Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 349:
Description
WWII USAAF GE Type D-1 Electric Heated Pilot Shoes. WWII USAAF Type D-1 Electrically Heated Pilots’ Shoes, Size Medium – General Electric, Specification No. 94-3114, Order No. W535ac22818, worn beneath outer flying boots with the F-1 "Blue Bunny" heated suit Offered is a genuine pair of General Electric Type D-1 electrically heated pilots’ shoes issued to United States Army Air Forces bomber crews for wear beneath their outer flying boots at extreme altitude. The fully intact and legible black embroidered label, sewn into the left shoe, identifies the pair as "Shoe, Pilots, " Cat. No. P4117E7, electrically heated at 24 volts DC, Type D-1, Size Medium, made to Specification No. 94-3114 under Order No. W535ac22818 by General Electric. Crews flying unpressurized, unheated bombers such as the B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator routinely operated at altitudes above 20,000 to 30,000 feet, where cabin temperatures could plunge to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Frostbite was a genuine operational hazard, at times sidelining more airmen than enemy flak or fighters. In response, the Army Air Forces contracted with General Electric to develop a complete electrically heated ensemble – the F-1 suit, universally nicknamed the "Blue Bunny" suit, which integrated with these specialized heated shoes to maintain pilot warmth.
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