An original Air Corps contract B2 shearling cap in exceptional condition. It features the Army Air Forces logo stencil on the left side of the cap. The interior has a John R. Craighead Co. contract label sewn in. No cracks in the leather or loss of wool are visible. A top-shelf cap.
Second World War period USAAF flying cap. The B-2 ‘winter flying cap’ was the second version of headgear developed so that aircrew could carry out their tasks unimpeded whilst wearing earphones. The B-1 (summer cap) was made of lightweight olive-drab fabric whilst the B-2 was of leather; both types of headgear were standardized in 1939. The B-2 was particularly popular with aviators throughout the war although the authorities wished to limit its use for ground wear only on account that contemporary flak helmets offered better protection.
