USAF blue wool blanket

[phantomfixer]

After many years of waiting and looking...finally found a blue wool USAF blanket....from what I have read it is from the 1950's and issued in limited numbers...so not common....

Saferty pin tag is named to Curtis E Webb

 

if anyone has more info on the history of these blankets please post....

[Terry K.]

Nice, and pretty sure like you said, early 50's

[Lee Ragan]

We had some back in the 60's, but I don't think I saw any with USAF imprinted on them. The blue ones are kind of odd-ball as most blankets we were issued were OD. Some stuff stays around for years.

[Steve B.]

My Father had a couple from his time in the Air Force.

 

He was assigned to the 57th Air Rescue Squadron in the Azores in the mid-fifties. His squadron commander decided that he wanted all bunks in the entire squadron to have the new Air Firce blue blankets instead of the OD Army blankets.

 

As the most junior officer in the squadron, my Father was assigned the task of acquiring blue blankets by any means possible.

 

Back then, many (perhaps most) trans-Atlantic flights stopped in the Azores to refuel.

 

My Father organized a detail, and they met every flight with a stack of nice fresh OD blankets and traded them for any blue blankets that were available. The best flights were the medical ones that had dozens of stretcher patients, all with blankets.

 

He said that most of the time the flight nurses and flight crews would just roll their eyes and shake their heads when he told them the story, but they went ahead and traded blankets. Occasionally they were rebuffed or the flight didn't have any blue blankets and he had to go away empty handed.

 

He laughed about it when I first heard the story ten or fifteen years after the fact, but he probably wasn't laughing when it happened.

[phantomfixer]

That is a great story...and sounds very typical military....hopefully your father's mission was a success...and Lajes is still a hot spot for trans refuels.....

thanks for the story.....

[patches]

Ha I remember this talk a ways back, you gonna make member luger05 Green, or will it be Blue with Envy, unless he found his already .

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/227100-1950s-blue-rack-blanket/

[phantomfixer]

two went out on ebay for under 20.00 awhile ago.....so they are out there...but being an Air Force town, I figured one would pop up sooner or later...The lady I purchased it from usually shreds the wool blankets, re dyes them and makes fuzzy blankets out of the surplus GI blankets...this one was slated to be shredded, but she had a thought, and put it on her table for sale at the local flea market...lucky for me

 

So hopefully Lugar was able to find his....

[lugar05]

Phantomfixer,

I did at a yard sale here in Layton Utah for $5.00

[patches]

Phantomfixer,

I did at a yard sale here in Layton Utah for $5.00

Good for you, did you have to wait long?

[stealthytyler]

I just bought one today at a garage sale for $1 along with 2 other green ones. I'll post photos later.

[Bluehawk]

Would love to have one...

[McDermut99]

I have a couple that I will post soon and later sell.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[stealthytyler]

I only wanted one of the green ones. I'll sell the blue one to whoever wants it on here. Posting pics tonight.

[stealthytyler]

Scratch that. I just opened them all up and they are all in terrible shape. Stains, holes and super smelly. For $1 I didn't inspect them before I purchased. I'm afraid they will probably get tossed.

[Bluehawk]

I have a couple that I will post soon and later sell.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been looking for awhile... right price, a sale.

 

In BMT at Lackland ('63) there were a handful of those on beds in the barracks, the rest were Army green.

 

Maybe 6 of them or fewer were blue.

[Texas36th]

I picked one up today that still has its original label.

 

BLANKET-BED, WOVEN, WOOL

BLUE SHADE 504 STITCH BOUND

STOCK NUMBER 3550-050150-64

PEARCE WOOLEN MILLS. INC.

MARCH 1955

Q.M. 4846 O.I. 2757-T-55

65 % WOOL- 25 % REPROCESSED

WOOL- 10 % REUSED WOOL

[Bluehawk]

Very nice!

[McDermut99]

Here are my two examples, both of which are near mint if not mint condition. Both are dated April of 1955.

 

[Bluehawk]

"Here are my two examples, both of which are near mint if not mint condition. Both are dated April of 1955."

 

Beautiful !!!!!

[McDermut99]

"Here are my two examples, both of which are near mint if not mint condition. Both are dated April of 1955."

 

Beautiful !!!!!

Thanks! Here is one I’m a little baffled by. It’s wool and has the AC flash at center, but it’s a decent bit larger that the barracks blankets. I’m not sure if it’s something that was issued or sold at a PX, or even a civilian made blanket. I’m pretty sure it dates to the 1950’s but I could be wrong.

 

[phantomfixer]

now that is a cool blanket!

I am thinking civilian also ...but never know.......there has been USGI items with the USGI tag along with the civilian tag from that period

 

 

I could see it at one of the civilian contract pilot training facilities...making sure the star was centered on the bunk....

[McDermut99]

now that is a cool blanket!

I am thinking civilian also ...but never know.......there has been USGI items with the USGI tag along with the civilian tag from that period

 

 

I could see it at one of the civilian contract pilot training facilities...making sure the star was centered on the bunk....

 

The blanket measures 5ft 7 1/2in. wide by 7ft 2 1/2in. long. I'm leaning more towards civilian, but I can't find any other examples of it.

[patches]

BUMP

[Bluehawk]

I still use mine, every night.

[phantomfixer]

They make a good “ old man in a recliner” blanket