Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 399:
Description
WWII USAAF Type A-11 Leather Flying Helmet with ANB-H-1 Receivers, Type A-14 Arctic Demand Oxygen Mask by The Ohio Chemical & Mfg. Co. (Bulbulian), and Type B-7 Tinted Flying Goggles Offered here is a well-matched USAAF high-altitude flight headgear ensemble comprising a Type A-11 leather intermediate flying helmet fitted with ANB-H-1 receiver earcups, a Type A-14 demand oxygen mask marked ARCTIC for cold-weather operation, and a pair of Type B-7 amber-tinted flying goggles. No individual recipient has been identified with this grouping and no separate published biography accompanies it; the story here rests in the equipment itself and the standardized official specifications under which it was issued, worn, and maintained by American airmen flying at altitude in the closing years of the war. Adopted in August 1943, the A-11 replaced earlier summer and winter patterns as the standard intermediate-weight leather helmet for USAAF pilots and aircrew, chosen for its balance of insulation, comfort, and compatibility with headset and oxygen equipment. Its rubberized earcups were engineered specifically to house ANB-H-1 receiver units, allowing intercom and radio communication to be maintained at extreme altitude and sub-zero temperature. The Type A-14 oxygen mask it accompanies was itself a landmark in aviation medicine: designed by Dr. Arthur Bulbulian and manufactured for the Army Air Forces by The Ohio Chemical & Mfg. Co., the A-14 corrected the freezing, fogging, and voice-transmission failures that had plagued earlier demand masks over Europe and the Pacific, and its ARCTIC-rated rubber compound was formulated to remain pliable in the frigid, unpressurized environment of a heavy bomber cockpit at altitude. Completing the set, Type B-7 goggles with amber lenses were widely issued to cut glare and shield the eyes from intense high-altitude sunlight and windblast, together forming the personal life-support envelope of a bomber or fighter crewman flying missions over the ETO or PTO in 1943-1945. The A-11 helmet is constructed of brown leather with a chamois lining, its exterior stamped with the winged USAAF emblem and "ARMY AIR FORCES" legend, faintly visible but legible, with a matching stencil impressed into the interior lining; a tan elastic chin strap and leather securing tab remain attached, and the ANB-H-1 receiver housings, marked RECEIVER ANB-H-1 MADE IN U.S.A. UTAH-CHICAGO, are seated in the earcups with their internal wiring harness and cloth-covered lead intact, terminating in a two-prong plug. The A-14 mask is molded in olive-green rubber, impressed DEMAND OXYGEN MASK TYPE A-14 MEDIUM, with a secondary maker’s mark reading Bulbulian, THE OHIO CHEMICAL & MFG. CO., ARCTIC, and retains its corrugated flexible supply hose, microphone cable and connector, and adjustable webbing harness with hardware clips. The B-7 goggles are stamped U.S.A.C. GOGGLE TYPE B-7 on the frame, fitted with amber lenses in a leather-cushioned metal frame, and joined by an elasticated fabric head strap. The leather shell of the helmet shows honest wear consistent with period use, including surface scuffing, minor flaking, and darkened patina, though the exterior and interior insignia stencils remain clearly discernible. The oxygen mask exhibits typical fine surface crazing to the rubber from age but no catastrophic splits, with the hose, wiring, and harness all intact. The goggles show expected oxidation to the metal frame, edge wear to the leather cushion, and some stretching and softening to the elastic strap, all consistent with decades-old rubberized components of this type. A solidly assembled, correctly matched USAAF flight headgear rig – A-11 helmet with wired ANB-H-1 receivers, ARCTIC-rated A-14 oxygen mask, and B-7 goggles – that together recreate the full high-altitude combat kit of an American airman over Europe or the Pacific.
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