B-15 jacket ID?

[TrooperCooper]

Hi everyone - first time post from High Wycombe, UK

I picked up a B-15 jacket off of ebay in the States and brought it back, however I am puzzled as to its' period of construction (early, late construction B-15 etc.) and whether it's an authentic B-15 or a reproduction.

Here are the pics - excuse the quality, they are from my phone camera:

Front - offset zip, snaps appear correct. Also note the size of the collar.

Decal is present but pen pocket missing.

Close-up of the snaps.

Inside of the jacket, pockets etc all present. However, no sign of a label being present, though the label may have been removed early in its' lifetime within reason...

Inside-out arm - as you can see, the elbow pieces are present.

Thoughts on this item? Total paid including shipping was $96 - was this a fair price for the item?

Thanks in advance!

Peter

 

[jake431]

Welcome - lovely jacket. Are there any stich holes on the sleeve where the pocket should be? How about on the chest of the jacket - any stich holes that look as though something triangle shaped was on either side of the chest?

-Jake

 

[TrooperCooper]

Thanks Jake

Sorry, no stitch holes appear on the arm or the chest. What do the triangles correspond to?

 

[PADDY]

Welcome to our room! Now for B-15's

Jake's probably asking about the leather triangles that were there to hook your oxygen mask onto when not being used (and will correspond with the little snap tabs at each underarm). Or look for stitch marks in a rectangular shape 2/3 up the side of the zip (again for hanging a mask off). Also checking to see about the pen pocket on the arm. Having said that, the very early B-15 models had no modifications like these. But it does have the tabs under the arms for wire looms which points to a late war version, and there would be no reason for a civvie company in the 50s to reproduce these. If that is so, then stitch marks (ie: triangle) should be there.
What make of zip is it? Does it have a throat latch on the back of the collar? and if so has it fur/mouton covering it?

The jury is still out on this one, but it could most likely be a post-war civvie repro (possibly 1950s), but a very nice one.

 

[TrooperCooper]

Zip make is CONMAR.

Throat latch? Yes, but no fur covering.

Also, no stitching further up the zip. However, I've been advised that any stitches may not be visible due to the film of dirt on it - it hasn't been cleaned in a long time. I need to take it to the dry cleaners...

 

[pablocham]

I think it's a real B-15 and the underarm tabs might be mods or else it is a real B-15a and the leather triangle tabs were removed. If that is one of the surplus store specials, it is the nicest quality one ever.

If the pen pocket and triangle tabs were removed fifty some years ago, it would only take a single dry cleaning to remove all trace of them. So maybe there are stitch holes, but their absence wouldn't really mean much.

Also, the bogus ones seldom have the offset zipper, and usually have the white transfer. Is it a fairly nice twill weave, or a lighter poplin?

 

[TrooperCooper]

Nice twill stuff, and the decal is Army Air Forces.

EDIT: Should also mention that the material is a near-perfect match with a pair of A-11 trousers a friend of mine owns.

 

[jake431]

I think Pablochan is right and it's a B-15A. It's a lovely jacket.

-Jake

 

[TrooperCooper]

Thanks for the complement Jake - I absolutely love it, and it seems to be a total bargain

Peter

 

[Mike1973]

Great jacket

I love jackets that look like they've been well used, you feel if they could talk they'd have a good story to tell, not like an unissued NOS straight out of some forgotten store.
Be interested to see how it cleans up? Not easy to tell in the photos but it looks like it's had an oil bath

 

[MudInYerEye]

Looks like a superior example of a commercially-made B-15.

 

[RAMC181]

I've had this jacket in my hands to examine closely, and it is indeed filthy.
If looks like someone has been wiping their sweaty, oily hands down the front for years.
The lining and collar are getting a little threadbare in spots.
Other than that, there's nothing on it that shouldn't be there, just things that once may have been aren't.

All the best,
Paul

 

[TrooperCooper]

UPDATE

I took this baby to the cleaners just over two weeks ago, and have just got my digicam back online, so let's take a look!

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0002.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0003-1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0004.jpg

Cleaned up nicely eh? Interesting to see the fading between the jacket body and the collar... if only it could return to its' original colour.

And just for fun, another recent purchase (will be cross-posting these to the hats forum):

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0005-1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0006-1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y18/troopercooper/DSCI0009.jpg

 

[Mike1973]

What a transformation!

 

[pablocham]

gorgeous jacket. clearly genuine issue.

 

[jacketquest]

...Does it have a throat latch on the back of the collar? and if so has it fur/mouton covering it?

Howdy,
Sorry to drag up an old topic but is the presence of fur/mouton backing on the throat latch always indicative of a military issue jacket?

 

[aswatland]

IMO a late war issued B15, not a '50s civi one.