Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a visually impressive representative U.S. WWII airborne parachute display assembled from several scarce original wartime components, including a December 1944-dated T-7 parachute pack, a July 1945-dated Simmons harness, and an October 1943 Type A-3 reserve parachute retaining its original parachute log record.

The main pack contains an incorrect and damaged U.S. Navy parachute installed solely to give the rig its filled display appearance. Several straps, lines, hooks, buckles, and fittings are postwar replacements or reproductions.

This is therefore not presented as a complete, matching, or airworthy WWII parachute assembly. It was clearly assembled by a collector to represent a late-war T-7 airborne rig.

Despite the replacement and mismatched components, the grouping contains several very difficult-to-find original pieces that would be challenging and expensive to assemble individually.

Original Simmons T-7 Harness

The original harness is clearly stamped:

PART NO. 44J9635
MFG. BY SIMMONS CO.
DATE OF MFG. JULY 1945

The July 1945 date places the harness at the very end of WWII.

The harness retains original wartime rigging components, although some attached straps, fittings, and buckles are later replacements or reproductions.

Because the harness postdates the December 1944 pack, the two components did not leave the factory as one original matched rig. They may have been combined during later military service or when the display was assembled.

Original December 1944 T-7 Parachute Pack

The primary pack is an original camouflage T-7 parachute pack manufactured by the Hayes Manufacturing Corporation of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Its data label reads:

TYPE T7 PARACHUTE
T-8 STAMPED OVER
GOV’T NO. AAF 44-112308
CAMOUFLAGE
MFG. BY HAYES MANUFACTURING CORP.
DWG. NO. 44J9634-3
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
CONTRACT NO. W20-017-AC-777

The T-8 designation has been stamped over the original T-7 marking. This may indicate that the pack was inspected, reclassified, modified, or intended for later use under a revised designation. Without the associated technical documentation, the exact reason for the overstamp cannot be determined.

Other documented T-7 packs carry the same Hayes Manufacturing Corporation drawing number, 44J9634-3, confirming that this was the standard camouflage T-7 pack configuration.

The top of the pack is stamped:

AAF 44 112308

This number has been crossed out and replaced with:

45-184359

The revised number suggests that the pack was renumbered, reissued, or reassigned during its military service.

The pack is also stamped:

PART NO. 41K9208-1
DATE DEC. 1944
28 FT. DIA.

The December 1944 date makes this an original late-war production component.

The 28-foot marking refers to the diameter of the parachute canopy originally intended for the pack.

The canopy currently packed inside the T-7 pack is an incorrect and damaged U.S. Navy parachute. It was installed to fill out the pack for display and is not the correct wartime canopy for this T-7 assembly. The parachute is damaged, and its suspension lines are not original WWII components.

Some of the accompanying hardware and buckles are also reproductions or postwar replacements. The long green strap extending from the pack is a postwar replacement. The hook attached to the end of that strap is also a later replacement.

Original Type A-3 Reserve Parachute

The grouping includes an original Type A-3 reserve parachute manufactured by the Irving Air Chute Company of Lexington, Kentucky.

Its markings read:

TYPE A3 PARACHUTE
MFG. BY IRVING AIR CHUTE CO.
LEXINGTON, KY.
OCT. 19, 1943

The October 19, 1943, manufacture date makes this a desirable midwar reserve parachute.

Type A-3 parachutes were produced as aircraft and emergency parachute equipment, with surviving examples documented in chest-pack and modified configurations during the WWII period.

The reserve parachute retains its original Parachute Log Record, an especially scarce and historically valuable feature.

The log identifies the parachute as having been manufactured in October 1943 by Irving under contract number:

26573

Recorded stations include:

O.C.A.S.C.
ALAMOGORDO ARMY AIR FIELD, NEW MEXICO

The book contains multiple entries dating between 1943 and 1945.

These entries include inspections and notations concerning when the pack was stenciled or modified, documenting continued use and maintenance during the war.

The retained log provides direct evidence that this reserve parachute was not merely stored as unused equipment. It passed through active military channels and appears to have been used in a training or support capacity throughout much of WWII.

