M-69 Transport Coat

[McCoy]

A lot of these jackets were shipped to Russia in WWII as part of the "Lend Lease" act. Very nice jackets.

 

[Dinerman]

Huh, Avirex of all people did a repro.
Marketed as a Charles Lindbergh piece, which is odd, but detailing looks pretty spot on.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290768138968

 

[Happy Jack]

Huh, Avirex of all people did a repro.
Marketed as a Charles Lindbergh piece, which is odd, but detailing looks pretty spot on.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290768138968

Just when I thought I had all the coats I needed!!!! WOW

 

[Stearmen]

Why do you keep doing that to me Dinerman? Every time I convince my self, I don't need a Transport jacket, you have to go and tease me!

 

[Dinerman]

They're awfully practical.

 

[Metatron]

I've decided I want a zip version. Too much of an acquired taste to be reproduced in quantity as a repro?
Too cool.

 

[John Warr]

Anyone have any idea where I could source the alpaca fabric to do a re-line ? It is quite unusual - like a double sided teddy bear fur.

 

[John Warr]

Not a reply... but. Alpaca ? Are we certain ? The "skirt" of the lining that resembles teddy bear fur is not alpaca by any definition I am familiar with. Are we using the correct term here ? Looks more like double sided mohair fabric to me.

 

[Dinerman]

It's alpaca pile. It was a common lining fabric for high-end coats of that time. It was also used for the alpaca pile stadium coats that were popular in the early-mid 1930s.

 

[Big J]

Is anyone making a good repro of these?

 

[Dinerman]

Other than the avirex repro from a decade+ back, I don't think anyone does repros of these currently. Too limited a market and too expensive to produce.
The originals are still pretty easy to find, and are usually in excellent condition.

 

[thor]

If I ever came across a transport coat in a size 44, I'd snatch it up in a heartbeat! Beautiful coats! The U.S. Navy uniform board had good taste!

 

[Worf]

I thought that traditional "open cockpit" leather Barnstormers looked like the transport coat pictured above. But all modern repros' I find seem much shorter than that. Dinerman and Thor am I wrong or just mis-remembering?

Worf

 

[thor]

Hey Worf, you're right, there are definite design similarities between the WWI Barnstormer-style coats and the Navy M-69 transport coat. But the M-69 has many specific details not found on the Barnstormers, details that make the M-69 look like a WWII-era Navy aviator's coat rather than just a leather trench coat (not that there's anything wrong with a cool leather trench coat or the Barnstormer in particular).

LW makes a leather military trench coat that is probably the closest to the Navy M-69; start with seal brown goat (instead of HH) add a fur collar and afew other customizations and "Voila!" You have an M-69 transport coat!

 

[John Warr]

It's alpaca pile. It was a common lining fabric for high-end coats of that time. It was also used for the alpaca pile stadium coats that were popular in the early-mid 1930s.

You are quite correct. The fabric is described as "double faced alpaca pile" So double sided teddy bear fur . It seems (if I understand it correctly) that the US Army experimented with two layers of alpaca pile but ended up with the double faced material as it is much less bulky & insulates about as well. This is not the same as what is now known as "alpaca" which is (usually) a woven fabric. If anyone knows where I can get some, one of my clients will be eternally grateful.

 

[Big J]

Other than the avirex repro from a decade+ back, I don't think anyone does repros of these currently. Too limited a market and too expensive to produce.
The originals are still pretty easy to find, and are usually in excellent condition.

Thanks Dinerman!

Does anybody know who these coats would have been issued to? From a couple of the photos, seems to have been issued to open cockpit pilots, and crew members on larger aircraft (in the same way the USAAF was issuing B-3's), but I thought the WWII USN had its own shearling jacket (I can't remember the designation, but I remember that Eastman was working on a repro a short while ago)?

 

[thor]

Many aviators in Navy dirigibles wore them. There was definitely more room in an airship gondola to wear a long M-69 then inside a cramped bomber cockpit. I've also seen photos of Navy officers (Captains and Admirals) wearing them in extreme cold weather climates (such as the Aleutians).

And the Navy's sheepskin jackets were the M-444 and M-445.

 

[Edward]

I believe I've seen photos of Eddie Cochran wearing one of these during a UK tour (might even have been that fateful last tour).

 

[Big J]

I believe I've seen photos of Eddie Cochran wearing one of these during a UK tour (might even have been that fateful last tour).

C'mon everybody!

For real? That's cool!

 

[Big J]

Many aviators in Navy dirigibles wore them. There was definitely more room in an airship gondola to wear a long M-69 then inside a cramped bomber cockpit. I've also seen photos of Navy officers (Captains and Admirals) wearing them in extreme cold weather climates (such as the Aleutians).

And the Navy's sheepskin jackets were the M-444 and M-445.

Ahh, dirigibles, totally forgot those. Thanks Thor!
Seriously, whoever was in charge of deciding USN uniforms back then is one of histories greatest un-sung gods of fashion. The wartime uniforms are total style classics.