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C1 Survival Vest


Ricardo
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Mensagem: "...always thought they were only used in the Pacific by B-29 crews, but I found this photo of one on a P-38 pilot in the MTO, pre April 15, 1945. I've yet to find a photo of one used in the ETO"

DEAD LINK 1/15/15

doinworkinvans

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Mensagem: "This is the only other photo I've found of the C-1 vest in use. It is from the September 1945 issue of the AAF publication "Impact". The entire crew appears to be wearing the vests. The caption says they are on Guam, about to take off for a raid on Japan".

DEAD LINK 1/15/15

doinworkinvans

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U.S.A.A.F. TYPE C-1 EMERGENCY VEST.

 

An olive drab, cotton-nylon blend vest whose single-breasted front closure is fastened by three olive drab bakelite buttons. To the upper left panel is printed, in white, "Army Air Forces" beneath a 2 3/8" diameter blue disk within which is a winged star with a red dot to its center. The image is somewhat faded, and the "s" in "Forces" has worn away.

 

To the upper right panel is an angled pocket whose horizontal flap has "First Aid Kit" printed above its double snap closure.

 

"1" is printed between its snap studs, one of which has pulled loose. A patch pocket, with a double snap closure to its horizontal flap, is beneath the aforementioned, this one with "2" and "Personal Items" printed to its front between four snap studs, one of which has pulled loose.

 

Three horizontal pockets with vertical flaps are underneath the patch pocket. The uppermost has a single snap closure with "L. Knife" and "S. Stone Spit" printed to its flap, and "3" alongside its snap stud.

 

The middle pocket has a double snap closure with "Signal Mirror" and "Rations" printed to its flap, and "4" printed between its snap studs, one of which has also pulled loose.

 

The bottommost pocket, which is also the narrowest, has a single snap closure and "Flare" printed to its flap. "5" is printed alongside its snap stud. Beneath the insignia to the right panel is a patch pocket identical to that on the left panel, but with "6" printed above "Personal Items" to it.

 

Three horizontal pockets with vertical flaps are also beneath it. The uppermost has a single snap closure with "Cartridges" printed to its flap.

 

"7" is printed alongside where its snap stud was, but which has pulled loose.

 

The middle pocket has a double snap closure with "Rations" printed to its flap.

 

"8" is printed between its snap studs, one of which has, again, pulled loose.

 

The bottommost pocket, which is also the narrowest, has a single snap closure and "Flare" printed to its flap.

 

"9" is printed alongside its snap stud. The reverse has a vertical opening along its center, where it is fastened together by the three equidistantly-spaced tie tapes sewn to either side. The left side has an olive drab leather and canvas holster with a leather strap and press stud. This would most likely have held a Colt 45 1911A1.

 

Next to it is a vertical pocket whose double-snapped flap has "Personal Items" printed to its flap, and "10" between its snap studs.

 

To the right side is an identical pocket to that on the left, but with "11" between its studs, and with three horizontal pockets, each with double-snapped vertical flaps, next to it.

 

The uppermost has "Fire Starter" and "S. Knife Whistle" printed to its flap. "12" is printed between its snap studs.

 

The middle pocket has "Fishing Kit," "Sewing Kit" and "Compass" printed to its flap.

 

"13" is printed between its snap studs, one of which has pulled loose. The bottommost pocket, which is also the narrowest, has "Insect Repellent" printed to its flap.

 

"16" is printed between its snap studs.

 

To the interior of the left forward panel is a large patch pocket, with three snap closures, upon which is printed "14," "Mosquito Head Net," "Bandage Inst. Book," "Goggles Canteen" and "Tissue."

 

"Army Air Forces" beneath an encircled, winged star, is printed to the base of the pocket. What appears to be an encircled "2" is printed near the rear base of this panel.

 

An identical pocket to the right interior panel has "15," "Gloves Hat" and "Gaff Assembly" printed to it. Above it is sewn, at an angle, a black tag with, embroidered to it in white, "Vest, Emergency Sustenance," "Type C-1," "Specification No.3206," "Order No.(W33-038)," and "Property Air Forces, U.S. Army.

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  • 6 years later...

OK I finally realized that if I reply to topic - I can post some photos. Here is the sketch that I mentioned earlier:

 

post-129049-0-74589700-1376796002.png

Note: This drawing is copyrighted. All rights reserved.

 

It is based on the Emergency Sustenance Vest, Type C-1 Instruction Book made by the USAAF. I also included

the information from C-1 Sears made vest which was different from the Instr. book.

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That's a nice drawing!!

