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"Flight Gear 1942-45" by Mathieu Bianchi (Histoire & Collections)


Blue Leader
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Hi Dave,

 

Thank you for your comments. As all new book I have try to make some remarks and give explanation about the flight equipments worn by the mens of the USAAF during the war.
I have looked hundreds of photographies to find unusual modifications or to try to find them. And I was suprised to not find any pilots or crew members wearing RAF flying boots pattern 41. It is a real challange ! No pilots of the 8th Air Force nor the 9th Air Force !
I have check (and not just me) photos from 1943, 1944 and 1945 et also try to find RAF members wearing these boots with the addition of the ankle strap. The only photo found is dated from 1945.
Concerning A-6 and A-6A boots it is different because for me these two models of boots have a different sole. A-6 boots have a smooth sole while A-6A boots have a notched sole.
Notched soles are visible on the sides of the boots as the A-1 boots. So the difference between A-6 and A-6A is not only the straps. If you look at the tags of the boots you can find A-6 boots with or without straps. The model with straps appeared in 1944. The photo page 82 from September 44 shows A-6 boots (see below) and not A-6A boots.

 

DSCN0285.jpg

 

A+ Mathieu

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now I have learned something else !!!

 

these are a pair of A1 boots apart from the label very similar to those you mentioned Mathieu ???

 

post-106122-0-26886300-1389821933.jpg

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Hi guys,

 

Firstly Mathieu, many thanks for your reply and my post was not meant in any way to undermine the great book you've just put out and I know how much effort this must have taken to put together and it has/will become the 'bible' on the subject. My points were just in the manufacture/issue dates of the 41' pattern boots into RAF service as they came into RAF service in 1941 as opposed to 1945 in the book, not a criticsm just as per the issue that took place. Yep, there are plenty of pictures of AAF men wearing the 40 pattern boots as the RAF were happy to give them away as they were using the 41' pattern by the time the 8th went into combat in 1942. I'll have a look through my photo's regarding the guys wearing the 41' boots, I think some of the 4th and 78th FG guys liked these.

 

Yep, points noted on the A6 boots, I was just highlighting that the A6's were being modified in 43' due to experience's of the crews in the ETO this was done on station and wasn't across the whole of the 8th, it depended on what station took the modification up. I thought these were issued from the factories as A6A's in mid to late 44' ?Thank you for the great picture of the A6's above, I thought once modified they became classed as A6A's ? I may well be wrong on that but I thought that's what the A desginated in regards to the modification ?

 

Sabrejet, likewise many thanks for the great pics etc

 

Carl, for info A1's were the postwar version of the above issued to the USAF and as Mathieu states with a different sole.

 

Many thanks again to everyone, this is a great book and I'm still working through it and its made life a whole lot easier with the help of the contract numbers.

 

Regards Dave

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  • 2 months later...

Finally got a copy and have spent the day devouring it. A fantastic piece of work both as an inspiration to finish off a pilot or two and as a reference to get it right. Highly reccomend this book to any WW2 ETO aviation junkie :)

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Blue Leader

Hello,

In this post I list some mistakes discovered in the book after reading it again and again. I make also some updates like manufacturer names, contract numbers, … :

*page 5 : in the legend of the top photo the three officers are members of a B-26 crew of the 391st BG, 534th BS. Two of them are equipped with parachutes but one is a B-8 (back type) and the other a QAC (chest type).

*page 6 : in the legend of the bottom photo Major Parcell is the Command Officer of the 510th FS of the 405th FG.

*page 10 : in the legend of the bottom photo the mission is probably not the mission over Berlin the January 6 1944, but an another mission during the early 1944.

*page 11 : Helmet, Flying, Summer , Type A-9. I have identified the contract 42-19389-P as the manufacturer Calvert. I need information about the contracts AC 42-6329-P and AC 42-19387-P.

*page12 : Helmet, Flying, Winter, Type B-5. I have identified a new contract number for H.L.B : 39-5079-P

*page 35 : the pilot on the photo is not the Maj. Michael J. « Mike » Jackson of the 62nd FS, 56th FG but the Lt.Col. C. Alison Brooks, a former bomber pilot from the 401st BG, sitting in the cockpit of a P-51D of the 1st Scouting Force. (Thanks to Dan)

*page 38 : Microphone, Type T-44-* : I have discovered a new manufacturer, Radio Speakers, identyfied by the letter D (T-44-D).

*page 48 : Jacket, Flying, Intermediate, Type B-15 : Fitzwell Sportswear did not produce this B-15 for the USAAF during World War two but only civil models after war.

