Excellent pair of RAF 1941 Pattern Flying Boots.

 

Outstanding pair of RAF 1941 Pattern Flying Boots in brown suede with  brown rubber coating around welt, sheepskin fleece lining, original rubber soles and heels and Lightning brand zips. All in excellent condition, the rubber welt, so often cracked and disintegrating or melt, is pliable and undamaged - also uses the early brown rubber. Suede is clean. Ankle straps (which was the only difference between these and the 1940 Pattern Boots) are detached but present. Could be sewn back or left as is. Heels and soles are original and show light wear. Appear to have never had a tongue fitted. A lovely pair of boots.

 

$365 / £265 / €300   

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RAF Battle of Britain period Irvin jacket dated 1939 and named.

 

Battle of Britain Irvin jacket with a1939 dated label inside - complete and in great condition except for a couple of small nicks and one tear in the right shoulder that has been repaired. It doesn't look bad from the outside and is patched with old leather on the inside.  My feeling is the repair could probably be “undone” and more professionally finished or restored, but even if left as is, it still displays well. This is an early, high quality, and very rare Battle of Britain jacket with Dot zips, all in good working order. There is an inked name on the label: Rayner. No initials, rank or service number unfortunately. There were at least four pilots with the name Rayner  that I have been able to find - ALL of them distinguished: John William Rayner (who served in the RFC in WWI and returned to active service in 1940), Bob Rayner (who sank a U-Boat), Ted Rayner, (who served as an instructor), and 

Roderick Malachi Seaburne Rayner, who was  an ace with 87 Squadron in the Battle of Britain. A rare jacket in overall very good condition.

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$1,350 / £1,020 / €1,115  

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NOW $1,200

RAF Type H electrically-heated gauntlets.

 

Scarce mid-late war Type H electrically heated flying gauntlets in excellent condition. Superb quality leather, butter soft and supple, with fleece-lined black rayon inserts firmly attached. Though made separately (as were all RAF gloves) they are a very close match - the only difference being one label is sewn to the outside of the rayon insert and the other is sewn t the inside! 24v, great labels with broad arrow marking. Excellent condition showing the lightest use; this pair would be very difficult to upgrade.

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$435 / £325 / €370

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NOW $400

Unknown WWI fur backed leather mittens - possible aviation use.

 

Lovely pair of fur backed leather mittens, possibly seal fur. Old, probably WWI era, not any issue that I recognize but could be aviation use in cold weather conditions. Certainly fill a place in a collection. Priced accordingly.

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$60 / £45 / €50     email to secure this item

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NOW $45

Reproduction RAF 1936 Pattern Flying Boots in large size 11UK.

 

Beautifully made pair of modern manufacture 1936 Pattern Flying Boots in a huge size 11 UK (12 US). Perfect to fill a gap or for the re-enactor who has trouble finding the larger sizes. Excellent quality leather and made to a very high standard. Half the price of an original pair and safe to wear.

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$300 / £220 / €248  email to secure this item

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NOW $265

1940s Chinese Air Force leather jacket with stunning painting of wings, the Chinese star and a stalking tiger.

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Superb quality leather jacket in the typical style of commercially purchased jackets available in the late 1940s.  Jacket has zipped front (zip is broken) 2 flap pockets with leather buttons (one button missing) and leather half belt with leather belt buckle to front. On the back is painted a pair of wings of Chinese Aviation Section major, plus the Chinese star and underneath, a prowling tiger. The art is signed underneath. Jacket is fully lined in silk with the number 48 and another signature or name, perhaps the owner of the jacket, inked inside. The artwork is 100% original and the jacket is similar to the type jacket worn by Chinese pilots flying in US aircraft during the war. Jacket shows considerable wear but no significant damage. Supplied with its scant known history, it was purchased by a collector in the 1970s and never offered on the market before. 

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$1,250 / £965 / €1,065 email to secure this item

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NOW $995

Early Luftwaffe leather flying gauntlets of very high quality.

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Beautiful pair of leather flying gauntlets, well marked inside and typical of the type in use n the later 1930s and beginning of the war. Extremely high quality leather, light brown with honey coloured leather lining. The exterior colour very slightly mismatched on the back (most probably slight fading with age and exposure to light). Single strap and buckle for tightening the wrist, with the buckle heavily chrome plated. Just a lovely pair of gauntlets

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$225 / £185 / €210  

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NOW $200

RAF / army motor cycle desptach rider's gauntlets dated 1943.

