IRVIN NUTS?...the ULTIMATE thread for those who love 'em!

[sabreace22]

Thanks for the comments everyone. Mike that is indeed my grandfather, F/O HM Lepard 412 Squadron RCAF taken very late in the war. Here's a close up of him (sans jacket in a Spitfire XIV/XVI:

And then here he is in his jacket in front of a gaggle of Spits, probably after VE day judging by the grouping (or else the Luftwaffe would have had easy pickings)

Unfortunately its not battle damage, but just wear and tear from post-war ops in the early jet days (Sabre Mk.V) , and then many a year in his basement. But I am very glad to hear that it is restorable. I shall have to convene the family history dept. to raise funds. In the meanwhile I shall be on the hunt for an irvin to call my very own, for wearing purposes. Cheers!

 

[SamMarlowPI]

simply wonderful Sabre...

postscript: if i hadn't noticed what now seems to be slight damage to the photo just above your grandfather i would've said he is standing in very close proximity to a burning plane

 

[aswatland]

As we all know, dating Irvins is not an exact science and can be something of a lottery. Guess I just got lucky [huh]

Well done Paddy. As you say dating an Irvin is not an exact science! Sorry no prizes!

 

[Windsock]

You are a lucky man to have inherited that. It's a special thing to receive something from your Grandpa- and what an item to inherit. Sadly I don't have any history on any of my Irvins, though i'm still trying. I have a Mate who is the only other person I have heard of who has inherited a relative's Irvin, i'll have to get onto him to look after it better.

Your jacket is definitely an Aero repair candidate. It would take you ages to find donor fleece and yours is suffering from the cracking that is common in late war Irvins. It will cost a bit but it's best done by people who understand them and their significance.

Good to see it still has its label which is quite basic in the info contained. Earlier labels on flying clothing such as jackets and Helmets (up to 1941) often had the Manufacturers location on them which was a dead giveaway to industry locations. I've not seen the Orders but it's common knowledge one of the main reasons earlier Irvins (and other combat flying gear for that matter) don't have labels is it was common to remove them to avoid giving away a free kick if the gear was captured. Thus the lack of a label is an indicator that an early model Irvin may have seen combat though some gear may have slipped through however. The other is that the weak stitching holding it on just broke! It's often questioned why the stitching was so feeble, one of the reasons may be that the label was possibly only required for stores info and issuing, following that it was of little use.

In the case of flying helmets the label was replaced by a basic Air Ministry ink stamp, but this obviously wasn't possible with a fleece.

Here's one from a 1941 Wareings- A.S. knows this one...

And from an RAF type B helmet- you can see the less soiled patch where the label once was...

It's great to keep the provenance together with the item.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Looks like I've joined the club...

My ELC 1940 pattern Irvin arrived this morning, and I'm in love! I went for a 46 as the nice chaps from Eastman suggested at Duxford, and while the sleeves are a touch long I can see them working better for me once I've got a few creases in. The body's just the right amount of loose to go over a woolly pully or jacket, though, so I can see this getting some major use over the winter!

Yes, yes, I know - photos... I'll see what I can do.

 

[Smithy]

Pleased to hear you have got one as well.

I received my 1940 Eastman over 2 months ago now and I wear it all the time. I simply adore mine and I'm sure you will too. Good choice!

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Cheers Smithy. I was thinking about it back when you were looking at yours (and thanks to everyone who gave advice to Smithy at the time, since it provided the context for my own decision), but it took me a little longer to take the plunge. I rang Eastman yesterday and they just happened to have one in stock, so I took the hint and it was with me less than twenty-four hours later.

It's not the first time I've dealt with ELC, and it won't be the last. I'm also fond of the way that they recognise customers at Duxford and seem genuinely interested in how their jackets are used and the way they hold up. There's a care for both product and customer there that I very rarely see anyone else even come close to, and long may it continue.

Apparently Eastman provided the jackets for Peter Jackson's Dambusters remake, so anybody who wants one might to well to get their order in before the movie comes out.

 

[Smithy]

That's right Doc, they have/are doing The Dambusters jackets. Be interesting to know whether they have done a "special" DB jacket or just used the 42 Pattern (which would seem to make some sense).

BTW did you go for a longer fitting with your 1940? I'm tallish and had an extra inch and a half added to the body and arms of mine which was just perfect.

Look forward to the pics!

 

["Doc" Devereux]

The jackets are done and delivered - the chap I was talking to told me about the joys of aging every one by hand! From what was said, I got the feeling that they'd used standard jackets (which, let's face it are more than adequate for the job) rather than mess around and I can't think of anything they'd need to change, anyway*.

Mine's a stock fit. I'm about six feet even and, having tried one on at Duxford in October (while I was buying their very nice cream roll-neck jumper - a purchase that justified itself inside a week when I went on holiday), was already happy with the way it sits. I'll be even happier once the sleeves have got some creases in them and start sitting properly

Given the nice crisp weather we seem to be having, I've opened all the windows and am wearing the jacket around the house to start breaking her in** - I did the same thing with my ELC Luftwaffe jacket and it made the process pass an awful lot more quickly. If only I could have done that with my Aero Barnstormer...


* Although I'm sure that the experts can!
** Which makes typing a little interesting at times.

 

[Smithy]

Mine didn't take long to wear in at all. Perhaps just half a dozen wears and the arms (and under arm ventilation construction) had moulded and worn in perfectly. Damn comfy now!

 

[Spitfire]

Welcome to the Club, Doc.
My (ALC) Irvin is also hanging on me, ever since the day I got it. Getting better and better...

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Crikey, I'd noticed the comments about reactions but had no idea how frequent they'd be in real life! With ladies asking to try my hat on, and now wanting to stroke my jacket, I might have to stay indoors for my own safety...

 

[Smithy]

Get used to it Doc, women go quite potty over an Irvin. Since having mine I've honestly lost count of the number of women coming up and commenting on it

 

[Smithy]

Hey Doc, got any photos to show us of your new Eastman?

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Not yet, but I'll be around people tomorrow and will ask for a camera to be pointed in my direction.

Hopefully I'll be able to cope with all that feminine attention. The least I can do is give it my best shot, and hope...

 

[Spitfire]

How's the IRVIN breaking in, Doc?
Any pics??

 

[SamMarlowPI]

i wonder if women in the States will have the same reaction to an Irvin...hmm...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

[QUOTE="Doc" Devereux]Crikey, I'd noticed the comments about reactions but had no idea how frequent they'd be in real life! With ladies asking to try my hat on, and now wanting to stroke my jacket, I might have to stay indoors for my own safety... [/QUOTE]

i do believe i need to seriously think about getting my hands on one of these...

 

[Baron Kurtz]

a lady or a jacket?

bk

 

[SamMarlowPI]

a lady or a jacket?

bk