Original Item: Only One Available. This is an original U.S. WWII Army Air Forces B-2 shearling leather billed cap, one of the most recognizable pieces of cold weather AAF headgear used by bomber crews, aerial gunners, and ground personnel during the war. Designed to provide warmth in exposed and often bitterly cold conditions while retaining a practical visor for sun and glare protection, the B-2 became closely associated with the working environment of American heavy bomber bases. This example is in very rough, heavily worn condition with significant damage to the visor, but it retains the unmistakable form and character of an original wartime B-2 cap.

The B-2 was constructed for cold weather use from leather with a warm shearling interior, making it especially suitable for men working around aircraft in northern climates and at high altitude airfields where winter conditions could be severe.

Although often associated with bomber aircrew and gunners, period photographs also show B-2 caps being worn by members of AAF ground crews. Mechanics, armorers, engine specialists, and other personnel working outdoors around aircraft required much of the same protection from wind and cold as the men who flew them.

The cap’s stiff leather bill helped shield the wearer’s eyes from sun and glare and gave the B-2 its distinctive appearance.

One particularly appealing aspect of original AAF headgear is the degree of personalization seen in wartime photographs. Aircrew and ground personnel sometimes painted or wrote their names beneath the visor and then turned the bill upward, allowing the name to be easily seen. This became a practical and informal way of identifying men working in busy squadron environments.

This example does not currently display an identified name beneath the visor, but its heavy wear certainly gives it the appearance of a cap that saw substantial use.

The visor is now partially detached from the body of the cap and is tearing along one end. This is the most significant condition issue.

There is also wear to the leather exterior, including areas of finish loss, surface deterioration, and cracking.

The rear edge of the visor appears likely to have originally been reinforced with an additional strip or piece of leather. That reinforcement is now absent.

This example also does not retain an Army Air Forces insignia on the side.

Despite the damage, the basic form remains immediately recognizable and the cap still has strong display character. The worn surface, deteriorated leather, and damaged visor reflect the fragile nature of original shearling flight clothing and the hard service conditions under which these caps were used.

AAF cold weather clothing played an important role in the day to day operation of the wartime air forces. Even before entering the aircraft, airmen and ground crews could spend hours outside around dispersal areas, revetments, maintenance stands, and runways in freezing temperatures. Shearling leather garments such as the B-2 cap were intended to make those conditions more bearable.

For collectors, the B-2 remains a classic piece of WWII Army Air Forces equipment because of its strong association with bomber bases, flight crews, aerial gunners, and the ground personnel who kept the aircraft operational. This example is unquestionably rough, with major visor damage, heavy leather deterioration, missing visor reinforcement, and no side insignia, but it remains an original wartime cap with excellent period character. It would make an evocative addition to a U.S. Army Air Forces, bomber crew, aerial gunner, ground crew, flight clothing, or WWII aviation display.