This second volume of a two-part study delves into the development and applications of personal flying equipment used by Luftwaffe and Royal Air Force combat personnel during World War II. Featuring over 500 photographs—450 in color, including detailed close-ups—this book showcases an exceptional range of rarely seen combat gear. It covers everything from compasses hidden in tunic buttons and floating rations to parachute-equipped suits and box-kite radio antennas. The volume discusses various types of parachutes, harnesses, life preservers (including the origin of the "Mae West" nickname), inflatable boats, survival tools, self-defense weapons, and personal items carried by airmen from both air forces. Readers can explore the advanced rescue and survival equipment available to Luftwaffe crews alongside the ingenious, often simple devices that helped many RAF flyers evade capture, with some eventually making their way home through occupied Europe. Like its companion volume, this book serves as an invaluable reference for artists, collectors, modellers, living history re-enactors, and military historians, appealing to anyone interested in the human aspects of 20th-century military history. Mick Prodger is also the author of Vintage Flying Helmets: Aviation Headgear Before the Jet Age.
