How a Hollywood stunt man invented an iconic RAF sheepskin jacket.
By Kieran Whitworth
Leslie L. Irvin was born in California in 1895, and his early career saw him become a stuntman in the nascent Hollywood film industry where he would perform trapeze acts and parachute jumps from hot air balloons. His first parachute jump from an aircraft was in 1914 performing a stunt for the film Sky High, which earned him a nickname ‘Sky High Irvin’. It was inevitable that after the First World War he joined the U.S. Army Air Service in their attempts to produce improved parachutes as the aviation industry rapidly grew.
His first claim to fame came in 1919 at McCook Field in Ohio, when Irvin became the first person to perform a free fall parachute jump from an aircraft using a parachute with a rip-cord system that he had invented. Shortly after, he set up The Irving Air Chute Company in Buffalo, New York, which was the first company to design and manufacture parachutes. The company had gained its ‘g’ in the spelling of its name due to a spelling mistake by a member of staff, an error not rectified until 1970!
As the aviation industry quickly developed in the 1920’s Irvin and his company was handily placed to address another growing issue for aviators, how to keep warm. Most aircraft in the twenties were open cockpit designs and as they became more powerful and could fly at higher altitudes, the effects of low sub-zero temperatures on the pilots became a pressing issue. Irvin recognised the need for warm and functional clothing for the pilots and designed a sheepskin jacket that could provide them with insulation and some degree of comfort. Even with the advent of glazed closed cockpits on new aircraft being developed for the Royal Air Force in the 1930s, like the Supermarine Spitfire or Hawker Hurricane, the lack of heating in these closed cockpits still necessitated pilots wear sheepskin jackets.
By 1926, Irvin came to England and established a manufacturing company based in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. Irvin’s jacket design was approved by the British Air Ministry in 1932 for pilots use. Its design used natural materials, heavyweight sheepskin on the inside for insulation, and leather for the exterior, for durability. The jacket was to be warm but flexible to aid movement of the pilot in a cockpit. The leather was typically a brown with the cream or beige wool lining. Other features included a large collar that could be turned up whilst flying to protect the neck and lower face, whilst a heavy duty brass zip reduced wind entering the jacket. There were buckles and belt straps at the cuffs and waist to further reduce frigid air getting into the jacket, and the cut was short waisted to allow for movement and for more comfort when seated in a cockpit.
One thing that did not feature heavily on the Irvin jacket were pockets. The jackets were issued as a two piece set with leather sheepskin trousers which included pockets and pilots also wore their uniforms under the jackets which would also have pockets, whilst additional ‘kit’ like life vests and parachutes further hindered the need for pockets in the jackets design. So, although replicas often include pockets for hand warming, you can spot an original Irvin jacket by looking for a pocket or two!
A rear gunner in a Wellington Bomber wearing an Irvin Jacket.
© IWM (D 4736)
As war approached the Irvin Jacket was becoming increasingly popular and to help with production, the ‘Irvin’ was sent to many manufacturers to meet the growing demand. The pre-war and early war jackets used large single piece sheepskin panels, which meant there were few seams, they were warmer and had a simple and cleaner aesthetic, however this was both expensive and wasteful. As the war progressed and more crew required the jackets, manufacturers began to use smaller panels sewn together, allowing them to use off cuts and smaller hides, but which resulted in more seams and a more patchwork look. However, the core warmth and mobility still remained in these later jackets.
In 1940, the Irvin jacket, just like the RAF ‘Few’ that Winston Churchill famously acclaimed as victors of the Battle of Britain, became iconic, worn by many pilots flying Hurricanes and Spitfires during the battle. At this stage of the war, the later patchwork jackets were not in production, and as a result these early style full sheepskin piece Irvin jackets worn by the ‘Few’ became known as the Battle of Britain pattern Irvin jackets.
An original Irvin flying jacket in the collection of Imperial War Museums
© IWM (UNI 11041)
By 1943, the high production costs and limited availability saw the Irvin flying jacket become limited to bomber crews only, but fighter pilots and other air crew still managed to acquire them through personal contacts or from any surplus available. Irvin’s company after the war would go on to produce many other safety inventions, not least the car seat belt, but it is his jacket design that has become such an iconic item, but why is this?
The distinctive design and function-first, survival aesthetic, play a big part in its legacy. But its association with heroes of the RAF and the Battle of Britain during the war further enhances its reputation. It was essential, without it the air crew would freeze at high altitudes which meant it became essential clothing. Finally, it has become a style icon, with an instantly recognisable shape, embodying that spirit of wartime Britain and often seen in films and popular culture.
Browse our range of retro flying jackets inspired by the Irvin flying jacket and connect with the original function of these clothing icons, where warmth and mobility co-exist to provide the ultimate historic item of warm clothing.
Imperial War Museums Sheepskin flying jacket inspired by the RAF Irvin Sheepskin jacket.
© IWM
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