Original Perry Mixed Batch B3

[Xopher]

Howdy Folks,
I wanted to post a few photos quick for you all of the Original Perry Mixed Batch B3 I just picked up. I will get some closer and more detailed photos tomorrow when the light is better. It also came with a pair of no name A3 Flight pants which Ill photograph tomorrow too. I was saving for a repro and ended up impulse buying these desperately hoping to wear them but after further thought I just couldn't bring myself to risk damaging them. I may sell them to pony up and buy an ELC RW B3 or I was also thinking I may loan them to a museum, I live just a few miles away from the Piper Aircraft Factory Museum they might be interested, or maybe just keep them and start saving up over again, I don't know yet. Anyway Ill get some nicer photos of the whole flight suit. Ill get some measurements for y'all and try to do some research on W. J. Johnson the fella whose name is on the jacket. It's a little tough to tell in photos but the red hides are the sleeves, collar, storm flap, and the small triangle sections behind the belts. More to come. All in all its is nice shape, broken zipper, small tear in the arm and collar, other than that I can only hope to look so good at that age.

 

[Xopher]

 

[Xopher]

 

[Xopher]

I had an interesting realization. I have never owned an original before, just reproductions. the more I hold and look at the original the more it really drives home the reality of the war, and unglorifies it for me. The man who wore this 70 some years ago was shot at wearing it, helped kill people wearing it, probably saw his friend die while wearing it, was scared sh*tless wearing it as he chased the 25 and 35 missions Mark when most people never reached 7. It really changes my whole perspective. Wow.

 

[David Conwill]

Amazing piece. My grandfather's* was in the family until the 1960s or so. My dad wore it casually until it split down the back and then pitched it. I wish he had not.

Someday I'd like to own a repo but I have other priorities for the money at the moment.

*It might be the ground-crew version. Grandpa was an armament officer and had something to do with aircraft salvage in the ETO.

 

[Xopher]

Great photo! That sure looks like a B3. I love seeing pictures and hearing the stories that go with them. Those old fellas deserve to be remembered.

 

[CBI]

awesome stuff Xopher..............don't wear it, original B-3's have not held up well after 70 years and can easily rip/tear if worn. it happened to me and I know MANY others. Original RAF Irvin jackets, though also shearing have held up much better over the years.

There is nothing like the look of wearing an original but in the case of WW2 US produced shearing, its too risky.

I do know of some guys who wear WW2 shearing and say its fine but I have heard even more stories of damage with wear...........even just after a casual wearing or two.

Again, LOOKS great.

 

[Xopher]

I think what I'd like to do is try and find a museum that would be interested in buying the set. (Funny huh since museums are notoriously broke) I like to recoupe some of what I spent on it but I'm now emotionally attached and feel responsible for making sure it goes to a good place where it can be appreciated by more people

 

[aswatland]

Thank you for sharing the pictures of your 1941 Perry B-3. The A3 trousers are slightly later dating to mid 1942. I would agree with John about not wearing the jacket, apart from for the odd photo. It would be straight forward to replace the Talon zip with a NOS original M-39 Talon. I very much doubt if any museum will buy your B-3 and A-3. They do like donations, but often such items end up in storage rather than on display for others to enjoy! You might be best to re-sell these two items and invest the money in a high end repro B-3. I own the ELC Perry and regard it very highly in terms of authenticity.

 

[Cooper A-2]

Can 1000% confirm Andrew's words.

 

[Stand By]

I had an interesting realization. I have never owned an original before, just reproductions. the more I hold and look at the original the more it really drives home the reality of the war, and unglorifies it for me. The man who wore this 70 some years ago was shot at wearing it, helped kill people wearing it, probably saw his friend die while wearing it, was scared sh*tless wearing it as he chased the 25 and 35 missions Mark when most people never reached 7. It really changes my whole perspective. Wow.

