Navy Pilot/Flight crew kit

[wingman68]

If you were a Naval Pilot or Flight crew member serving in the Pacific around 1944 and were flying around the Islands or operating close too, What would one have carried on his person in the way of personal kit/ survival gear?

[doyler]

Well the basics would be a Revolver w/shoulder holster or a 45 w/hip holster.A Marine pilot i met carried a 45 on a belt rig.Also a Navy issue Mk 1 or Mk2 knife with the leather sheath,silk maps of the area and a basic survival kit or first aid packet.Much of the survival stuff would be found in the bottom of the pilots seat pack parachute.

 

RON

[jerry_k]

Hello Wngman...

here is Survival equipment list from early 1945 when Model A/Pk-1 pararaft kit were introduced...

In this time the survival items from m592 back pad kit were repliced by individual items like: MkI mod 0 flare, fishing kit, wrist compas, first aid kit, Jiant Jack knife... The Pilot didnt need back pad kit M592 becouse he had all small survvial items in flight suit pocket or on the belt and rest in pararaft kit like Model A or later PK-1!

Hope it helps,

Jerry K.

[jerry_k]

...

[wingman68]

Magnificent thankyou Jerry, much obliged.

[dday drop ste mere eglise]

Jerry, sorry about that last post. I have a question related to the WW2 Pk-1 container. Is it possible that Army Airforce c-47 pilots or Glider pilots flying missions on June 6th, 1944 or the evening of June 5th, 1944 could have had these rafts and containers on the planes or in the cockpits for flight crews only? Reason I ask is I found one in an old barn in Heisville, just outside Ste Mere Eglise this past July 2009. I have heard that the navy used them but is it possible that the Army AirCorps somehow got a hold of some for C47's that dropped paratroopers the night of June 5th, and early morning of June 6th, 1944. Mine is unmarked, except for an almost illegible PK-1 faded stamp. Thanks..

[dday drop ste mere eglise]

Hello Wngman...

here is Survival equipment list from early 1945 when Model A/Pk-1 pararaft kit were introduced...

In this time the survival items from m592 back pad kit were repliced by individual items like: MkI mod 0 flare, fishing kit, wrist compas, first aid kit, Jiant Jack knife... The Pilot didnt need back pad kit M592 becouse he had all small survvial items in flight suit pocket or on the belt and rest in pararaft kit like Model A or later PK-1!

Hope it helps,

Jerry K.

[sgtbrown]

D-Day,

 

You probably won't see a response till tomorrow. Jerry lives in Warsaw, Poland, and it is five hours later there.

 

To my knowledge - and mine alone - the AAF tended to not use USN equipment unless threatened with the fires of Hell. On the other hand, the Navy would use AAF gear if it suited their purposes.

 

Is it possible that PK! came from a C-47? Certainly. Is it likely? No.

 

But, then, we are talking war. Anything can happen and I could be very wrong.

 

Tom

[tar00]

By June of 44 the AAF was using the C-2 one-man life raft, and the Navy PK-1 wasn't introduced until 1945. Also C-47s, like bombers, would have properly carried a single larger life raft rather than a one-man raft for each crewmember.

[jerry_k]

Hello D-day Drop...

 

Tom and Tar00 answered on Your question in 100%!!!!

 

p.s. I think in larger aircraft at Pacfic every crewmember have own parachute pack with one-man raft kit and also in plane was multi person raft kit!

[jerry_k]

Q.A.C. parachute harness ( for crewmember ) with Q.A.C. parachute pack and one man raft kit attached!

[jerry_k]

I didnt write, this picture show only USN configuration of parachute harrness , parachue pack and one man raft kit ! not AAF!

[henry2]

they had a special typle of shot rounds for the 38.special and the 45.acp cal round if i remember reading about them somewhere...they had a written on the package in japanese langauge that they where used for hunting only and not a personal typle round..