Photo showing crewmen wearing C-1 vests under the Mae West life preservers, on the island of Guam, getting ready for a raid over Japan.

Pilot Raymond T. Eakes "Easy" of Easy's Aces, inspects his crew. This B-29 Superfortress belonged to the 20th AF, 21st Bomb Command, 314th Bomb Wing, 29th Bomb Group. This planes name was later changed from Easy's Aces to the City of St. Louis in honor of his co-pilot who was killed on a mission. The 29th BG Flew 66 combat missions from May 10, 1945 to August 15, 1945 Photo "Impact September 1945"

12th AF 1st Fighter Group Major Francis "Bucky" Harris became CO of the 94th Fighter Squadron on July 20, 1944. Shown wearing the C-1 Vest under his Mae West life preserver, standing with Lt. Everett Lindley. The men pose in front of one of their P-38 Lightnings, at Foggia Italy in 1944. It appears that Lt. Col Francis Bucky Harris served until the end of the war. Capt Everett Lindley was shot down on April 15, 1945 and became a POW. Photo "1st Fighter Group website"

15 Apr 45

A force of 32 P-38s escorted B-17s to Bologna, Italy in support of the U.S. 5th Army offensive in Northern Italy. During the milk run, the B-17s devastated the enemy ground troops and did much to aid the allied armies.

A second force of P-38s strafed rail lines in Southern Germany, specifically in Regensburg-Salzburg-Munich. After splitting up in squadron size formations., the 71st went to Lake Chiem toward Munich, the 94th went to Regensburg south toward Landshut, and the 27th strafed from Regensburg southeast parallel with the Danube toward Passaau. In addition to the multitude of ground targets either damaged or destroyed, the group also claimed an aerial victory over an FW-190.

Unfortunately, Five pilots did not return from this mission including all three squadron leaders. However one did survive - Capt Everett S. Lindley the 94th squadron and mission leader. The four fatalities consisted of Cpt Chester Trout, 27th leader, hit by flak just west of Passau and crashed in flames, Major Joseph Elliot, the 71st leader, also hit by anti aircraft fire, crashed at Feldkirchen east of Munich and was killed. Lt Edward Brickly, 27th FS, and Lt George McGrew, 71st, were both hit by flak, and were killed in ensuing crashes.

MACR # Date A/C Type Serial # Group Squadron Notes

13799 4/15/1945 P-38 44-24132 1st FG 94 Regensburg, Germany, Capt Lindley, POW

13802 4/15/1945 P-38L 44-24190 1st FG 71 Munich, Germany, Lt McGrew, KIA

13801 4/15/1945 P-38L 44-24632 1st FG 27 Capt Trout, MIA

13797 4/15/1945 P-38L 44-25698 1st FG 27 Regensburg, Germany, Lt Brickley, MIA

13800 4/15/1945 P-38L 44-25734 1st FG 71 Munich, Germany, Maj Elliott, KIA

Korean War Vought F4U-4 Corsair pilot Lt. Bruce Bagwell of VF-871 on the USS Essex (CV-9) wearing the C-1 vest under the Navy Type MK-2 life vest. He is also wearing a rubber anti-exposure suit, leather gloves, zip up rubber boots, and a Navy Type H-4 flight helmet with boom mic, trimmed B-8 goggles and an A-14 oxygen mask with mic. The Carrier's tour of duty lasted from June 16, 1952 to February 6, 1953. I believe Lt. Bruce Bagwell flew with the Blue Angels in 1955. In May of 1967 he became Cdr. Bruce Bagwell of (CVA-38) Shangri-la until
Aug 1967. (Photo from the book "F4U Corsair/Nick Veronico 1994")

It is belived that the C-1 vest's must have been used in the E.T.O. at the end of the war. As of yet we have no photos or personal accounts to validate this. The fact that the vest's were being issued in the Mediterranean Theater during the same time period, it makes since that they would have been used by members of both 8th & 9th Air Forces. They may have only been used in small quantities, and this might have been in a service testing status. Such as: being issued to flight, and or squadron commanders, or sellect crews from different bomber units. Untill this can be proven, the belief that they were used in European Theater remains a mystery.