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USAAF A4 QAC HARNESS


littlebuddy
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Here it is , the new addition to LBs AAF collection . After a lot of searching,pleading ,favours and who knows what else , i have finally got myself a A4 QAC harness

 

there is no makers label/stamp on it dated Dec 1944

 

ill let the pics do the talking anymore info on this would be great , manufacturer etc

post-106122-0-59398400-1384897103.jpg

 

 

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Thanks Ian !! not quite my holy grail but getting there !!! (my holy grail is an original 487th FS PATCH ;) )

 

Now to find the chute pack to go with it !!! i know there was one on "the bay" which was just too soon for me to be able to afford it after this !!

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Johan Willaert

Nice one..

 

I have always wondered if those made it in time to the ETO before VE-Day...

 

On original pictures it's so hard to see if it's an A4 or an RAF Observer type!!

 

Were the yellow group ID bands factory applied on the A4?

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Nice one..

 

I have always wondered if those made it in time to the ETO before VE-Day...

 

On original pictures it's so hard to see if it's an A4 or an RAF Observer type!!

 

Were the yellow group ID bands factory applied on the A4?

 

Johan , as far as im aware , yes ,the yellow ID bands were factory supplied , but I could be wrong !! (probably am ) WW2 PARACHUTIST might know ??

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WWII Parachutist

All A-4's should have factory sewn yellow marked webs. The earlier AN6513 and A-3 were initially unmarked. However, to prevent mismatching of packs and harnesses, in late 1943 a technical order was issued which directed all assemblies be color coded. It took some time for current production of AN6513 and A-3 to incorporate the changes; harnesses already in the field were simply painted.
By the time the A-4 was standardized in December 1944 (some test batches were run before this date), color coding of harnesses at the factory level had been been going on for nearly a year.

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All A-4's should have factory sewn yellow marked webs. The earlier AN6513 and A-3 were initially unmarked. However, to prevent mismatching of packs and harnesses, in late 1943 a technical order was issued which directed all assemblies be color coded. It took some time for current production of AN6513 and A-3 to incorporate the changes; harnesses already in the field were simply painted.

By the time the A-4 was standardized in December 1944 (some test batches were run before this date), color coding of harnesses at the factory level had been been going on for nearly a year.

 

Many thanks Joshua !!

 

LB

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just a question regarding the harness , when you look at the shoulder straps they are tucked underneath a webbing loop, is this the correct method for retaining them ?

 

LB

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I have a pretty good archive concerning safety equipment. The gang boxes originate with the RAF and a directive was undertaken to modify AAF harnesses and that the box be adopted on all future procurement of QAC harnesses. One document that I found this morning answers some of the questions presented here, It is a fast forward skipping sometime. from United States Strategic and Tactical Air Forces (USSTAF) dated March 1944 it states , paraphrasing,

"Follow up was completed, progress being made on supplying A-4 and B-9 parachute harnesses to the UK"

"About 1568 of the A-4's have been modified and shipped, on the way in about one week"

"The quick release box itself is holding up[ the program. Contracts have been let with 3 companies for 65,000 (A-4 with quick release boxes)"

"Scheduled deliveries are 14,000 in june, 25,000 in July and 26,000 in August."

"It would be desirable to secure boxes from England to expedite production over here (USA)".

 

I have pretty much a weekly progress report on parachutes from the ETO starting about September 1942 thru 1945 chalk full of info like this.

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