WEP Jacket and Trousers

[Deacon211]

Can’t seem to copy the pics from the Bay, but if you ever wanted to see what was on the other half of the WEP jacket...someone has one up for sale.

https://www.ebay.com/i/392043821260...&rk=2&rkt=30&sd=352355338014&itm=392043821260

Since we don’t get to see the other half much, figured I’d throw this up here.


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[Big J]

Awesome Deacon! I've never seen the pants to go with the jacket. And look at the rise on the damn things! Talk about high-waisted! No wonder the jackets were so short!
Before these things were popular as outerwear amongst pilots, they were intended as liners for immersion ('poopy') suits, weren't they?
Seems strange to me that when the USN/USMC had G-1s issued, pilots felt the need to wear immersion suit liners around as outerwear...
There's gotta be more to that story.

 

[Deacon211]

I’d imagine that they just got used to wearing the tops around in the Ready Room and they became sort of a second flight jacket. I think they are warmer than the G-1 and it was just easier to wear the WEP that you were going to wear anyway and not carry two jackets with you.

That would also be true if you were spending the night ashore or going on a Cross Country. It’d be easier to just take off the trousers and throw the jacket back on.

Just a guess though.

Actually, it occurs to me that this is the way that the A-2 and G-1 got their start. Both were flight equipment. Neither were really intended to wear off the flight line. But both wound up replacing more formal uniform wear around the squadron spaces and eventually became a uniform item (for a long time unofficially) it their own right.


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