Original U.S. Sole Survivor of Rescue Boat Crash USAAF Mae West B-5 Aviator Pneumatic Life Vest by General Tire & Rubber Company ERA All brass emblems

All brass emblems

It still appears to have the original WWI blued finish

apparently flown by Soviet ace Starshiy Leytenant Mikhail Baranov (183 IAP

He carefully translated all the markings and even included a photo of the crashed plane then attached all this information on wood tags that he tied to the gauge itself

Size is 39S and it is in very good overall condition

Original U.S. Sole Survivor of Rescue Boat Crash USAAF Mae West B-5 Aviator Pneumatic Life Vest by General Tire & Rubber Company ERA All brass emblemsOriginal Item: Only One Available. Beautifully hand painted on the upper portion of this vest by the veteran: Upper Right Side: A. N. DUFFIELD CPLP. 695Upper Left Side: SUNK 7mi EAST OFMITO, JAPANJUNE 9, 1949 On June 9, 1949, 7 U. S. Airmen and 1 Japanese male who was the pilot of the boat, were six miles off the coast of Sendai, north of Tokyo, when their 63 foot rescue boat caught fire. The flames cut off access to the emergency equipment onboard