Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 409:
Description
WWII U.S. Army Air Forces Type B-6 Winter Flying Helmet, Drawing No. 42G6431, A.F. Order No. (535) 42-17982-P, Size Extra Large, with period radio-clearance modification. This lot presents an original Type B-6 shearling flying helmet as adopted by the USAAF in the early years of the Second World War, standardized under Drawing 42G6431 and produced against Air Force order (535) 42-17982-P, a contract number consistent with fiscal year 1942 procurement. The interior retains its woven specification label reading "TYPE B-6, DRAWING NO. 42G6431, A.F. ORDER NO. (535) 42-17982[P], PROPERTY AIR FORCE U.S. ARMY, " together with a separate "EXTRA LARGE" size tag, confirming the helmet’s issue-pattern origin. No separate named history accompanies the piece; the record here rests entirely on the surviving markings and the type’s documented service. The B-6 was the standard cold-weather flying helmet of the USAAF through the middle war years, worn by aircrew in open cockpits, trainers, transports, and bombers operating at altitude in theaters where cold was as much an enemy as flak – the skies over the ETO and the fog-bound Aleutians chief among them. Constructed of sheepskin/shearling with the wool turned inward for insulation, the type was eventually supplanted in standardization by the AN-H-16 and later cloth intermediate helmets fitted with integral radio-receiver housings, but B-6 helmets remained in active service and private use well beyond their formal replacement, often modified in the field to accommodate updated headset equipment – a pattern reflected in this example. The helmet is constructed of dark brown leather-finished shearling with a wool fleece lining, raised leather piping seams to the crown, twin rear adjustment straps with button closures, a leather chin strap with buckle, and cloth goggle-retention ties at the rear. On the wearer’s left ear area, a squared section of fleece has been removed and an aperture cut through the leather shell, a modification consistent with wartime or post-war adaptation for radio headphone clearance; the reverse of this cut-out shows a contrasting patch of lighter, unweathered hide. The exterior leather shows overall surface crazing, scuffing, and finish loss typical of long-used shearling flying gear, along with a small puncture to the rear right leather panel. The interior woven specification label and "EXTRA LARGE" size tag remain legible though frayed at the edges with some loss of stitching. Chin strap and rear hardware remain intact and functional despite moderate wear throughout. An honest, well-marked example of the wartime B-6 winter flying helmet, its maker label and modification together telling the practical story of cold-weather aircrew gear adapted for continued service in the field.
Share this lot:
