Japanese Airfields, Equipment & more #42 - revised

IJNAF pilot flight suits
As with the IJAAF, the very first Navy pilot flight suits were made of leather but from the mid-1920s new designs were introduced.

After evaluating British pilot flight suits, the IJNAF introduced the Model 1925 which had an exterior made of gabardine and an interior of white karakul (astrakhan) wool. The outside color of the suit was brown-blue and on the chest, a big map pocket was first introduced and repeated on all subsequent designs. The boots were of red-brown leather and were fastened by laces. The two pilots in the background wear examples of this Model 1925 flight suit but the two pilots in the foreground, VERY unusually, have the front wrapping to the left side of the chest and their chest map pockets are on the right side.

The IJNAF continued to evaluate various imported fabrics to find the best one, and, in the end, came up with the Model 1929 made with waterproof fabric (Cravenette). For the first time fasteners were introduced for the sleeves and the trouser bottoms. In the photo, we can see the summer version of the Model 1929 with the characteristic crotch fly.

The photo features a Navy pilot wearing the winter version of the Model 1929 flight suit.

The flight suits we saw so far were found to be too heavy and cumbersome and the Navy introduced the Model 1934 incorporating different "Cravenette" fabric for the exterior and silk for the interior making the whole suit a lot lighter. The pilot in the photo is wearing the summer version of the Model 1934 flight suit which featured buttons on the sleeves. On the life vest, it says "Ishihara PO2c". Navy pilots often wrote their names on the life vests and boots.

Until a sufficient number of Model 1934 flight suits became available, Navy pilots in the same unit wore different models. The pilot standing on the right photo edge is wearing a Model 1929 while the pilot standing on the left edge is wearing a Model 1934.

More Navy pilots wearing the summer version of the Model 1934 flight suit.

This pilot is wearing the winter version of the Model 1934 flight suit. Instead of buttons, the winter version had fasteners on the sleeve and trouser ends.

Another IJNAF pilot wearing the Model 1934 winter flight suit. The fur on the collar was made from rabbit and could be white, brown or black.

The Model 1942 flight suit was basically the same as the Model 1934 but instead of silk, poplin was sometimes used. The pilot in the photo is wearing the summer version of the Model 1942 flight suit.

Until enough Model 1942s became available, pilots in the same unit often wore mixed types. In this photo, the pilots in the darker flight suits wear Model 1934 while the two pilots in the middle of the photo with the lighter color suits wear Model 1942 summer. This particular summer Model 1942 version, had buttons that went from the middle of the collar down to the middle of the crotch and didn't have a left flap wrapping to the right side of the chest.

More Navy pilots wearing the summer version of the Model 1942. Characteristic was the patch, usually green, on the left side of the top of the chest, perhaps to write the name of the individual pilot. In this case, the flight suits have the flap wrapping on the right side of the chest.

Another IJNAF pilot wearing the Model 1942 summer flight suit. On his chest, he wears an oxygen mask with a microphone and receiver.

Difficult to be 100% sure but these pilots probably wear Model 1942 summer suits. The particular type of life vests they are wearing was adopted in April 1942 and were filled with kapok.

The winter version of the Model 1942 flight suit. On his chest, he wears an early type of speaking tube.

At the Pacific front, Navy pilots often wore their official summer uniform with a life vest. Note that the pilot on the left is wearing a rather unusual black scarf (muffler). The IJNAF pilots characteristically wore white scarves made of silk. Also of interest is the "gunto" (katana sword) the pilot on the right has stuck in his life vest.

Another photo of Navy pilots at a Pacific base some wearing their summer uniforms others wearing Model 1942 summer flight suits.

This Navy pilot wears an unidentified flight suit. Note the many buttons on his chest. It might be an Experimental Type B Model 1938 that had separate top and trousers.

Another flight suit type I was not able to identify. Veteran pilots occasionally had their suits tailor-made, so maybe this is the case here.