A brief history on our RAF (British Royal Air Force) buckle & jackets!

Is it August already? That can only mean one thing…. we are working hard at Cockpit USA to beef-up our inventory for the Fall season ahead.

Before the temperature begins to drop to undesirable numbers, our creative team has put together a brief history of the Cockpit USA RAF Buckle and jacket to help ease you into the cozier season ahead.

Going as far back as Ancient Rome, through the Civil War and WWII, and today we still enjoy a great belt buckle like our RAF Buckle. Our stand out RAF-inspired belt buckle has a rich history. The Cockpit USA Belt Buckle uses the Queen’s Crown insignia of the British Royal Air Force. Starting in 1919, this insignia was used as a cap badge for soldiers. 

Our Cockpit USA designs are created as a tribute to those who wore them. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) was formed by the unification of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) on April 1st 1918 at the end of World War One.

At its height in WWI, the RAF had 300,000 officers and 22,000 aircraft on hand across the United Kingdom and its Commonwealth. By the time WWII started, the RAF was down to about 2,000 aircraft. Despite the minimal number, the Battle of Britain marked one of the RAF’s most defining moments. The nazis had planned to ravage the British ports through air power of their own, however, the British Royal Air Force won the battle with radar technology, air power expertise, phenomenal bravery and sheepskin jackets to keep them warm in the frigid air high in the sky.

Historically worn by English WWII fighter pilots, as well as British icon Tom Hardy today, our RAF Sheepskin Jacket is a faithful reproduction and is available in three different versions;The RAF, The Fighter Weight RAF and The Dunkirk. The Dunkirk shares the same design as the RAF, only this jacket is available with a full shearling hood for protection from the colder weather elements.

 

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