Code: GA28078
During the Great War the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service introduced electrically heated clothing in an attempt to combat the effects of cold weather at altitude in exposed open cockpits, particularly when on night operations. The current for these garments was created from a small propellor mounted on the airframe powering a small dynamo. Waistcoats, boot and glove inserts proved effective but reports suggest that many aircrew switched them off after about after 10 minutes due to excessive heat. Another problem was breakage of the heating element wires due to constant flexing, causing the current to short out, sometimes burning the wearer. Both the Dowsing Radiant Heat Co. Ltd. and Radio Co. Ltd. manufactured heated clothing for the services. This single size 9 'left' hand glove insert is made from knitted silk and has fine heating element wires down each finger, attached via a silk webbing strap to a 2-pin plug that would have connected with a socket sewn to the airman's heated waistcoat. The plug manufactured by 'Walenco' is cracked. The glove itself is a little stained but undamaged and in very good overall condition. It has War Department broad arrow 'A' (RFC) and A.I.D. stamps. The final image of a display board at the RAF museum at Hendon shows a similar glove and associated equiment. Now over 100 years old this is an extremely rare example of WW1 heated clothing. Stock code GA28078.
