Some more details.
These seat backs came with my late Mk1 Carrier from Jim Ritichie.
There is one with the opening, and one without.
The one with no cut out is an obvious post war recovering (and a poor one at that)
The driver's back looks to be an original, but also "bubafied" at some point.
Drivers Seat:
the wood appears to be original and allowing for some foxing, the measurent is 14 1/2" wide by 25 1/2" high by 1/4" thick. The edges are rounded, so I put a straight edge on the lengths and measured from there. the 1/2' made me suspicious, so I was careful to recheck that.
The opening is not on the center line of the back...
From the left (looking down at the front of the piece) 5 1/2, then a 3 1/2 opening, then 6 1/4 to the rght edge of the wood.
From the bottom, go up 7 1/4 to start the lower edge of the hole, then go up 2 3/4 and that is the top edge.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...type=1&theater
This might take you to my image on FB that shows the measurements.
This image shows you the back of the hole with the tabs and their 1/2 tall lift the dots.
It is the aged look of all this that leads me to believe that the cushion is wartime original.
Note that the sides are not as nicely sew or constructed as I recall the seat from my first carrier some 20 years ago ( gawd!!) That trapped the cushion in an area that left the sides totally flat the width of the lift--the-dot snaps.
(Will add some more pics soon)
All of the original studs have been removed except for the four for the hole, and the cushion attached with tacks.
The cushion fabric IS NOT A MATCH to the NOS radio operator's seat back!!!
I got that from Brian Ashbury some 20 years ago and kept it as a reference. It looks like fabric that was painted on one side. See the pics. I will make up a paper pattern for anyone who is feeling frisky!
The driver's back cushion appears to be original wartime issue albeit a pretty shoddy version to others I have seen. Better quality ones had the corners folded and stitched to make a proper corner, not just crushed down. The gunners seat back in brown at least appears to try to capture the square corner look, but I think that is a result of gluing the brown Naugahyde over a cut piece of foam.
The original is real horsehair covered in canvas. The four tabs are stitched to the front fabric by an 8 year old who has never seen a sewing machine before. Still, the threads match the rest and it all looks 70 years old.
The fabric on the driver's side it totally post war Jo-Ann Fabric store crap.
I can trace out the metal bar at the top for a fabricator, but I think Brian may still have them NOS.
A number of people have restored their seats using what is called 'School bus Seat Green". That is what Bruce Parker used I believe? (Chime in Bruce!!!) But the textured vynal on this original has the same texture as the Bus Seat, but is distinctly a military Olive green. I currently do not have a source for this fabric. Maybe some list members can help source this?
I have the carrier seat frames, but no good seat canvas. I have somewhere a pattern from 20 years ago for some CMP seat bottoms, But I don't recall if they were C-15 seat bottoms, or actual carrier seat bottoms. Can someone post measurements for making up the bottoms?