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The
M-422 is the earliest version of the jacket that eventually
became the U.S. Navy's famous G-1. The Navy issued
the M-422 to aviators from 1938 to 1943. In 1941 the
Navy added a pencil slot under the left pocket flap
and designated the jacket M-422A.
The M-422A was made
in two versions, the Flight Suits version with a ¾-inch
wider left pocket with a stitched down pencil slot,
and another version with an inset welt pencil pocket
like the current G-1.
Admiral William "Bull"
Halsey, Task Force Commander, wore one on April 18,
1942, as Hornet launched 16 Army Air Force B-25's
toward Tokyo.
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Historical Navy M-422A shown in seal brown goatskin
leather.
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Butch O'Hare wore a VF-3 "Felix the Cat" patch on his
M-422A. O'Hare became the Navy's first ace and a Medal
of Honor winner by shooting down five aircraft in one
mission. Many Flying Tiger pilots, including Gregory
"Pappy" Boyington, wore M-422A's.
The M-422A specification
required seal brown goatskin with a reddish brown
mouton (lamb's wool) collar. The lining was crimson
acetate twill. The zipper was a nickel zipper with
bell pull. The knit cuffs were standard rib knit,
but the waistband was knit into a single layer of
rib-rack.
Original M-422A's had
the letters "USN" stenciled under the collar in black,
white, or silver paint, but the jacket did not have
the letters punched into the storm flap like the G-1.
They did have an inside, snap-shut chart pocket and
a graceful throatlatch to keep out the cold.
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Flight Suits
makes a faithful reproduction of the M-422A, including
drum-dyed, semi-aniline, seal brown goatskin leather.
We precisely copied
the rib-rack knit waistband from an original waistband.
The lining is exactly the same yarn, weave, and color
as the original lining. The front zipper is a nickel
zipper with bell pull. After the jacket is finished,
we stencil "USN" under the collar in black paint exactly
like the original M-422A.
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