MkIV B Flying Goggles

Item

Title

MkIV B Flying Goggles

Description

RAF MK IV B Flying Goggle

With guide plates & rivets, ever clear tick and double pinned screw driver. The large ear loops were created to fit over the B Type helmet ear domes. Elastic loops and brown leather sprung backstraps.
A. HOPPEN, is etched into the black metal face of the goggles.
AM MK IV B 22C/167 is stamped in the brown leather strap.

Date

Identifier

006.500.688

Medium

Provenance

When Great-Britain entered the war, most of their flight gear was outdated and intended for wear in open cockpit aircrafts. Some pilots chose to buy their own flight gear and that is a reason why Battle of Britain period pictures show non-military issue flight gear. This was certainly the case with helmets and goggles, for example Luxor was a civilian manufacturer but the Luxor goggles soon became well known among aircrew.
The RAF issue flying goggles were much heavier and not as comfortable as the Luxor goggles and soon the AM started to alter their goggles according to the pilots needs. So the goggles started to change from heavy and large face-covering goggles to lighter and less covering goggles later on.

Item sets