Wearing Crusher Hat

[fudge_brownie]

I see in old war footage that the pilots were wearing their crusher hats while flying. Did they wear them other times? For example were they worn while on leave? I could imagine they might have more than one? Was this the accepted hat with Class A's.

Was the OD crusher worn with Khaki uniform? I know it would vary by commanders orders but I am looking not at unit specific usage but generally accepted practice.

 

[Sgt Brown]

Yes and Yes. The caps were worn at all times and there is plenty of photographic evidence of OD caps being worn with khakis.

Sarge

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Always remember, when you see a pilot wearing a "crusher" with headphones over it, the flying must be below approximately 10,000 feet. During that era (up til the introduction of the pressurized cabin ala the B-29 "Super Fortress), any flying above 10,000 feet required oxygen and the face mask to supply it. This then required the leather flying helmet. Most of the bomber crews (with some low level exceptions obviously) wore their leather helmets and oxygen masks while on bombing missions - most of these missions were well above 10,000 feet. (B-24 and B17's in the ETO as the best example).

Remember, at altitude, not only is oxygen a problem but extremely low temperatures as well. Wearing a "crusher" at that altitude would leave ears and face exposed to frostbite. The leather flying helmet was insulation against such exposure. Many of the bomber crews (and fighter escort pilots) had a semi-permanent "raccoon" face from frost exposure to those parts of the face not covered by helmet, goggles, and oxygen mask.

As I mentioned in a previous thread, when you see a pilot at the helm in his jaunty "crusher" he is either below 10,000 feet altitude on a ferry mission or flying some transport aircraft. There are exceptions for the PTO as much of the operation was low altitude missions against island targets. With the bombing of Japan later in the war, the B-29 was employed - with it's pressurized flight deck and gun positions. Thus many of those old photos show a more casual ensemble of shorts sleeves and ball caps.

Hope this adds some perspective to the discussion.

-dixon cannon

 

[Sgt Brown]

Dixon is absolutely correct concerning "crusher" caps being only worn in low-altitude aircraft. Mainly transports and some medium bombers. As for the B29, the men would still don oxygen and anti-flak gear when they neared Japan to be ready should they take damage and depressurize. (And a M-5 flak helmet won't fit over a "crusher".)

Sarge

 

[Cigarband]

With the bombing of Japan later in the war, the B-29 was employed - with it's pressurized flight deck and gun positions. Thus many of those old photos show a more casual ensemble of shorts sleeves and ball caps.

Hope this adds some perspective to the discussion.

-dixon cannon

Until Gen. Curtis LeMay took over in Theater and changed the bombing doctrine. He ordered all guns and pressurization equipment be removed and all missions flown below 10,000 with incendiary bombs. Those fire-bomb raids burned the heart out of Japan.

 

[Dudleydoright]

Wasn't there a couple of early versions of the oxygen mask that were used in WW2 that had head straps rather than fixing to the leather flight helmet ?

I recall that the USN had a gfrey/green one and in the movie 'Memphis Belle' the mask with the oxy bladder was a headstrap type too so could crushers have been used early on at altitude ?

Dave

 

[Spitfire]

My guesse is that wearing a crusher hat, while on leave or off flying was a sign of being a "real" airman - just like the open top button on the tunic was a fighterpilot sign in RAF.
(Even read somewhere that some fighterpilots in RAf during Battle of Britain often wore flyingboots while on 24hours leave in London. The result was lots of free drinks.)
My bet is, that the crusher was probaly used by lots of "desk-pilots" too.

 

[BaggyPants]

(Even read somewhere that some fighterpilots in RAf during Battle of Britain often wore flyingboots while on 24hours leave in London. The result was lots of free drinks.)

There's a photo of Bader and two other officers who've just been to be presented medals and the other two officers are both wearing their '36 pattern flying boots with their service dress. Nicely polished, of course

I suppose crusher caps were like a badge of office, like the US paratroopers Corcoran boots.

 

[Stearmen]

Wasn't there a couple of early versions of the oxygen mask that were used in WW2 that had head straps rather than fixing to the leather flight helmet ?

I recall that the USN had a gfrey/green one and in the movie 'Memphis Belle' the mask with the oxy bladder was a headstrap type too so could crushers have been used early on at altitude ?

Dave

Yes there was such an oxygen mask, but I do not think it lasted to long into the war! In the Pacific, you will see lots of news real footage of B-25 pilots wearing their kaki crushers with headphones, no need for oxygen down low!

 

[p51]

Remember, the “crusher” look was just that, a look. Plenty of people took their service caps and molded them to look like that to emulate the look that was popular everywhere back then. I’m a life member of the 91st BG association and have been to 91st and 303rd BG reunions. I have talked with dozens (probably well into hundreds) of aircrew veterans of the 8th AF over many years and almost all of them said they never wore crushers on high-altitude missions and the leather helmets provide more warmth, noise suppression (trust me, it’s freaking LOUD in the cockpit of a B-17 in flight) and support for the oxygen masks.
Many of them also told me that the officers often wore their overseas (envelope shape) hats on leave because they could be tucked under a belt and not easily lost or stolen. The service hats could “walk away” and then the officer would have to deal with MPs on leave as he’d then would be not wearing a hat.