RAF Inner Silk Flying Gloves

Designed to be worn under 1933 pattern gauntlets but were often worn alone, particularly by fighter pilots. Early production used silk, while later these would have been made from synthetic silk or rayon.

These remain in above the average issued condition, with just one wear hole on the right thumb, as shown in our listing. The left glove has a bit of loose stitching and is a little cleaner than the right and both have the normal stains and marks from service use. Looking at the stitch detail these may possibly have been mismatched at some stage but when purchased came in with another near identical 1940 dated pair of silk inners and a set of RAF D gloves all from the same source (both already sold) and believe this is how they were used in service.

Inside the stores reference marks are washed out but just visible to the naked eye on the right glove is a feint King Crown and AM property mark. What however makes this set rather special is the original owner has written his RAF service number inside the right glove '631889'. Whilst these can be quite hard to track down, and more so without the owner's name to assist, against the odds we appear to have done so here. These seem to have been issued to and used by a Sgt Thomas Goldie, of 49 Squadron who was sadly KIA 7.12.40 flying as a Wireless operator /air gunner on a Hampden 1 X3028 (EA-S) that crashed at Welton, Lincs. The crew were returning from an operation to attack airfields in NW France, but crashed whilst trying to land back at RAF Scampton. Sgt Goldie is buried at Lesmahagow Cemetery, Lanarkshire.

Whilst the size detail is washed out these gloves are good fit on my hands so are probably a size 9, that would have carried stores reference number 22C/261. Whilst not mint, a very emotive set that have clearly seen operational service in the early part of WWII.