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Post-WWII 1950's & 1960's US Air Force uniform photos


Bob Hudson
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Corporal Alvin Glasneck, 343rd Bombardment Squadron, 98th Bombardment Group, Spokane AFB, Washington, ca. 1950, wearing a 15th Air Force SSI modified with hand stitched red braid.

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post-1963-1282545394.jpg

courtesy of DutchInfid31 ~~ thanks, Sarah (link

here).

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Commanding officer of 3084th Aviation Depot Group, Stony Brook Air Force Station, Mass., wearing the cotton summer service jacket (ca. 1957).

 

post-1963-1282606530.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Unidentified Colonel ca. 1949/50, wearing the Military Air Transport Service SSI. This is one of the few pictures on this Forum showing a senior officer wearing SSI on the newly authorized USAF Blue uniform (link here to see another).

 

post-1963-1286592302.jpg

courtesy of DutchInfid31 ~~ thanks, Sarah (link

here).

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Great pic...... And in color! Thanks for posting

 

WAF Corporal ca. 1948 (link here for more on the early WAF):

 

post-1963-1286589694.jpg

courtesy of 1st Sgt CES ~~ thanks, Top (link

here).

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If anyone's interested, publication of the forthcoming Schiffer book "Into the blue" by Lance Young, which deals with this transitional era of USAF uniforms and insignia, has now been put back to January 2011...almost a year later than planned! I got this info direct from Schiffer yesterday.

 

Sabrejet :(

 

Thanks for the heads up. The book looks good, judging by the front cover (seen on Amazon).... pity it won't be out in time for Christmas!

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  • 1 month later...
SocietyBrandHatCo

I know this is going to sound stupid, but why were two jackets authorized for wear? The ike jacket and the 4 pocket tunic?

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...why were two jackets authorized for wear? The ike jacket and the 4 pocket tunic?

Inertia.

 

When the Air Force was separated from the Army in 1947, its members continued to wear Army uniforms during the transition to Air Force Blues (which it the subject of this long-running thread). In 1947, there was no four-button coat authorized for Army enlisted men, as were none for Air Force enlisted men after 1947. The "Ike jacket" officially described as "jacket, winter, serge, Army shade No. 33, as issued" was universally worn by Air Force enlisted men until the Air Force Blue 4-button coat and "Ike jacket" became available in 1949, after which Air Force enlisted men could optionally wear the OD Army "Ike jacket" (until July 1952) or the Air Force Blue coat or jacket. The Air Force solved its coat/jacket redundancy, probably as a matter of economy, by announcing in the mid-1950s that the jacket would be withdrawn, which eventually happened in 1964 (the Army did away with its "Ike jacket" in 1961).

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  • 1 month later...
I just think it's kind of funny the Air Force issued two jackets which fulfilled the same role.

 

IMHO, the (short) Jacket was more comfortable, but the 4 pocket coat was a bit more formal. So, if you could afford it, the short jacket might be preferred for daily wear and the full dress Service Coat worn when needed. Today there is still a short jacket, but it's a windbreaker style.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Another period sighting of the rarely seen cut-out version of the USAF wing-and-prop collar insignia first authorized August 23, 1948 (AFL 39-25), which this PFC is wearing along with the former USAAF SSI and "Training Command" arc and the DI for the former USAAF Technical Training Command.

 

post-1963-1295047130.jpg

 

courtesy of DutchInfid31 ~~ thanks, Sarah (link

here).

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Graduation day for Class 57-6 of 3083rd Aviation Depot Group NCO Academy at Fairfield Air Force Station, Calif., on June 21, 1957. The "First Sergeant" pictured here (whose actual rank was Airman 1st Class) was the class Honor Graduate.

 

post-1963-1295231569.jpg

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RE: " 'Leatherwringer' Here are 2 jackets I have named to the same guy "

 

 

Goes without saying......but don't these look great compared to the modern USAF uniform?

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Leatherwringer
RE: " 'Leatherwringer' Here are 2 jackets I have named to the same guy "

Goes without saying......but don't these look great compared to the modern USAF uniform?

 

absolutely!!

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  • 2 weeks later...
francophile50
post-8022-1256940073.jpg post-8022-1256940107.jpg

 

I purchased a set like this years ago. My set has hidden blue plastic buttons not the exposed silver crested buttons. Does anyone here know which came first? Also what is a set like this worth? Mine has all the attropriate patches a size 42 reg and even a cloth stitched ribbon bar. Sincerely, Scott

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@gwb123 Wow! Thanks for posting such a great set of photographs. Lot of things pictured here I've never seen before, especially some of the women's gear. Didn't realize the museum at Lackland was this good....

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Thanks for the heads up. The book looks good, judging by the front cover (seen on Amazon).... pity it won't be out in time for Christmas!

 

 

 

Anybody got their hands on a copy yet?

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...Anybody got their hands on a copy yet?

According to the publisher Into the Blue will be available in March and it can be pre-ordered now @ $89.99 plus S&H (link here). For eager beavers there is one copy at Amazon for $312.96, which must be an unused review copy, described as "Book is brand new, and has never been opened." Bad reviewer!

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francophile50
I have noticed that there are very few photos online of the US Air Force personnel and uniforms from the early days of the service. There's lots of Army Air Force and a fair amount of modern USAF but not much of the early days. If we can get enough photos we might break them out into categories but for now let's see what we can come up with and provide create a reference source for early USAF uniforms.

 

I'll start with a 1949 USAF jacket:

 

afike.jpgafikelabel.jpg

 

I purchased a set like this years ago. My set has hidden blue plastic buttons not the exposed silver crested buttons. Does anyone here know which came first? Also what is a set like this worth? Mine has all the appropriate patches a size 42 reg and even a cloth stitched ribbon bar. Sincerely, Scott

 

P.S. pleas excuse me if I posted this in the wrong area initially.

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  • 4 weeks later...

An Air Force sergeant being presented the Commendation Ribbon with Medal Pendant ca. March 1951. He is wearing the Far East Air Forces SSI and the cut-out version of the USAF gold color wing-and-prop collar disc on his Army pattern OD jacket. (This caption is stamped on the back of the photo: "US Air Force Photo and Approved for publication, Censor # 12 Mar 31 1951 FEAF News Security Div.")

 

post-1963-1298237379.jpg

courtesy of DutchInfid31 ~~ thanks, Sarah (link

here).

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  • 1 month later...

Here is some very early U.S. Air Force: Gen. Tooey Spaatz, who was the last Commanding General of U.S. Army Air Forces and the first Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, is pictured here at Ladd Field, Alaska, in September 1947 (as verified by the Walgreen Drug Store calendar by the door), with Maj. Maynard White, Commanding Officer of 46th Reconnaissance Squadron. The uniforms and insignia are still pure Army, of course, but it is interesting to see that the new USAF Chief of Staff continued wearing the obsolete U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe SSI, which he commanded during the war.

 

post-1963-1301369317.jpg

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