Famous People in Flight Jackets

[Feraud]

I removed a few off topic posts.

More famous people in flight jackets, less politics!

 

[thor]

here's some strange leather coats (click for bigger image):

Those are U.S. Navy M-69 Aircraft Transport Coats.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Those are U.S. Navy M-69 Aircraft Transport Coats.

In the movie 'Men of the Fighting Lady' the Aircraft Maintenance officer wears one. Sorry, I couldn't find a picture and I don't have it on DVD to get a screen shot.

 

[Big J]

In the first photo, the guy on the right seems to have a really long G-1.

 

[rocketeer]

In the first photo, the guy on the right seems to have a really long G-1.

Maybe the jacket is the correct length for a much taller/larger crewman as the jacket has that 'off the shoulder' look about it.

 

[Big J]

Maybe the jacket is the correct length for a much taller/larger crewman as the jacket has that 'off the shoulder' look about it.

Yeah, maybe. I think it's not his jacket, unless G&B were a wartime contractor.

 

[pauleway]

He probably just took what they issued him. He most likely never gave it a second thought!

 

[devilish]

^You know I always see this written about the guys in the War not giving the fit of stuff a 2nd thought. While I sort of agree, human nature doesn't really change all that much and these were young guys after all. I think that many of them would have cared and wanted to look as sharp in their uniform as possible. Especially when off duty and on rnr. What is true is, 1. They probably couldn't do too much about it if they got something ill fitting 2. Fit has always been a personal and subjective thing 3. By the end of the war many guys were probably a much smaller size than they were when they joined up. So this is why items of uniform have varying fits in period photographs.

 

[Monitor]

^You know I always see this written about the guys in the War not giving the fit of stuff a 2nd thought. While I sort of agree, human nature doesn't really change all that much and these were young guys after all. I think that many of them would have cared and wanted to look as sharp in their uniform as possible. Especially when off duty and on rnr. What is true is, 1. They probably couldn't do too much about it if they got something ill fitting 2. Fit has always been a personal and subjective thing 3. By the end of the war many guys were probably a much smaller size than they were when they joined up. So this is why items of uniform have varying fits in period photographs.

Agreed! And let's not forget that people were watching movies back then, which were perhaps even more influential than today, and actors in war movies were always impeccably dressed, everything being a perfect fit so I really don't see why any of those guys would've cared any less about looking as sharp as possible compared to people today.

 

[Stand By]

I removed a few off topic posts.

More famous people in flight jackets, less politics!

Hey, if I'm off-side, I'm the first to admit it. I sincerely apologise Bar Keep for straying off-topic. Duly noted.
So back to the famous people in jackets, as you rightly say.

Back in 1983, there was a band called Roman Holliday who had a few decent hits both in the UK and abroad and the band played Top of the Pops - so they were famous, if albeit briefly, so I hope they qualify to be here.
They had a distinct and different swing-pop sound/style and they liked the Americana look (as I did then too - it was different) and, in one promo photo for the 12" single "Stand By", a few of them wore vintage flying jackets. Steve Lambert, the lead singer, wore a very cool A2 in their music video for "Stand By" and Brian Bonhomme wore a G-1. Here's a photo of them on the New York subway, September 1983. Check out that graffiti! Those were the days ...



The music video itself can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrIVgO3lVdU and the A2 can be seen more clearly - and Steve's jacket has "Flak Jacket" on the front right panel in a 40's font - and the back panel seems to have the pin-up girl normally seen as "Heavenly Body" painted on it.
The band and this A2 made quite an impression on me at the time and really made me want one - and I got my first one just 3 years later ... and their first LP still sounds great on vinyl. Still one of my favourites.

 

[Treetopflyer]

I think that many of them would have cared and wanted to look as sharp in their uniform as possible. Especially when off duty and on rnr.

For the Navy, wearing a flight jacket was kept to the hangar and flight line. Aviators were not allowed to wear their jackets, or flight suits for that matter, off base until the late 1980s. Even then it was only to be worn to and from home and for brief stops for such things as putting gas in a car or picking up milk at a convenience store. It wasn't until two years ago that the Navy was allowed to wear a flight suit off base to go to lunch or other than "brief stops." Technically we are not even suppose to wear our Nomex flight jackets off base. Because of the restrictions, I am sure that most aviators viewed their jacket as a piece of issued flight gear that they wore when they flew to keep them warm.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

TXFlyGuy, pauleway, and Stand By - I think you should delete your political posts. They are ignorant, uninformed, and totally off-topic.

