Original British WWII RAF Observer Pilot's Irvin Parachute Harness With American Type A-3 Reserve Chute - Dated 1943

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely combination of WWII British and American Parachute equipment items. The harness is a Royal Air Forces Observer pilot type featuring an American Type A-3 Reserve Parachute canopy bag.

Adopted by the RAF in February 1933, the Observer Harness was employed extensively by English, Canadian, and later by US fliers. The Observer was standard issue in Bomber Commands for crew members. It faithfully served throughout the war and well into the postwar era.

The A-3 harness and pack assembly replaced the earlier AN6513 rig. The new pack had D-rings on the pack and featured a two-piece design characterized by more squared-off contours and smaller pattern which was more conducive to mass production. Originally equipped with a single carry handle, late models incorporated three handles and a more heavily reinforced design. As with the harness, packs began to be marked with yellow paint in May 1944 to distinguish them from the similar AN6513-1A packs. This is an early chest pack and is dated October 16, 1943 in blue ink and has only the single carry handle. The chest pack itself does not contain a canopy, and is “puffed” up for display purposes.

Both pieces are in great displaying condition and appear to be without any significant damage. Truly wonderful pieces of history that would be welcomed into any WWII RAF or USAAF collections. Comes ready to display!