3" figure |
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Posted: July 01 2018 at 7:52am |
My wife was digging in her flower garden an found a 3" figure of a man. It appears to be standing at attention. He's wearing a flight suit with a parachute harrness, chute bag on his rear. Looks like a flight hat with goggles. The bottom of the base looks like it had a screw or nail at one time. I'm guessing British, WW2?
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Look at the parachute straps. Do they look like this all converging on a big buckle in the chest area? If so it's probably RAF, the Irvine Mk1 "Ass Pack" parachute was worn like this & the chute & its cushion you sat on in a metal "bucket" seat. The army parachutes were on the back & U.S parachutes had no Quick Release buckle fitted. |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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hoadie
Moderator Group Joined: March 16 2006 Location: Niagara/Canada Status: Offline Points: 9003 |
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Irvin chute used to be located in Ft.Erie, Canada(right on the border). They still may be, although I haven't heard much about them of late
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Loose wimmen tightened here
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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My figure has similar webbing, but is a fairly crude casting. Looks like a heavy collar on his jacket. A magnet doesn't stick to it. It's fairly heavy so I would guess brass or lead. It's rough and I don't want to clean it up yet. Next time buddy's over with a camera I'll have him take a few pictures.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Maybe Pewter? The heavy jacket collar may be an Irvin jacket. (This is a fake modern repro., the originals din't have any pockets, or zips on the sleeves.) When I "mustered out" I was allowed to keep the jacket, trousers, boots & gloves. I used them for motorcycling in winter! If only I'd known what they would be worth!
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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On further closer inspection, it appears to have a waist length jacket with cuffs on the wrists and hem. He also appears to be wearing a neck tie! Who wears a neck tie to war?? I never considered pewter. You could be right. I know where I used to work they had a PMI gun that would tell you what something is made of. I might give it to buddy who still works there to get tested. Non destructive, takes two minutes. Interesting...
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Its RAF! Only The British wear ties to war. It would be "Unseemly" not to. The "cuffs" are the inside sheepskin fur rolled back over the waist & wrists. These are re-enactors! The two on the left would get "such a rocket" (massive reaming out) for wearing that silly silk scarf. (It gets caught up in stuff & can kill you like Isadora Duncan). I think the ones in the middle have no Idea how to strap on an ass pack, the QR buckle is down about 18" too low (Its supposed to be over the center of your chest , because the safety straps in the aircraft's release buckle is set right where "scarf #2" has his QD!) The other one is going to hang by his scrotum ALL the way to the ground if he has to jump with that. If you rig it properly you actually sit on the cushion above the parachute pack all the way to the ground 'Orrible Bloody shambles of a crew! |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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Didn't RAF, RCAF pilots wear silk scarves to protect their necks from the scratchy wool collars when they were swivelling their heads looking for enemy planes?
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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And yes, when I worked, we utilized fall arrest equipment quite often. The groin belts have to be tight as the static shock when you fall and then stop will have you singing soprano... permanently. Also, the chest stap had to be tight because again, static shock would flip you forward and right out of your harness making you a jam spot on the ground below.
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paddyofurniture
Senior Member Joined: December 26 2011 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 5255 |
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Might be a statue of ST Joseph.
People used to bury one out in the yard to get help selling their house. |
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Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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I didn't realize they had parachutes way back then!😁 St. Joseph it is!
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Canuck
Special Member Donating Member Joined: January 17 2012 Location: Agassiz BC Status: Offline Points: 3535 |
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I'd never heard of that practice before, and I was raised Catholic!
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Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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me either and my father was both catholic and an airman - but then there was lots not talked about after the war , i only learned some things reading my fathers letters home to my mother and then only after he died , interesting stuff ......thanks
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Honkytonk
Senior Member Joined: December 30 2017 Location: Brandon Mb Status: Offline Points: 4770 |
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A buddy popped over to day to drink my beer. He had an iPhone so he took a few pictures of that figure. For reference, I placed a regular Bic lighter beside it. I'm hoping Shamu will post the pics for me! Thanks!
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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cool , i would love to see them , we learn so much in these obscure discussions that i love so much to read , thanks to all here ,
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Just arrived now, I'll resize & post in a few. Looking at the straps on the parachute it looks more U.S. Than RAF. That double hook & loop fastening is not a QR. |
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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