ithis mannequin came bald , so I got wig online and it showed up today. This helps with the fit of the B-1 summer flight cap my uncle was known to wear. I have several pic's of him wearing it and think I will replace it with the one that is next to this display... And my daughter is making me a mustache for this guy.. Now I moved everybody around, and have Phil on the Left, My Aunt Annie in the middle, staying warm by the stove!! And my Uncle Joe on the right.

Thank you Sir!! I'll go look them up. Just looked,. Seems as if they have a good track record. 116 days in combat in the ETO Semper Fi Phil

I got this in group buy of USAAF shirts. This one was one that was tossed in. Can anybody give me an ID on this one?? I need a TSgt. USAAF if somebody want to trade!!! Semper Fi Phil

I took the easy route on my AN-H-15. I just removed the ring off the receiver and placed the receiver in the hole. They look good and they don't fall out and I didn't have to mess around with streching anything.. Now if I was going to fly with these, I would want them properly mounted, But sitting on a shelf I saw no need. If I do have to do this again, I might give Paul's idea a try. Semper Fi Phil

Excellent display room. I like the Marine Corps theme. I have to say that the Devil Dog Haube is quite impressive. Semper Fi Phil

Very Cool. Excellent display!!! Semper Fi Phil

That is a Great one. My uncle and a dear friend, Were shot down flying with the 545th Bomb Squadron. My Friend Phil turns 100 in September. Semper Fi Phil

Great grouping!! Semper Fi Phil

Ok I see what you are both talking about. That crotch hike does bring everything up and depending on what size(Length) Phil is wearing the pocket would ride high on the leg. Alrighty then, an A-4 with a zipper pocket goes on the list. I haven't seen many with a zipper, But you Gent's mentioned having them, So I'll just keep my eye's opened and try to keep this display on track!! Thanks Gent's! Semper Fi Phil

Thanks John, I just keep going back to that 1943 photo of Phil and looking at the finer details. I just wanted to make sure that what I'm seeing is an A-4 flight suit. I just don't see the right lower pocket on the leg. But I do not own multiple/ modified A-4 suits to compare it to. All the ones I'm seeing have the lower shin pocket either opened of with a button. Also I'm not seeing the zippers on the lower legs like a A-9 trousers, But it has a pocket right where that zipper is on the 1943 Phil pic. I did pick up an A-4.But that was going to be for my Uncle's display. But now wondering if I need to look for a modified one to make it fit the picture of Phil and be put on the Gotta Look For list. I'm really liking the 1943 pic better than the Crew photo. It has Phil wearing more flight gear than the coverall pic. To be honest this display started out with the coverall's. Now I got that completed, I'm looking at it thinking I need to add to this and with that pic of Phil next to it, I'm think B-3 jacket, But that is another thread. ( Will need help with that one also) This one is about the trousers he is wearing in that 1943 pic. Semper Fi Phil

I do have another question about what trousers Phil is wearing in the October 1943 pic. The A-4 I have and others that I looked at that have the open pocket mid shin area. Even if they added a zipper to the A-4 pants Phil is wearing. Why is that zipper up on the thigh area and not down on his shin? Did they change the position of the leg pocket? Semper Fi Phil

Hello Dustin, The Fioretti crew photo above posing next to the Damned Yankee II was taken after their March 1944 flight on it. On April 13th 1944 while flying in the B-17 Mrs Geezil , They were shot down on a Schweinfurt mission. Those that survived the attack and the B-17 exploding in mid air, became guest of Germany at Stalag XVIIB for the duration of the war. In the crew pic, Phil told me what he wore. That is why the coveralls for this display. Great photographs!!! They are dated for the day my Uncle was shot down... Semper Fi Phil

Thanks Paul, I didn't even think about checking out your link. Even though I have it saved to my Fav's. I thought of it more of a Navy source of information. Great to know and maybe I should read through all the subtitles on it. Fantastic info provided there! Take Care Semper Fi Phil

Thank you Dustin for you comments here and also that thread that Phantomfixer linked me to. It was a great source of information., Being outdated or not, it helped me know the difference and what I need to look for. Take care! Semper Fi Phil

You beat me to it Phantomfixer!!!LOL. I saw Dustin's post then had to go to the FB page and flip to which site I got it from(Several B-17) Only to copy and get ready to paste it and you already didi!!! Thanks!! Dustin you mentioned updates and I'm also glad you said the one I posted was not correct for a USAAF display because after reading you older thread I contacted the seller and told him to go ahead and except the other offer. But you mention the model number being AN-6519-1 for both services. But would the contract number still differ? Semper Fi Phil

Yeah it is a bummer Dave, He was willing to haggle and it would've look good displayed. But I do want to keep everything correct and looking good. I'll let the dates of manufacture slide as long as the model is correct and AAF. I don't want to be "That Guy" who post his display set up and hear its Not Correct. I thank you all for keeping me on the straight and narrow! Semper Fi Phil

That was great read and alot of great information passed. Like you mentioned Phantomfixer, Its not the model. Its all in that contract number. And the one I am looking at is a Navy contract. The seller is a former Marine and was holding it for me until I researched it. So a No Go for my display and I'll pass that word along. Thank you very much!!! Semper Fi Phil

Thank you Dustin for this thread, You mentioned in it that you hoped that someone was getting something out of it. Yes I did! Thank you Sir!!! Semper Fi Phil

Thanks Phantomfixer. I did use the search engine here to see if I could find an answer , But I typed B-4 Life Preserver and just looked at the B-4 post. That is where I fell short. I'll read that one. Thanks again Semper Fi Phil

Hello Gent's, I am at the point where I need to add a B-4 LP and I see that there are USAAF and US Navy marked(AN6519-1) B-4's out there for sale. I need one for my USAAF display for my uncle. I found a really nice B-4, But its the AN6519-1 model, So I started to see if I could find photo's of the USAAF using a Navy B-4. If I couldn't find one, I would move on and wait to find a USAAF marked one, Well I found this pic of a B-17 tail gunner wearing what is being called a Navy life preserver. My uncle just happened to be a B-17 tail gunner, So I thought I could bring this question here to the experienced collectors and get an opinion on what is right or what would be wrong for this peice of equipment. I know the date wouldn't fit my time frame, But the condition is what I am trying for. Here is the stamp on the one I am looking at and here is the pic of the B-17 TG So would a AN6519-1 LP be exceptable to use in my USAAF display? Thanks Semper Fi Phil