Stunning, Xopher. Simply beautiful. Good on you.
And yes, the guys who all wore the gear we admire so much were flying and worrying about meeting just 5 horrible fates each time they took off: being shot into pieces, being burnt to death, drowning to death, falling to death - with being taken prisoner (assuming one survived being found by the angry locals with pitchforks. Many were hung from trees before the authorities arrived) being the best option (!). I imagine that so many of them couldn't wait to permanently get out of the uniforms and flight gear that we all admire around here - as they were made to wear it as they went off into harm's way.
But you have them both and that jacket truly is something to admire and appreciate to us.
Thank you for posting (and for the good photos too - I also like that you chose not to wear, say, jeans and a t-shirt but to wear clothes in tone to USAAF uniform to allow it to look more as it once did and was supposed to).
Cheers!

 

[Xopher]

This is really tugging at my heart strings here. I just got an email form the woman who sold me the jacket. I had asked her about the origin of the jacket and pants. She said it belonged to a relative of hers. Here is part of her message, she is still looking for photos.

"His name was Walter Johnson. I will dig a little further because I don't recall his middle name at the moment. I know that he was born in 1914 and died at a young age in 1944. The story goes he died drowning in a canoe accident he went out early in the spring and got trapped under the ice. He was army WWII and his highest ranking I was T SGT"

 

[kowalski]

hi Xopher
when I read such stories just have chills and tears in his eyes because, among other things due to such people as the first owner B3 (W.I.Johnson) I can be who I am now.It amazing It's like he got a letter from the owner's written 72 years ago

 

[Xopher]

I wanted to post an update on the information I found about this flight suit. I did some research and found the enlistment records of the man the suit was issued to. Walter J. Johnson.

Walter J. Johnson
Carlton County, Minnesota

Enlisting at the age of approximately 27 on April 17, 1941, Walter J Johnson was a private in the Air Corps branch of the Regular Army during World War II. At the time of enlistment, Walter J Johnson was single, without dependents, stood 70 inches tall, weighed 173 pounds, and had an education level of 4 years of high school. Walter J Johnson was born in 1914, and identified as white.

http://wwii-army.mooseroots.com/l/1488288/Walter-J-Johnson

I also located the cemetery where he was buried.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSob=c&GSmpid=48479997&GRid=144831160&

Army Honor List
http://genealogytrails.com/minn/carlton/ww2_armyhonorlist.htm

The woman who sold me the flight suit also said.
"He was 100% Finnlander. He graduated from the Esko school."

I can't stop thinking of how I want to find more information about this man. I't feels almost like I know him, like a 70 year old mystery that I just can't put down. I'm hoping to uncover a photo or combat records too. I'll keep y'all posted.

If I have his Service number, does anybody know how I can look up where he served under which bomb/fighter group?

 

[David Conwill]

Even if you can request those records without being his next of kin, there's a good chance they were destroyed in the big St. Louis records fire in 1973.

 

[Xopher]

If I were to guess based off of his having graduated high school they probably would have assigned him to be a Bombardier, Navigator, or Radio Operator, possibly even Pilot. Also guessing from his enlistment records he probably would have been too tall to be a ball turret or tail gunner, but he very possiblly could have been a waist gunner on B-17s or B-24s. This is all just educated guessing, but if the records were lost in the 73 fire, thats about the best I can do.

They gave B-3 and A-3 flight suits to ground crew too didn't they? So I guess he really could have been anything. At this point I am stymied.

 

[David Conwill]

It just occurred to me that you might get a kick out of seeing my grandfather's A3 pants, Xopher. Apparently they were made by Aero.

 

[Xopher]

How cool! Any time there is a name and face attached to the items I think that is just the neatest thing ever. Did you ever get your B3 yet David?

 

[David Conwill]

No, not yet. I have a couple cars to build and three daughters to raise. I would really love one, though, as a cold-weather driving coat for the sporty roadster I have planned. I wonder if the tag on my A-3 pants can be used to interpret what B-3 my grandfather would have had along with it? I assume it must have been a B-3 since they were apparently paired as a flight suit when issued.

 

[Xopher]

David,
My best educated guess would be since they pants were issued in sets with the jacket, there is a good chance the jacket would have been of Aero manufacture as well of the same size as indicated on the pants label. Im sure there are folks here in the lounge who can date the contract number of the pants for you and tell you which contract model jacket would go with it. Certainly something Good Wear or Aero in Scotland could make you as close as you could dream of