Quite possibly my favourite vintage piece of all time. This is a crazy rare Royal Air Force 1951 Cold Weather Parka, or to give you its official designation 'Overalls, Flying, Cold Weather, Mk1'. Often referred to as the 'mountain rescue parka', this is not entirely true. It does appear that whilst it was used by mountain rescue teams, these were actually the predominant cold weather jacket used by RAF flight and ground crew throughout the 50s and 60s. The photographic record shows them be used extensively by bomber crews, Canberras, Vulcans, Victors and Valiants.
Whether it's made of ventile is subject of some debate, the specs certainly seem to suggest so, but the cotton is very lightweight and insulated beneath by a layer of wool. There are far far far to many details on this for me to describe them all, so I'll just let the photos do the talking on this stunning piece.
Condition
This is in good used condition, but do expect fading and wear throughout. It's perfectly wearable with the original zip working perfectly, all buttons, belts, toggles etc in good shape. There is a few area of fraying around the cuffs, and some small period repairs. There is a period repair to the tail, and it appears some of the fabric has been removed from the under fork to make a repair to the lower back around the bum. The tag is still present and strong. Lining is in good condition. Overall a stunning piece that I've had in my personal collection for a number of years.
Size
- Tagged a size 3
- Fits medium/short
- Pit to pit 23"
- Shoulder to shoulder 20"
- Shoulder to cuff 22"
- Collar to hem 32"