WWII B3 Flight Gloves - Are these real?

[GMPETE]

1- What exactly are these and are they real?  Navy? USAAF?

2-If real could someone give me an idea of their value? 

The only markings are the manufacturer's stamp in blue with contract info inside each gauntlet as pictured.  Nothing on the exterior.

 

I have had these gloves for years and wear them some but started to wonder if I am being foolish. 

I would like to make an informed decision if I am going to wear out, lose, or otherwise ruin something rare or valuable...(not like I did with those original paratrooper gloves that I now have half a pair of.  😔)

 

 

 

[TheCrustyBosun]

That would be a pair of USAAF B-3 flying gloves. Very nice!  Would be proud to have them myself!  Don’t know enough about them to say if they’re originals or what, but I like them. The Spec. number is consistent with the USAAF class 13 catalog. 

[TheCrustyBosun]

Sweeting describes the B-3 Summer flying gloves as a five finger unlined brown leather glove standardized on July 23, 1943. They were made of deer skin and capeskin which featured perforated fourchettes and a take up elastic inside wrist. 

[phantomfixer]

They are original… don’t know about value.. a whag would be 75-125…

[GMPETE]

Thanks guys-

'perforated fourchettes'...  Learned something there.

 

 

[dmar836]

They made these during the war and post-war for the AF. Nice wartime example. Not "brown" but there were variations in color. They had a rayon lining glove that could be worn beneath but I don't think that happened too much.

Dave

[TheCrustyBosun]

27 minutes ago, dmar836 said:

They made these during the war and post-war for the AF. Nice wartime example. Not "brown" but there were variations in color. They had a rayon lining glove that could be worn beneath but I don't think that happened too much.

Dave

Were the rayons intended for the B-3’s as well as the B-3A?

[dmar836]

I'm not sure. If so, it's worth checking to see if the nomenclature of the liners would have changed post-war.

Dave

[pararaftanr2]

On 1/16/2022 at 5:46 PM, TheCrustyBosun said:

Were the rayons intended for the B-3’s as well as the B-3A?

I was under the impression the rayon liners were for winter gloves and would protect your hands from frostbite if you had to remove the heavy winter gloves to perform a task requiring dexterity. I don't believe they were intended to be worn with summer gloves, like the ones posted here. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[phantomfixer]

8 hours ago, pararaftanr2 said:

I was under the impression the rayon liners were for winter gloves and would protect your hands from frostbite if you had to remove the heavy winter gloves to perform a task requiring dexterity. I don't believe they were intended to be worn with summer gloves, like the ones posted here. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

I have a pair of the B-3As from a local 1970 era Dover AFB vet, they came with the rayon liners inserted....as worn, not that proves or disproves the intended purpose of the liners, just that it shows it could be done... 

[pararaftanr2]

Was going by an old, but generally still reliable reference. "Combat Flying Clothing" by C.G. Sweeting from the Smithsonian. He discusses and illustrates them on pages 95-95.

 

 

[dustin]

The B-3 glove was designed to fit snug, to use the rayon glove it would require sizing up, but as mentioned could be done. As Pararaft pointed out, Sweeting was accurate on its intended purpose quoting from wartime references. My 1944 personal equipment manual states; A knitted rayon glove designed to be worn under the A-9, A-11 and the F-2 electric glove.  

 

[dmar836]

Not sure where/if I read they were available with the B-3. I think a pair of mine might have had them. Never seemed like a convenient thing but I will say I wear thin leather gloves almost daily and maybe a thin liner would be welcome.

Dave

[BlueBookGuy]

At least two pairs B-3A I got in past years, came to me together with 'their' rayon inserts.  Both were at least size 10 so I was able to wear them  -   just a bit difficult if using the inserts. Dexterity was a bit impaired, maybe not excessively (anyway in my own impression it could have more sense if wearing inserts under heavier gloves).

[phantomfixer]

No doubt Dustin and Pararaft answered the question...was the rayon liner designed to be used with the B-3 glove?....

[dmar836]

I just looked and this pair did come with them as well. I concede that they may not have been "intended" to be used in particular with the B-3s but quite a few must have used them this way. As often happens, my assumptions lead to some of my opinions.

Sorry for starting the whole rayon insert thing.

Staying off topic, the A-11s in the pic have a really neat color variation - the fourchettes are a lighter brown.

Dave

[pararaftanr2]

Since speculation is sometimes what we do best here, maybe somewhere, at some time, a quartermaster found it easier to issue the inserts inside another pair of gloves that had a bit more substance than the rayon liners alone? Or, maybe a surplus dealer sold them at two for the price of one? We'll probably never know for sure, but it's fun to speculate none the less.

[AZPhil]

Since we are speculating here,

 

Wouldn't it come down to preference?

 

We have seen a smorgasbord of flight equipment being worn by flight crew's.

They wore what they had and used what they thought worked the best.

 

Inserts would have come in handy with any type of glove worn at Sub zero temps.

 

 

To the OP,

Nice gloves!!

I wouldn't wear them.

 

Semper Fi

Phil

[pararaftanr2]

Except gloves would be issued based on size and summer gloves were not designed to be worn, or fit, over anything. Intermediate and winter gloves were available for colder temperatures and were designed with layering in mind.