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WWII US AAF Bomber Crew Flak Vest -
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engine heavy bomber aircraft developed for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC), introduced in the 1930s. Competing against Douglas and Martin for a contract to build 200 bombers, the Boeing entry outperformed both competitors and more than met the Air Corps' expectations. Although Boeing lost the contract due to the prototype's crash, the Air Corps was so impressed with Boeing's design that they ordered 13 B-17s. The B-17 Flying Fortress went on to eventually evolve through numerous design advancements.
The B-17 was primarily employed by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial, civilian, and military targets.
This section of the website provides information that allows you to identify WWII American military
collectibles. The data also includes a price guide to give you an idea of the value of the items.
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This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII US collectibles. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined
points that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII US collectible worth?".
A price guide is included here to address this question. The value of the collectibles
is reviewed over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth
of US militaria in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
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a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
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This is a US Army air Force field gear item. As issued during World War two. The bombing missions
were attacked by enemy aircraft as well as ground fire. When the aircraft was hit, pieces of
metal would fly at high velocity into the compartment where the crew resided. This was a very
hazardous environment.
In order to help mitigate this threat a flak vest was created and distributed among the crews of
the bombers.
The design of the flak vest consists of
The flak vest retains the original tag which reads:
Armor, Flyers Vest
Front piece M1 & M2
Spec. AXS - 1025
Mfg by
Breslee Mfg. Co.
Contract W=-30-069-ORD-62
A number that could be the manufacturing date follows the contract number
but unfortunately it is not legible.
This WWII US military collectible may be currently
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because
the quality of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with
the construction style and materials employed in the manufacturing of this item.
Attention to the details is critical in order to be able to determine the authenticity of
the collectible.
If you have an interest is seeing other WWII US military collectibles, you can do so by
going to our
WWII US Military Collectibles Price Guide.
Where we cover items from the Army, Navy, Army Air Force and other organizations.
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