Interesting Mae West

[strawberry 9]

I recently got this 1943 dated Mae West. I liked it because of the added pocket. Any guesses as to what would have been kept in the pocket?

 

[strawberry 9]

It looks like the cloth was sewn to some scrape rubber (from another Mae West) and then glued on.

Pocket...

 

[mr_lits]

I would guess a signal mirror.

[dustin]

Close! It is for a signal mirror but a specially fabricated mirror. These were not factory modifications and only done by several facilities for units operating in the PTO. If you look closely at your pocket you might see hints of the stencil MIRROR INSIDE. The modification was originally conducted on B-3 life preservers then when the B-4 entered service it to was modified

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[strawberry 9]

Thanks Dustin! Can you tell me more about those mirrors? Are they easily found?

[dustin]

The mirrors are of a simple fabrication basically a thin sheet of polished steel trimmed with a strip of athletic/adhesive or surgical tape depending on how you want to label it with a string lanyard ended with a looped piece of elastic para or bungee cord. They are not easily found probably more due to the fact not many know what the heck they are and skates under the radar. The vests with the modification turn up often enough but with mirrors often missing. Good luck on the hunt for one.

[strawberry 9]

Not to bombard you with questions Dustin, but why were these mirrors preferred over the standard ones?

[dustin]

First you find that most of these vests that have been modified are of early manufacture 1942-1943. The standard mirror I believe you are talking about is the ESM/1. The mirror in question actually was in compliance to the standard mirror of the era, in the pre war and enter war years polished steel and chromium plated mirrors were the standard. The ESM/1 was not standardized until the spring and summer of 1943 depending on the service and did not become available until the end of that year. When this modification was first being conducted the ESM/1 did not exist. Even when the ESM/1 enetered the supply system there remained the availability of as it was consumed by contractors as government furnished equipment for life rafts and emergency kits. The mirror on the vest was a supplementary item and easy to fabricate locally. Signaling devices was always of importance. I have a vest that was manufactured in November 1944 which tells me that this modification was done in 1945 once it hitspecific supply points. So in short it was not a preference but rather a way to satisfy requirements and to make available every means to be rescued.

[strawberry 9]

Thanks for the info Dustin. I guess I have one more thing to hunt.

[Backtheattack]

Dustin, thank your for your informations about this theme. Very interesting.