Alamogordo Army Air Field was a major wartime training installation in New Mexico. The log’s association with that location gives the reserve parachute a specific and researchable service history.

The exact meaning of the O.C.A.S.C. abbreviation should be investigated further before assigning it to a specific installation or command.

Development of the T-7 Parachute

The U.S. Army began testing dedicated airborne troops before American entry into WWII. A parachute test platoon was organized at Fort Benning in 1940, laying the foundation for the rapid expansion of American airborne forces.

The T-5 became the principal American personnel parachute used by Army paratroopers during most major WWII airborne operations.

It was carried during campaigns including North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, southern France, the Netherlands, and the Rhine crossing.

The T-7 was developed as an improved successor to the T-5 and entered production late in the war.

Surviving T-7 examples commonly bear Army Air Forces government numbers, camouflage pack construction, and drawing number 44J9634-3.

Because the T-7 appeared during the closing phase of WWII, it is encountered far less frequently than the better-known T-5.

The T-7 remained in service after the war and became an important transitional design between WWII parachute equipment and the systems used during the Korean War era.

Display Configuration and Condition

This set was assembled from original, mismatched, replaced, and reproduction components.

It should not be interpreted as an untouched parachute rig that has remained together since WWII.

The original dated components include:

December 1944 Hayes Manufacturing Corporation T-7 parachute pack
July 1945 Simmons Company harness
October 19, 1943, Irving Air Chute Company Type A-3 reserve parachute
Original Type A-3 Parachute Log Record with entries from 1943 through 1945
Various original wartime rigging components and hardware

Incorrect, replaced, or reproduction elements include:

Damaged U.S. Navy parachute inside the T-7 pack
Non-wartime suspension lines
Long green replacement strap
Replacement hook attached to the green strap
Various reproduction or postwar fittings and buckles

The original components show the expected wear, staining, fading, handling marks, and age associated with airborne equipment more than 80 years old.

The pack’s crossed-out numbers, T-8 overstamp, modification markings, and surviving hardware give it considerable visual and research interest.

The Type A-3 reserve parachute and its original log record are particularly desirable. Parachute logs were often separated from their equipment, discarded, or lost, making a wartime-dated example with a documented inspection and modification history especially difficult to obtain.

When assembled on a mannequin, this set provides the strong appearance of a late-war U.S. airborne parachute rig while preserving several authentic and scarce WWII parachute components.

A visually commanding representative display that combines an original 1944 T-7 pack, 1945 harness, and documented 1943 Type A-3 reserve parachute, with all mismatched and reproduction components fully disclosed.

Display and Safety Notice:

This parachute set is sold strictly as a historical collectible for display purposes.

The rig is incomplete, mismatched, damaged, and assembled with incorrect, postwar, and reproduction components.

It must never be worn for an actual jump or employed as a lifesaving, emergency, recreational, training, or sporting parachute system.

Specifications:
Primary Pack Type: U.S. T-7 Camouflage Parachute Pack
Primary Pack Manufacturer: Hayes Manufacturing Corporation
Primary Pack Date: December 1944
Primary Pack Drawing Number: 44J9634-3
Primary Pack Government Number: AAF 44-112308, Crossed Out and Replaced with 45-184359
Primary Pack Marking: T-8 Stamped Over T-7
Original Canopy Diameter Marking: 28 Feet
Harness Manufacturer: Simmons Company
Harness Part Number: 44J9635
Harness Date: July 1945
Reserve Parachute Type: Type A-3
Reserve Manufacturer: Irving Air Chute Company
Reserve Manufacture Date: October 19, 1943
Reserve Contract Number: 26573
Reserve Log Locations: O.C.A.S.C. and Alamogordo Army Air Field, New Mexico
Main Pack Contents: Incorrect and Damaged U.S. Navy Parachute Installed for Display
Condition Notes: Collector-Assembled Display with Mismatched Original Components, Damaged Parachute, Postwar Straps, and Reproduction Fittings
Use: Historical Display Only; Not Airworthy