20s Navy Leather Jackets

[Fletch]

Great catch Finn...sorry I didn't notice it earlier.
Look how short the sleeves are on the guy behind. Must be that notorious 1st Willis & Geiger contract.

Here is a good shot of a cape 37J worn by Lieut. Les Gehres, chief of the 9 High Hats Navy aerobatics team, posing with Chas. A. Lindbergh in 1929.
His is different than some, because it has 6 buttons down the front and not the usual 5. The flap but no-patch pockets were also a variation.

 

[Talbot]

 

[Fletch]

That's Lindy with 2 more High Hats, Lieuts.(j.g.). Frank O'Beirne, l, and Frederick Kivette, r, at the Cleveland Air Races on 8/30/29. He participated in the Hats' exhibition flight.
The pic with Gehres was surely taken at the same time, as indicated by the shot below, which you can buy full size from the US Naval Institute.

(l-r) O'Beirne, Kivette, Lindy, Gehres.

 

[Stearmen]

Post WWI

Thanks for reviving the old thread! I like the jackets a lot, still looking for the longer versions, post WWI.

 

[Fletch]

How long post?

Do you mean, like, coats, with a skirt instead of a waistband?

 

[Stearmen]

Half Belt

It looks more and more like they went from the long leather coats, straight to the short waist jackets! I thought they had a jacket that was more Half Belt length, around the hip length!