*page 79 : Gloves, Flying, summer, Type B-3/B-3A : new manufacturers Van Vleet Glove (B-3), Gates–Mills and Mark Cross Glove (B-3A)

*page 79 : Insert, Gloves, Rayon : news manufacturers : Clark Brothers, CO-ED Glove and The Artcraft Glove

*page 93 : Parachute, Seat Type, S-1 : the part number of the parachute pack is 35N1115 and 35N1112 for the S-2

*page 96: Vest, Life-Preserver, Type B-4 : the B-4 (spec. 3135) is a solely AAF design which incorporates the manufacturing method of a rubber treated fabric that was used on Navy vests like the MK-1. First AAF production of B-4 began in October 1942 and the Navy adopted the B-4 in January 1943 under the contracts 288S-10125 (US Rubber) and 288S-10126 (New York Rubber Corp). (Thanks to Dustin).

Technical Order 177-44 is a Navy T.O. and does apply to the AAF. The shortening of the CO2 lanyards were addressed in a revised T.O. 13-1-3. (Thanks to Dustin)

*page 116 : Raft, Life, One-Man. The specification AN-R-2A was used by the AAF and US Navy. Only the specification AN-R-2B was used by the US Navy in early 1944 because at this moment AAF released their new design raft the Type C-2. (Thanks to Dustin)

*page 124 : photo of the crew of the B-17 “Times a Wastin". The Officer with the binoculars is none other than Bert Stiles (pilot), author of "Serenade to the Big Bird". (Thanks to Dan)

 

*page 127 : Lists of phrases : I have discovered an other booklet printed on red heavy paper with key phrases in French, German, Spanish and Italian.

 

A+ Mathieu

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Beachmaster

Hi Matieu,

 

Many thanks for the updates and also for your continued work on the book, this has become a bible for many of us, thanks again.

 

Regards Dave.

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What I don't understand is that you can't find the book easily now. I waited until after the initial rush and am now regretting that as you can't find a copy anywhere for less than $75...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Jumpin Jack

If one is planning to write on the subject of WWII USAAF, which I plan to do, my advice is to look for one of the best references on the subject, which this book is. It's difficult to improve on all the pearls of wisdom that have been cast about regarding Mathieu's outstanding book. I just received my copy yesterday, and spend many hours digesting its contents. What impresses me most is the excellent presentation. The subject matter almost stands out in three dimension, not to mention in great detail. If you haven't already ordered your copy, I suggest that you do so before the demand drives the price up. To Mathieu, BRAVO for a job well done! I only hope this is the beginning of a deeper study on the subject. Jack Angolia

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  • 1 month later...
littlebuddy

Man, I need to get a copy. Looks like Amazon has them again, finally.

 

You will not be disappointed !!! I can promise you that !!!!

 

LB

 

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  • 5 months later...

Just got my copy of the book from Amazon, and I'd like to add to the chorus of praise for this fantastic book! I've been collecting all sorts of militaria for years, but just started seriously collecting Army Air Corps ( recently picked up a superb AN-6510 parachute!) and I'll surely be referring to this this book quite a lot. Thanks to the author for writing this great reference.

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Glad to see this one back to the top. I have this book on the night stand and find myself looking at it daily as I slowly piece together my ETO fighter pilot. I tend to rotate the books on the night stand in and out, but this one has not left since I got it months ago.

A must have for the ETO USAAF fans

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Hi Everyone,

 

Thank you for your kind comments. The book has one year now !

 

Mathieu

 

 

 

As an USAAF fan I continu to work on the subjet ! :)

 

Here a new update of the list of corrections of my previous post:

 

*page 11 : Helmet, Flying, Summer, Type A-8 : I have found the contrat no. 41-11886-P

 

*page 39 : add the Cord CD-716 (Stock No. 3E1716) which allow to connect the PL-179 jack to US Transmitters with a PL-55 jack.

 

*page 41 : Jacket, Flying, Winter, Type B-3 : new manufacturer : Phillip’s Tanning & Clothing

 

*page 48 : Jacket, Flying, Intermediate, Type B-15 : Fitzwell Sportswear did not produce this B-15 for the USAAF during World War two but only civil models after war. This is wrong. Fitzwell Sportswear has produced B-15 jackets for the USAAF during WW2.

 

*page 79 : Gloves, Flying, summer, Type B-3/B-3A : new manufacturer : Fownes Gloves (B-3A)

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