Method of adapting the standard Mussette bag as a quick attachable container for the Emergency Sustenance Vest Type C-1
C-1 VEST MANUFACTURES TAGS
Manufactures tags had some slight differances, sometimes the tags were rectangular, sometimes they were more square, about the only thing that remainded the same was the thread colors, and sometimes two different colors were used by the same manufacture. Tags are marked to variation of vests. Some contract numbers for 2nd variation vests were also used for 3rd variation vests. One known example is Sears Roebuck, Reliance MFG AC-6640 Wich was used on both 2nd variation & 3rd variation vests.
Early procurement C-1 Vest Note: This vest might be a manufactures variant and has very large printing for the knife, stone, spitt. and mirror on the left pocket instead of the usual right pocket! This may also have been purposely done for The Personel Equipment Officers.
Early procurement C-1 Vest Note: This vest looks to be a prototype or 1st variant vest. Note: No AAF winged star insignia is printed on the left brest, these were printed in black ink and were much smaller than the later colored insignia. The first colored insignia was printed on the 2nd variation vests.
Early procurement C-1 Vest With barely visable printed black AAF winged star insignia on left brest. Made before the 2nd variation vest.
Early procurement C-1 Vest. With no AAF winged star insignia on left brest. Believed to be an early Breslee prototype, or 1st variant.This one has no tag, it was ink printed instead:
Early Prototype Vest Note: extra pockets on the front of the vest, not sure what these may of held, but a guess might be extra match cases. or even possibly tubes for halazone? Same AAF sergeant as in the previous picture.
Photo Courtesy Of Dustin Clingenpeel
AAF sergeant wearing Type C-1 Vest, Type B-8 back parachute & harness, and Type C-2 pneumatic life raft.
AAF crewman wearing Type C-1 Vest, under Type B-4 Mae West life preserver, airman is also wearing Type A-11 flight helmet, w A-14 oxygen mask, and microphone, Type B-15 flight jacket, w type A-11 pants, A-6 flight boots, Type F-2 & F-3 electricaly heated gloves, parachute harness, probably red group, bailout oxygen bottle tube attached to mask. Late 1944 mid 1945
TYPE C-1 SUSTENANCE VEST
Early Procurement C-1 Vest:
Note: slant pocket vest, without mosquito repellent can, cooking utensil is shown in the bottom of the picutre. Also note: Early AAF Survival manual!
1st Air Force Private, wearing the C-1 Vest under the parachute harness and Mae West life preserver. Note the seat type parachute, with the life raft container below.
Photo courtesy of: Dustin Clingenpeel
2nd VAR
2nd & 3rd VAR
3rd VAR
2nd VAR
1st VAR
AC-4221
45-038
AC-4222
45-5450
3rd VAR
1st & 2nd VAR
3rd VAR
3rd VAR
3rd VAR
3rd VAR
2nd VAR
1st VAR
2nd VAR
1st VAR
AIRCRAFT APPLIANCE CO.
BRESLEE MFG. CO.
CAPPEL-MacDONALD & CO.
LITE MANUFACTURING CO.
SEARS & ROEBUCK CO. &
RELIANCE MFG. CO.
W.L.M.CLARK INC.
3rd VAR
3rd VAR
3rd VAR
C-1 VEST SHIPPING CONTAINER
Heavy craft box with taped ends measures 12"x14"x4 3/4". Contained partially completed vest with Aluminum First Aid Kit. Note C-1 Vest contract number stamped out and replaced with earlier contract vest!
Photos courtesy of: Scott Novzen
TAG OF C-1 VEST PACKED IN CONTAINER
2nd variation C-1 Vest With large printed AAF winged star insignia on left brest, with the addition of insect repellent pocket. Made just before the 3rd variation vest.
3rd variation C-1 Vest With large printed AAF winged star insignia on left brest. With snap pockets, this was the final version of the vest. This vest still retains some of the seals on pockets.
Early procurement C-1 Vest With no AAF winged star insignia on left brest. Made just before the 2nd variation. This one still has some of the seals on the pockets!
Small black printed Air Force logo, sometimes these were over printed on full color AAF logos, to indicate use buy the U.S. Air Force. I have also seen one where an AAF logo was overprinted on another AAF color logo! This seems to be a manufacter error, as the vest was supposed to have the color logo not the black logo!
On late production vests the contents list on pocket #14 had the word, Cooking Container removed in 1945, the Instruction Booklet was then wraped along with the bandage and toilet tissue!!
On late production vests the contents list on pocket #15 had the word, Instruction Booklet removed in 1945.
