Scarce Original Canadian 1932 Pattern Mae West Life Preserver

An original Royal Canadian Air Force ‘Mae West’ life preserver dating from the Second World War which is in very good condition.

This pattern of life vest saw widespread use with RCAF aircrew during the war and closely follows the RAF 1932  pattern, featuring the distinctive yellow cotton outer shell employed on the Canadian version. The 'horseshoe' is made from a rubberised cotton whilst the 'waistcoat' section is just cotton. Stencilled instructions can be found to the front  including the word ‘FRONT’ and other stencils with inflation guidance. The front of the jacket fastens with three black coloured rubber buttons and there are two cords which run centrifugally around the jacket which allow the jacket to be tied tightly onto the wearer's body. There is a zip to the rear of the neck which is a high quality 'D.O.T' branded example with nickel plated locking puller. This allows access to the interior and inside a set of kapok pads are fitted. The uppermost one has suffered from some water damage before being fitted and has been fitted just to give this example some added shape. 

The life jacket has had leg tapes added which is a common addition to the 1932 pattern when in service.

Inside the vest the original label is still present and bears the title of 'Large Size'. There are also RCAF and RAF stores numbers and the maker's name of 'Dominion Rubber Company Limited' is also present. There is a faint inspector's stamp from April 1941 which dates the vest to having been made prior to this. 

The life vest is in good condition for its age with some limited signs of service wear and some marks and stains etc. The rubberised horseshoe is in good condition and is soft and pliable and not shedding. Overall it is a very good example which would be hard to improve on. Please study the pictures and bear in mind this is a genuine period item which shows signs of age and use commensurate with its history.

A very good example of an iconic piece of RCAF flying equipment and a must-have for any aviation collection.

This is a vintage item which is ‘sold as seen’