Alan Eardley
One Too Many
- Messages
- 1,500
- Location
- Midlands, UK
Irvin jackets in the literature
I read a lot of factual accounts of wartime experiences, and it often strikes me how few detailed references there are to the equipment and clothing that the men used and wore every day. They clearly had other concerns, even though their lives would have depended on their 'kit' on some occasions.
An exception is Spitfire Diary by EAW Smith, (William Kimber 1988) which I am reading at the moment. This is the personal record of P/O Ted Smith who joined 127 Squadron RAF (part of 2nd Tactical Airforce) after D-Day. 127 Squadron flew Spitfire IX and XIV in ground attack and support operations (dive bombing!) in the Low Countries and Germany.
It is clear that Irvin jackets were especially coveted within the unit as 'ground wear' as they were not issued. The men had to acquire them by 'alternative means' (Smith doesn't say why, but it was probably because they were engaged on low-level operations) sometimes in quite bad taste.
Here are a few extracts;
One of the pilots ('Gollie') has completed his tour of duty and is returning to the the UK. He gives away his kit...
"October 7th 1944 Grimbergen, Belgium.
Paddy Crozier was browned off. He had expected to 'win' Gollie's Irvin jacket. Gollie [had] also promised it to Geoff Davies. When Geoff did not come back, he promised it to another officer. Paddy was livid! I suppose we won't hear the last of it. Paddy still being without an Irvin jacket".
And later...Red 2 pilot CR Birbeck has not returned from a raid. He was not wearing his Irvin jacket. Eddie Eckert, the duty officer, gets the bad news on the 'red phone'...
"January 17th 1945 Woensdrecht.
The red phone rang and Eckert picked it up.. Someone from ops. must have asked him a question. He turned his head to look at the readiness board. 'Red two is CR Birbeck'. Then he said, 'Oh'. That's all he said. Then he walked across the room to the wooden plank seat and picked up Birbeck's Irvin jacket. He said, 'Paddy, this is your lucky day, sport. Birbeck got the chop. You get his jacket'. 'Isn't that callous, Eddie?' [said Paddy]' Is that - not - callous?' Then suddenly he beamed, 'It fits me very well, don't you think?'".
I think this indicates the way men thought in wartime, and how much Irvin jackets were coveted, even at that time.
There are, of course, some good photographs of the Squadron members, sometimes in Irvin jackets, sometimes in a variety of kit. On the cover the author is shown wearing an M1938 'Parsons' jacket!
Alan
I read a lot of factual accounts of wartime experiences, and it often strikes me how few detailed references there are to the equipment and clothing that the men used and wore every day. They clearly had other concerns, even though their lives would have depended on their 'kit' on some occasions.
An exception is Spitfire Diary by EAW Smith, (William Kimber 1988) which I am reading at the moment. This is the personal record of P/O Ted Smith who joined 127 Squadron RAF (part of 2nd Tactical Airforce) after D-Day. 127 Squadron flew Spitfire IX and XIV in ground attack and support operations (dive bombing!) in the Low Countries and Germany.
It is clear that Irvin jackets were especially coveted within the unit as 'ground wear' as they were not issued. The men had to acquire them by 'alternative means' (Smith doesn't say why, but it was probably because they were engaged on low-level operations) sometimes in quite bad taste.
Here are a few extracts;
One of the pilots ('Gollie') has completed his tour of duty and is returning to the the UK. He gives away his kit...
"October 7th 1944 Grimbergen, Belgium.
Paddy Crozier was browned off. He had expected to 'win' Gollie's Irvin jacket. Gollie [had] also promised it to Geoff Davies. When Geoff did not come back, he promised it to another officer. Paddy was livid! I suppose we won't hear the last of it. Paddy still being without an Irvin jacket".
And later...Red 2 pilot CR Birbeck has not returned from a raid. He was not wearing his Irvin jacket. Eddie Eckert, the duty officer, gets the bad news on the 'red phone'...
"January 17th 1945 Woensdrecht.
The red phone rang and Eckert picked it up.. Someone from ops. must have asked him a question. He turned his head to look at the readiness board. 'Red two is CR Birbeck'. Then he said, 'Oh'. That's all he said. Then he walked across the room to the wooden plank seat and picked up Birbeck's Irvin jacket. He said, 'Paddy, this is your lucky day, sport. Birbeck got the chop. You get his jacket'. 'Isn't that callous, Eddie?' [said Paddy]' Is that - not - callous?' Then suddenly he beamed, 'It fits me very well, don't you think?'".
I think this indicates the way men thought in wartime, and how much Irvin jackets were coveted, even at that time.
There are, of course, some good photographs of the Squadron members, sometimes in Irvin jackets, sometimes in a variety of kit. On the cover the author is shown wearing an M1938 'Parsons' jacket!
Alan