Ultimately what your going to find is a lot of variation and no rules. for example you will find a contract for Breslee under which they manufactured the slant pocket and vertical pocket model under one contract 5413. On some contracts you will find some vests say "cooking container" and some not under the same contract. Even to go a step further you can compare three vests with same contract one having Cooking Container, the next having Cooking Container, the last omitting it almost like an internal peak in progression. On when the Cooking container was cancelled.

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  • 5 years later...
  • 1 year later...
rangerstack
On 10/26/2018 at 7:11 PM, reneblacky said:

Seeing that there isn't one pictured in this post, here's mine.

post-104823-0-35434600-1540595415_thumb.jpg

post-104823-0-14237200-1540595550_thumb.jpg

 

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Yes and No, 

 

Five hundred were sent to the ETO for service testing in the spring of 1944. None of the actual production ones of the contract types were sent to the ETO. All went to the PTO or West Coast stations for embarkation to the PTO.

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  • 4 months later...
On 7/6/2020 at 3:55 PM, dustin said:

Yes and No, 

 

Five hundred were sent to the ETO for service testing in the spring of 1944. None of the actual production ones of the contract types were sent to the ETO. All went to the PTO or West Coast stations for embarkation to the PTO.

Dustin, Do you have any period photo's of these in use? I haven't seen any, just wondering.

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TheCrustyBosun

Keep in mind also that though the crews had them, they may not have  worn them. There was an alternate carry method for the C-1 listed in the Personal Equipment Officer (PEO) manual. It involves the modification of a standard musette bag. 

5696E318-1522-4CFB-B86D-B05477C50EDB.jpeg

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So in my upcoming Volume-3  there is a very comprehensive chapter and chapters on survival kits of all types. In it, is a walk through of the whole developmental history of the C-1 vest with many many wonderful images and the variant of components. Its release has been held up by this Covid issue.

 

Here are a few images that I will not be using in that section.

First is from the famed 509th Composite squadron, c.1945. Note C-1 vests in gear pile.

 

2090097318_509thcomposite.jpg.2ecd76d170e11533217a18cb9de9863b.jpg

 

B-29 flight engineer, 20th Bomber Command, China. I'd say c. December 1944, since by January and February 1945 they no longer staged in China and remained in India and also transferred to the POA.

 

vestu3.jpg.b06bde8adc9b9c11facb746c93244697.jpg

 

 

21st Bomber Command, Guam, C.1945. Full combat flight load, C-1 vest under life preserver and parachute harness.

 

vestu.jpg.e9da7ebb7580b170ff25146061fa6641.jpg

vestu2.jpg.0aed488ccc0e6f970c51dbb7f43e0cbd.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Look, if you guys have any interest in survival gear of WWII, you have to buy my first two volumes. You will not be disappointed!!! 

This is not a cheesy plug but rather the result of exhausting research projects to the National Archives and other venues. They will supersede anything in your library. 

 

book.jpg.b1d9d09796039abeca6c8d8508770928.jpg

 

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6 hours ago, TheCrustyBosun said:

Keep in mind also that though the crews had them, they may not have  worn them. There was an alternate carry method for the C-1 listed in the Personal Equipment Officer (PEO) manual. It involves the modification of a standard musette bag. 

5696E318-1522-4CFB-B86D-B05477C50EDB.jpeg

 

 

Keep in mind that this revised PEO manual went to print in June 1945 but was not in circulation until September 1945. 

From survival report narratives, those that did not wear the vest, regretted it. Additionally, the USAAF Materiel Command did experiment with a variable of types of bags to carry the vest. Ultimately they decided that it should be mandatory to wear the vest at all times.

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TheCrustyBosun
36 minutes ago, dustin said:

 

 

Keep in mind that this revised PEO manual went to print in June 1945 but was not in circulation until September 1945. 

From survival report narratives, those that did not wear the vest, regretted it. Additionally, the USAAF Materiel Command did experiment with a variable of types of bags to carry the vest. Ultimately they decided that it should be mandatory to wear the vest at all times.

He shoots!  He scores!  I stand corrected. Please disregard my earlier post. 😉

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Here is another shot that I partially used to illustrate the issuance of the Type B-5 life preserver overseas in 1945. B-29 crew of the 21st Bomber Command, Guam. Now, I've only seen the use of the C-1 with aircrew of bombardment aircraft, I have yet to find one of a fighter pilot.

 

15743399_C-1vestB-29crew(2)c.thumb.jpg.ff5a6c615c4f9a5819f286c1c19080b5.jpg

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 11/21/2020 at 2:50 PM, dustin said:

 

 

DSC_0546.JPG.1c4145739a01bcdfc19fca7fe94df523.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

Dual interest post! That cap could be our first "production crusher" sighted in action!

 

 

Dave

 

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