Then that 1940's era poster with reference to Japs needs to be removed. It is offensive, in poor taste, off topic, etc., etc.

 

[Treetopflyer]

Powers Boothe wearing an MA-1 from the movie 'Red Dawn' (1984)

 

[Big J]

Then that 1940's era poster with reference to Japs needs to be removed. It is offensive, in poor taste, off topic, etc., etc.

I don't think that it needs to be removed. It's a historical document that was posted because it shows Bill wearing a G-1 variant, as opposed to Tea Partyers taking pot shots at Obama.

 

[Big J]

He probably just took what they issued him. He most likely never gave it a second thought!

I disagree. Look at the age of the guy. What rank do you think he is? He isn't some Lt. who joined up in '42 and had to take whatever jacket was given to him from the quartermaster (and would it really go down like this);

Quartermaster; What size are you?
Guy in Photo; Size 40.
Quartermaster; Here's a size 48, close enough!

No, this guy is a career officer who was in the service long before WW2 started, and long before the G-1 was even invented (so there's no way that it 'used to fit him' but the deprivations of war took a toll on his physique to that extent. BTW, the USN was managing rations on the basis of 4500 Kcals a day during the Pacific War, which would be more than plenty to prevent weight loss).

I go back to my original statement; he's wearing someone else's jacket.

 

[TXFlyGuy]

I don't think that it needs to be removed. It's a historical document that was posted because it shows Bill wearing a G-1 variant, as opposed to Tea Partyers taking pot shots at Obama.

The poster in question refers to "Japs". I don't care what anyone is wearing, that is highly insensitive in this day and age. Finding posters of people wearing G-1's, or A-2's is one thing. But it is the ultimate display of poor taste when racial slurs are included!!!

Your taking aim at any political group, then invoking the name of Obama, is highly political and inflamatory. You should delete your remarks. Or the moderator should do it for you...and remove that poster!

Moderator...are you listening?

 

[Big J]

The poster in question refers to "Japs". I don't care what anyone is wearing, that is highly insensitive in this day and age. Finding posters of people wearing G-1's, or A-2's is one thing. But it is the ultimate display of poor taste when racial slurs are included!!!

Your taking aim at any political group, then invoking the name of Obama, is highly political and inflamatory. You should delete your remarks. Or the moderator should do it for you...and remove that poster!

Moderator...are you listening?

Like I said, it's called a 'historical document'. I don't think it should be removed because I don't approve of whitewashing history- the poster is what it is- a product of its era. As Americans we have an obligation to face up to our history, including the dark side. I think it's much worse if 'we' decide that we will revise history to make us look better than we were. It's about being honest about our history.
I think that all members can understand that.
Why don't you take it up with the USN?

 

[thor]

I've read that the very early contract M-422a jackets made by Willis & Geiger had very short sleeves, supposedly made that way because they were meant to be worn with leather gloves. M-422a jackets were usually longer in the body length then later G-1's. Perhaps the aviator in the photo was issued one of these long-body/shorter-then-usual-sleeved W&G jackets?

 

[Feraud]

I don't think that it needs to be removed. It's a historical document that was posted because it shows Bill wearing a G-1 variant,

I think we can leave the pic of Bill with the unseemly comment for just this reason.

Doc Damage did not post the picture with the intention of disparaging Japanese people. His intention is the jacket. It's a historical poster. It is disparaging and ugly but that's our history.

I think removing the picture because of one word, which is not the point of the picture, is similar to telling children not to read Huckleberry Finn because one word of the text is very rightfully offensive.

Let's all take a step back, take a deep breath, and give the political jabs a break.

 

[Big J]

View attachment 25414
I've read that the very early contract M-422a jackets made by Willis & Geiger had very short sleeves, supposedly made that way because they were meant to be worn with leather gloves. M-422a jackets were usually longer in the body length then later G-1's. Perhaps the aviator in the photo was issued one of these long-body/shorter-then-usual-sleeved W&G jackets?

Could be!