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WWII USAAF Flight Helmets and Related Accessories


dmar836
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22 hours ago, P-59A said:

This is a salty AN-H-15. It's well worn and came with two chin straps...not sure why.

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I forgot to add the 3 snap without the reinforce area are early production

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TheCrustyBosun

The AN-H-16 was a winter helmet and was lined with shearling. If it’s got a chamois or doe skin lining, it’s an A-11 even without snaps. At least, that’s what my references lead me to believe. Sorry for the delay in response. Just got off a 24 hour shift. 

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I passed this by someone else. Who made it and when is the difference,. This is the cross over between the B-6 and the A-11. Material was used up from old production to new, as I understand it. The new ear pieces, lack of  snaps and the new cut are what makes it a AN-H-16. I know you look at the helmet section so I know you know what a transitional helmet is. These are those.

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Once again, I feel like a guy walking into Fort Knox to brag about a Nugget I have......

So here is what I have so far.

 I have an A-9 with hooks, No Pic ,Its in my foot locker of misc.gear and goggles and I have an AN-H-15 with B-8 googles and a A-14 O2 mask with T-30 throat mic. And also  a A-11 in Ex-Large. 

Semper Fi

Phil

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Flower gold, nuggets or bars, its all gold in my eyes! 😍 The British gear is straight up correct for a USAAF head gear thread. Most people do not know how short the US was on gear in that first year and how much was begged, borrowed or stolen from the British.

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4 hours ago, jerry_k said:

Guys you doubled a old thread.... 

 would be nice to connect these two in one...

 

Cheers,

Jerry

Jerry, just bringing  it to light adds to everything. Copying links to older posts and dropping them in builds on the work others have done.

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TheCrustyBosun
1 hour ago, P-59A said:

A question for everyone... Beyond keeping items in doors, out of direct sunlight at room temps. Are you doing anything else to protect your gear?

My stuff is neatly stored in suit bags and totes. That’s about it for me, at least for now. I have the space to display my collection, but I currently share it with my daughters. Ideally, I’d like to see it displayed in lit cases with UV protection and filtered ventilation. On the other hand, I periodically have an internal debate with myself over building what basically amounts to a museum. Who am I sharing it with?  This is why I like this forum. I know that when I share an item here, it has the potential of being enjoyed/appreciated by more people than I would ever have the opportunity to show in person.  This forum allows us to share our collections and enjoy others from the comfort of our own homes and in many cases, even our toilets. 😆

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Radio Operator

My current setup is a B6 (with snaps), A-10a 02 mask, and m1944 goggles which is a place holder for when I find a good pair of AN-6530 or British MKVIII goggles. I also have an M3 flak helmet that sits on the B6 most of the time and it has a weird black/white/red stripe on both ear bulges.  Luckily this year has started off great for this display, as I finally landed a new B6 that has both ear cups and snaps, so I'll have to get a pair of ANB-H-1 receivers soon. 

 

One thing to always keep in mind with flight helmets is if the snaps were added in later by someone and not originally produced with them in is to be delicate with them, as the snap housing could be weak and rip out if you pull on it too hard.  

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