USA Aviators' Clothing
Aviators are commissioned officers and when not at work wear the regular uniform which, as in the case of all officers, is furnished by the officers themselves. When at work in the air the clothing equipment is highly special and is loaned by the Government to the fliers. When the United States entered the war we had no standards to work from, we knew little of the problems involved and how far reaching were these problems. Yet the work covered a multitude of problems reaching from securing 400,000 dog skins in China to determining conditions 20,000 feet above the western front. There had been no standard styles established, or rather there was a chaos of conflicting styles, many of which were good by themselves, but would not function with other equipment that was necessary.
Purchase Problem.
The purchase of aviators' clothing for the Army was at first made by the committee on supplies of the Council of National Defense, in charge of Mr. Julius Rosenwald and Mr. E. Tyner. From there it was taken over and for a short time was done by the Quartermaster Department, when it was again transferred to the Bureau f Aircraft Production, and put in charge of Maj. John E. Hays. In purchasing this material there were several points to be considered. First, that it should be as warm as possible without being so cumbersome as to interfere with the movements and efficiency of the aviator, for when a man is up 20,000 feet, flying at a speed of 100 or more miles per hour, in a temperature well below zero, he can not be clad too warmly; also that it should be of such sturdy construction as to withstand hard usage and all conditions of weather; and finally that each part should function properly with all of the other parts.
After many tests and much development, the following outfit was used:
Headgear.
On the head was worn, in moderate weather, first, a woolen hood or helmet so designed as to fit closely over the entire head and neck, extending down well over the forehead to the eyes and around the neck to the shoulders. In extremely cold weather, or for high-flight work, a silk hood of double thickness and like design was worn, having between its layers an electrically heated unit connected with a generator on the engine of the plane by copper wire cables that extended through the suit proper. Over this was worn a soft leather helmet, lined with fur, and extending down over the back of the head and covering the ears and sides of the face, fastening under the chin. The face was entirely covered with a leather face mask, lined with wool, and with an opening for the eyes, over which was worn a pair of goggles.
At times when communication with either the ground or other airplanes was essential, the radio helmet replaced the fur-lined helmet. This was made of leather and somewhat similar in design to the other, but so fashioned as to contain the receivers of a wireless telephone, enabling a flier to hear what was spoken to him in an ordinary tone of voice many miles away. Oxygen masks were worn for high-flight work in addition to the above equipment. The oxygen mask was made of rubber, which contained a transmitter allowing him to speak as well as hear by wireless. This mask was attached by a flexible tube to a tank of oxygen carried in the plane and so arranged as to feed automatically a different amount of oxygen as different altitudes were reached.
It was found by a series of tests, made in a room so designed as to create the exact and various conditions that would exist at any known height, that a man's faculty to respond at sight, sound, or touch became more dormant as the air became rarefied, and consequently the man in combat who could remain in a normal condition by the use of oxygen could begin firing his gun sooner than one not so equipped.
Body Clothing.
Over the body was worn a one-piece flying suit, extending from the feet to the throat, belted and buttoned tight at the anxles and wrists; this being made of waterproof outer material so arranged as to leave no opening or crevice when buttoned and lined throughout with fur. The question of obtaining fur for these linings was a problem. Vast quantities of fur were required and had to be of extreme warmth, with a pelt or skin sufficiently strong to withstand rough usage and still not be of too great bulk, and at a price not over extravagant. It was determined that a Chinese Nuchwang dog skin met these requirements better than any other, and they were consequently used. This required practically all of these skins that could be obtained in both this country and China, and necessitated the lifting of an embargo to bring these skins into this country, which, through the cooperation of the War Trade Board, was accomplished. When it is considered that the last purchase before the armistice was signed was for a quantity of between 450,000 and 500,000 of these dog skins, it may safely be said that, at least, it is not the dogs that are making the nights hideous in China. Through these suits, between the fur and outer covering, were placed wire cables terminating in snap fasteners at the wrists, ankles, and neck, to which could be attached a silk-covered wire leading to electrical heating units, placed in silk gloves, moccasins, and helmets, all of which were warmed by an electric current drawn from the generator on the engine.
Clothing For Hands And Feet.
On the hands were worn, besides the electrically heated gloves, a pair of muskrat fur gauntlets, extending well up the arms and of a special design which allowed the fingers of the glove to remain in a fur-lined pocket or be withdrawn from it when necessary without removing the glove. On the feet were worn, in addition to the electrically-heated moccasins, a leather moccasin extending well up the calf of the leg and lined with heavy sheep wool. These were fastened with straps and buckles. In addition to the above, there were many other items furnished, such as sweaters, leather coats of various lengths, a fur-lined coat, two styles of hard helmets, used mostly by students and observers, and many styles of gpggles.
The air clothing problem involved not only quantities of special material and workmanship far beyond existing resources, but endless attention to detail. Many returning fliers state that it was generally acknowledged that our fliers were by far the best and most efficiently equipped of any nation. The magnitude of the clothing problem can perhaps be best understood by a few figures. The initial allotment of funds for this purpose was $2,509,000. This was still further increased from later appropriations, and on November 11 the work in hand for air clothing involved over $5,000,000. Items of over 50,000 fur-lined flying suits ($36.25 each), over 100,000 leather helmets of all kinds (about $4.50 each), over 100,000 leather coats (from $10 to $30 each), and over 80,000 goggles ($3.50 each), reflect the major items.