US.Navy Pilot.

[heliographer]

Made a trip to NAS Pensacola recently to see the amazing naval aviation musuem there. There was tons of cool stuff but this mk1 really caught my eye, I've never seen a blue dyed mk1 vest before. It belonged to VT-8 devastator pilot George Gay of Midway fame.image.jpg

 

A similar photo of the display of George Gay's life vest taken by a museum visitor is posted on Flickr, is here: https://flic.kr/p/nNk7h6

(for those wanting a closer look, a 2112x2816 pixel version is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9681508@N03/14307779189/sizes/o/ )

 

As your first respondent commented, you can see the first-generation Buaer round metal signal mirror in chamois case below and to the right of the vest.

At the moment, the George Gay exhibit is the only location I know of with one on display.

 

There's a lot of background on the first generation mirror (and successors) in the thread on this forum on WWII emergency signal mirrors:

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2412-wwii-emergency-signal-mirror/

 

At the Battle of Midway, in 1942, that would be the standard US naval aviator mirror - In February 1943, the pilots were told to drill a hole in the center,

but the chamois case covers the mirror to an extent that we can't see if that was done here. There was an excellent photo of one with the central hole

online at http://collections.naval.aviation.museum, but it is gone, now.

 

The US navy BUAER replaced that mirror by the "cross-in-glass" ESM/1 starting in Sept. 1943, and that replaced by the M580A Learned reflex-type mirror in mid-1944.

 

George Gay tells his story in this interview: http://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/oral-histories/wwii/battle-of-midway/recollections-of-lieutenant-george-gay.html

 

 

[jerry_k]

Hi Guys.

 

Inspired a Dustin new Navy mannequins (http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/178425-ere-room/page-7&do=findComment&comment=2229033)

I decided to made more space in my old room for my last USMC aviation guy.

 

Late war spring 1945 USMC F6F pilot (USMC becouse nylon flight suit is named to USMC pilot).

[jerry_k]

Closer pic.

[jerry_k]

Late war PK-1 raft kit. Kit have a life raft included a rare white lanyard for connection with life vest.

[jerry_k]

MKI knife in rigger made pocket.

[jerry_k]

Late war pilot survival equipment included: blood chits, survival maps, fishing kit, survival kit, signal mirror, compasses, light, survival manual etc.

[jerry_k]

Closer pics.

[jerry_k]

Rest of the stuff:

 

MKIII ploatting board, US NAVY issued A-14 oxygen mask, signal day and night flares (MKI MOD 0, M75), survival knifes and rigger made ammo holders and signal pouch.

 

Enjoy,

 

Jerry

[MCDUFF]

Hi Guys.

 

Inspired a Dustin new Navy mannequins (http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/178425-ere-room/page-7&do=findComment&comment=2229033)

I decided to made more space in my old room for my last USMC aviation guy.

 

Late war spring 1945 USMC F6F pilot (USMC becouse nylon flight suit is named to USMC pilot).

Amazing detail as always Jerry! Love the rare rigger made items!

Cheers, Graham

[jerry_k]

Thanks Graham, yes rigger made items are the best!!!

 

I hope you are well

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[jpstout]

As usual, Jerry, great display of items.

[jerry_k]

Thanks a lot! I saw some of your USN flight jacket. Nice stuff too!

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[Bebel]

Hi Jerry,

 

Nice to see you again on board! As usual, great items.

 

Franck

[jerry_k]

Thanks Franck!

 

I hope you are well, I miss your great pics from collection here:(

 

Cheers,

Jerry

[jerry_k]

Hi All.

 

Not many new post here:(

 

I had a back injury during my climbing trip at beginning of the march. For good luck Im not sit at wheel chair. Two month sitting in bed and working from home. I can walk only a few minutes around my kitchen. Better than nothing. But this situation directed me to focus more on my late war USN/USMC pilot. Decided to change some thing, make a trade on my last extra stuff, buy some new small thing and re-organized a display.

 

Here is results:

[jerry_k]

I decided to try make some aircraft carrier score board. Get some photo documentation of similiar score board from some Air Groups.

 

Here is supposed score board of VMF 512 from USS Gilbert Islands around his tour from around april 1945. They got only one score made by Tom Liggett but I made more

[jerry_k]

Make all of these paitings was nice experience...

[jerry_k]

Some details of his flight gear included a signal rigger made pouch for very's shells, shark chaser, extra ammo looped holster for .38 S&W revolver and more stuff.

[jerry_k]

Rigger made knife pocket in his flight suit (named to VMSB pilot B.F. Kyker), crash bracelet with USN wings and Fulton company survival light with custom painted red lense.

[jerry_k]

Late war PK-1 raft with rare laynard for life vest and MKIIIa ploatting board named to VF-15 F6F pilot: Wallace .R Johnson

[jerry_k]

Closer pic of A-14 oxygen mask and cockpit escape panel from F6F-3 Hellcat with orginal painting. VF-11 pilot (Tom Stimpson or Jim Swope) is in framed photo.

[jerry_k]

Some of personal survival equipment carried in flight suit pockets... blood chit, survival maps, compass, pocket knife, emergency survival kit and Japanese. score decal for plane.

[jerry_k]

Second part of survival stuff...

[Navybean]

Looks great Jerry sorry to hear about your back.

[jerry_k]

All kind of signal devices, included a WW2 .38 tracer ammuniton box used by US NAVY pilot. The framed photo is from Naval Aviation News (mid. 1945) with Night Distress Signal presented here.