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Any B-15 jacket experts around?

38Driver

By 38Driver,
in FLIGHT CLOTHING

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38Driver

38Driver

Posted
Posted

Picked up a beaten and battered B-15 recently. I confess I don't know much about them beyond they replaced the B-10.

 

The tag, as best I can make out, since it's frayed has this on it. What should I learn from this if anything?

 

Jacket, Intermediate, Flying

Type B-15

Specification No. 872FS

Stock No. 754-28937

Order No. 55-7283

Army Air Forces type

 

 

No manufacturer listed or size. No stamped shoulder insignia. No photos at the moment. No story behind it. Just a beaten up B-15 that I felt sorry for. Of course that means I need to learn more about them.

 

Any resources I should be tracking down? The web seems a bit slim on info other then there are all kinds of repro's out there.

 

I'll try and get some pictures posted soon.

 

Thanks gents.

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Johnny Signor

Johnny Signor

Posted
Posted

If you don't already know about this site ,give it a try , they also have cloth types and quite a few "in the know " about them ......................

Vintage Leather Jakcets.org

 

Johnny

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JDK

JDK

Posted
Posted

38,

 

I can tell you just from the description of the label that your jacket is the type that was made for the civilian market. The give away is the last line which reads "Army Airforces Type" which was never placed on actual issued jackets.

 

JD

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38Driver

38Driver

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Thanks JDK. That's why I asked here :)

 

Ironically the only image I could find on the web of one that looks the same is from this website.

 

http://quanonline.com/military/military_reference/american/wwii_uniforms/b15_jacket.html

 

Tag they list is essentially the same too!

 

Here's what I picked up. Very beaten and battered. Patched in a couple spots and someone replaced the cuffs with brown ones. I kinda felt sorry for it :)

 

b157_zps0d8708f9.jpg

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walt323

walt323

Posted
Posted

I have a very similar jacket. Here is a picture of the tag in it. I bought it at an estate sale but I have always suspected it to be a repro due to lack of the size on the label and it doesn't look to be as well made as most flight gear.

post-3685-0-63758400-1363306418.jpg

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38Driver

38Driver

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Same tag Walt. Looks like we've got jackets from the same place. I'm curious as to when it was made. The company that made the zipper is no longer around. Serval Zipper was in New York apparently into the 50s. I can't seem to find anything more on that particular company.

 

So while not a Military issue jacket, it seems like it was for the civilian market back a few decades.

 

Does that still make it a repro or just a vintage civilian version of the B-15 :)

 

It will have to stand in for the real deal for me considering the prices folks are asking for military issue B-15s!

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JDK

JDK

Posted
Posted

Same tag Walt. Looks like we've got jackets from the same place. I'm curious as to when it was made. The company that made the zipper is no longer around. Serval Zipper was in New York apparently into the 50s. I can't seem to find anything more on that particular company.

 

So while not a Military issue jacket, it seems like it was for the civilian market back a few decades.

 

Does that still make it a repro or just a vintage civilian version of the B-15 :)

 

It will have to stand in for the real deal for me considering the prices folks are asking for military issue B-15s!

 

 

38,

 

Good question, how about call it a authentic vintage civilian B-15! ;)

 

As for the time frame it was made, I think you are close by saying early to mid fifties.

 

JD

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5thwingmarty

5thwingmarty

Posted
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If original WWII military issue, I believe the tags would say "U.S. Army Air Forces" at the bottom, not "Army Air Forces Type". I believe real B-15 jackets had the front zipper places at a slight angle and the photo posted looks like the zipper is straight up and down and right in the middle.

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  • 2 years later...
ardarvin

ardarvin

Posted
Posted

The jacket in question was made by "All American Sportwear Company Inc" in the early 1950s. It was sold to civilians, claiming to be made for the military. The FTC issued a cease and desist against the company in 1954, which you can read here (search 754-28937)

https://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/commission_decision_volumes/volume-51/ftcd-vol51july-june1955pages410-510.pdf

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  • 11 months later...
Spandlem

Spandlem

Posted
Posted

Here is a question I have been trying to answer for a while.... on the B-15 jackets, some have the single (2 cell on top of each other) pen pocket where as some have double (total of 4 pen pockets) pockets next to each other. Is there a difference on the time frame for these variations or just manufactures preferences?

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dustin

dustin

Posted
Posted

TYPE = civillian

 

Not always but is a good rule of thumb. In the case of this jacket the other dead give away is the stock and contract numbers were are jibberish.

Take a look at this thread, the use of "Style" on WWII garments do exist.

Looks like I cannot paste a link but if you go to the "Whats it worth" forum and look over the topic "What is it? USN foul weather jacket".

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