ANJ-4 jackets

[Stand By]

I still hanker for a nice ANJ-4 one day - so this thread's interesting to me as I love to see the originals and the repros and to hear the verdicts on them ...
I've only handled one original and can attest to their fragility ! It was most surprising.
But at the times I've started to really contemplate one, I always recall the time I tried one on at the ELC tent at RAF Duxford and my initial reaction was to the weight - it struck me as being really heavy (all the HH facing work I assume) and I thought that my shoulders wouldn't like that for any extended time - not at all .... so I decided to stick with my B-3.
But I still love the look of them ...

 

[Plumbline]

My Eastman .....



and my two last Aero's ... first 44" std finish



2nd - 42" slightly distressed finish



Both Aero's now sold ...... but the Eastman prevails

 

[Stand By]

Great photos, Plumbline - thanks for posting !
And I think you kept the right one. ;-)

 

[Peter Mackin]

Im waiting for your eastman....still ;-)

 

[Stormpaw]

Those are some more fine looking ANJ-4 jackets. I have always liked the M445 as well.

The LW jacket has Goatskin reinforcements instead of horsehide (I would guess some of the originals did too).

That aside, Plumbline, I notice you kept the one without buttons. I would imagine they would be a little inconvenient. I wonder why the AAF decided not to use snaps (on the pockets as well).

Stormpaw

 

[rocketeer]

Hi Plumb! I fold my Eastman cuffs back as too, I think it looks beetr than unfolded. And I see you have one of Paddy's bomb tags as well.I also much prefer snaps to buttons.
If you go back to my pics(previous page) The M445A had all goat trim, diamond elbow protection and full fleece cuffs. The original ANJ4 has the oxymask clip tab and visible pocket snaps. All looked horse.

 

[Plumbline]

Hey Rocketeer ... The eastman lends itself to this as the cuffs are leather lined .... The aeros show sheepskin when turned up ...... Which I'm not a big fan of

As many know ... I'm not a big button fan but the ones on the Aero Anj weren't much of an issue as the horsehide was quite mailable. Snaps an a full length zip are the business though

All in all though ... All things considered .... The Eastman is the keeper ( for now) ..... Unless Peter makes me a super generous offer

 

[rocketeer]

My original ANJ4 also had the storm cuffs and were leather lined. Dont have either of these now though.

 

[Smithy]

That ELC ANJ-4 Plumbline is an absolute corker. I can totally understand why you've held onto that one, beautiful jacket.

 

[Peter Mackin]

Hey Rocketeer ... The eastman lends itself to this as the cuffs are leather lined .... The aeros show sheepskin when turned up ...... Which I'm not a big fan of

As many know ... I'm not a big button fan but the ones on the Aero Anj weren't much of an issue as the horsehide was quite mailable. Snaps an a full length zip are the business though

All in all though ... All things considered .... The Eastman is the keeper ( for now) ..... Unless Peter makes me a super generous offer

lol,,,i still have your pm from a year ago,,,has your price dropped coz of wear or is it still the same ,,,either way my cheque books handy,,

 

[Bunyip]

Is there a reason there seems to be so many more b3 out there as opposed to ANJ4? I really like the b3 and Irvin's, but resisted temptation simply due to no real pockets, it would shit me to tears...I think the ANJ4 is a better looking jacket, and more user friendly.

 

[Plumbline]

Like a fine wine it's improving with age Peter ..... when I'm ready to move it on I'll let you know ( inevitably it will move on ... they all do )

Agreed Bunyip .... a much more practical heavy shearling than either the Irvin or the B-3 .... The D-1 and the B-6 (if I could get over my grandfathers attestation that it was a nurses jacket ... I keep thinking about those side zips and nurses hips ) are equally practical jackets and far more 3 season jackets.

Just MHO of course ......

 

[Peter Mackin]

Like a fine wine it's improving with age Peter ..... when I'm ready to move it on I'll let you know ( inevitably it will move on ... they all do )

Agreed Bunyip .... a much more practical heavy shearling than either the Irvin or the B-3 .... The D-1 and the B-6 (if I could get over my grandfathers attestation that it was a nurses jacket ... I keep thinking about those side zips and nurses hips ) are equally practical jackets and far more 3 season jackets.

Just MHO of course ......

,,,,glad to hear it,,,i always thought it looked a bit big on you ,,,

 

[Stormpaw]

Bunyip, I think ANJ-4 jackets just aren't as well known. The A-2, B-3 and Irvin jackets are very iconic, but I don't see many pictures from WW2 with ANJ-4 jackets.

Stormpaw

 

[thor]

There are lots of photos of Navy flight crews in sheepskin M-444/445 winter jackets but that style didn't really grab our attention the way Irvin's and B-3's did. Maybe a PBY Catalina in the Aleutians isn't as "sexy" as a B-17 in England and it's the mystique of RAF Spitfire pilots and 8th Air Force fly boys huddled in a Flying Fortress at 20,000 feet that captures one's imagination and makes the jackets so iconic and desirable.

 

[Stearmen]

Sadly, you are correct Thor! Personally, I am fascinated by the Aleutian Island campaign, expecially, the war in the air. This comes from my time in the right seat of a PV2 Harpoon, digging into the history of that model and their taking the fight to the Japanese Kuril Islands. Where the weather around Siberia, and the Bering Sea were a more dangerous enemy!

 

[John Lever]

There are lots of photos of Navy flight crews in sheepskin M-444/445 winter jackets but that style didn't really grab our attention the way Irvin's and B-3's did. Maybe a PBY Catalina in the Aleutians isn't as "sexy" as a B-17 in England and it's the mystique of RAF Spitfire pilots and 8th Air Force fly boys huddled in a Flying Fortress at 20,000 feet that captures one's imagination and makes the jackets so iconic and desirable.

I prefer the Navy jackets. They are beautifully designed and functional and lack the fleece showing on the waist and cuffs. Very understated.
The diamond arm patches look very stylish.

 

[thor]

I prefer the Navy jackets. They are beautifully designed and functional and lack the fleece showing on the waist and cuffs. Very understated.
The diamond arm patches look very stylish.

I agree 100% John. Looking forward to the new Eastman M-444 model coming out in the fall.

 

[thor]

Sadly, you are correct Thor! Personally, I am fascinated by the Aleutian Island campaign, expecially, the war in the air. This comes from my time in the right seat of a PV2 Harpoon, digging into the history of that model and their taking the fight to the Japanese Kuril Islands. Where the weather around Siberia, and the Bering Sea were a more dangerous enemy!

That must have been a great experience Stearmen! I read "Black Cats and Dumbos" by Mel Crocker about PBY's in WWII and the chapter about flight ops in the Aleutians (with the atrocious weather conditions) was the most compelling reading in the entire book.

 

[John Lever]

I agree 100% John. Looking forward to the new Eastman M-444 model coming out in the fall.

I have one for sale in Classifieds....