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Superb pair of motor cycle despatch rider's gloves / gauntlets made from yellow leather and issued to RAF and army motorcyclists. Similar to flying gloves (and may well have been used as such) the glove part is lined with fleece and the gauntlet/wrist section is lined with soft chestnut leather. Well marked with a War Dept broad arrow and dated 1943 with maker stamp to Ricketts Ltd. of Yeovil. Owner has written his serial number on both gloves, which, interestingly enough, are a perfect matched pair! Size 9.5.

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$125 / £100 / €115  email to secure this item

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NOW $65

1960s USAF Brown Rayon flying glove inserts, identical to WWII issue, size X-Large in superb condition.

 

These extra-large size flying glove inserts are actually Vietnam era, 1960s production which have been marked with the WWII AAF logo on the backs. Apart from the small tags sewn inside each glove, indicating manufacture by Kings Point Mfg. Co. Inc. they are identical to WWII issue. Unissued and as nice as pair as you will find. 

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$50 / £40 / €46  email to secure this item

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NOW $35

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AAF / USAF Type N-2 Aircrew Mittens.

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Issued for extreme cold weather flying, and no doubt intended for wearing over other warm gloves. Gloves are in superb condition, appear unissued and made from unlined brown leather with moccasin style stitching. Well marked inside with what appears to be a 1949 contract order date. US Air Force white ink stamp on back of both hands. First pair of these I have ever encountered. Interesting item of flying clothing from between WWII and the Korean War, when the AAF was transitioning into the USAF and still using brown leather for a lot of flying kit. 

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$75 / £60 /€70  email to secure this item

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NOW $40

Luftwaffe Channel trousers in blue suede, complete and in very good condition, 1943 dated.

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Lovely pair of Luftwaffe Channel trousers in blue suede leather with heavy cotton fabric reinforced areas and large bellows pockets for carrying survival equipment when flying over water (hence the name). Overall condition is used but very good. I can find one very tiny hole in the suede, just below the satin waistband (barely shows although I tried to show it in the photos). There is some wear to the cotton on the inside of the pockets but only on one of the multiple layers of cotton fabric. All zips are metal and in very god working order with leather tabs still attached; all buttons present although one of the buttons on the waist is a period field replacement. Leather loops for securing flares and smoke canisters present; flag pocket on leg present, built in holster for flare pistol is good. So often these pockets are removed inner tabs are missing - these are complete. Great label with RB number and issue date of 1943.

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$875 / £670 / €775  email to secure this item

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NOW $775

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RAF 1941 pattern  gauntlets. 

 

A good pair of RAF 1941 pattern flying gauntlets. As is often the case, not a perfect match - but very close in appearance. One is marked size 9 and the other size 10 - though in fact there is no discernable difference and without doubt they were issued and worn as a pair. They show use but the leather is very good and soft, if somewhat grubby. There is a very neat period repair to the index fingertip on the right hand, but you have to look hard to find it. I would say these belonged to a gunner, because the right hand shows slightly more wear than the left, and is a little dirtier, especially around the trigger finger. Both zips work perfectly. Overall a vey good, used example, both nicely marked.

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$250 / £180 / €210 

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WWII US Army issue general purpose OD wool and leather gloves size 8.

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Heavy wool gloves with leather palms. General purpose issue for drivers, mechanics, etc. and undoubtedly also worn by aircrews especially gunners and those in exposed or prone positions. Exellent condition with good woven spec. labels in  both gloves indicating contract no. and size. No damage, light use.

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$50 / £39 / €45   email to secure this item

Korean War USAF Type A-1 / E-1 series flight suit shirt and trousers made of 100% wool. 

 

4-pocket A-1B flight suit "shirt, mens, coat style" in sage wool, size medium and matching E-1B "trousers, flying, inner" size 34 waist with knit cuffs. Jacket has some moth trails (visible in photographs) but no holes except at the edge of the left shirt cuff. Trousers seem to be pretty much moth free, so overall the suit is very good and quite displayable condition. Like a lot of flying clothing from this era, these suits were produced in OD, blue and sage, this being the later version in sage green dating to circa 1953. Generally worn under heavier outer flying clothing such as the B-15 jacket. A nice set.

 

$75 / £58 / €68  email to secure this item