soc.history.war.world-war-ii

hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:

-snip-

> Today we have bullet resistant body armour and helmets which didn't
> exist back then. (Did any kind of "bullet proof vest" exist back in
> the war years and if so, was it ever utilized? if they existed they
> were probably very heavy.)

Well, various types of so-called flak jackets were rather common among
USAAF (and, to a lesser extent, RAF) bomber crews.

They weren't, of course, "bullet proof" but they were of some
considerable value in protecting against fragments thrown out by nearby
flak bursts.

During the First World War, body armor for ground troops was developed
and used by both sides. While its weight precluded its use in most
mobile combat situations, it found some use for sentries and stationary
defense personnel like machine gunners.

Cheers,