Spare parachute packs on American bombers?

[Jerry W. Loper]

Did multi-engine, multi-man crew American bombers like the B-17 and B-24, B-25 and B-26, etc., carry extra parachute packs in case something happened to the crew's chutes?

[Airframes]

I haven't seen any evidence of this, on U.S. or British operated types. Crew members on multi-engined types normally used a chest-mounted pack, although pilot's, depending on aircraft type, would use the B4 or B8 back-pack parachute, which they would wear at all times whilst airborne. Those with the chest rigs, i.e., gunners, navigators etc, would wear the harness, with the pack being stowed in a bin, or rack, until (hopefiully not) being needed.
Although it would, of course,be helpful to carry spare 'chutes, there would be limitations, as each chest-pack weighed around 14 pounds. As the packs were normally stowed as close as possible to the crew-member's positon, if one chute was damaged or destroyed, then it is likely that any spare 'chute would also suffer.
There is one well - known story of a Lancaster rear-gunner being forced to make the decision of whether to stay with his burning aircraft all the way to impact, as his 'chute had been burned in its stowage, or 'get it over with', and jump out. He chose the latter course, and, miraculously survived, his fall being slowed by crashing through conifer trees into deep snow.
Upon capture, he was close to being shot as a spy, as he didn't have a parachute and the Germans didn't believe his story. When the remains of the wrecked Lancaster were searched, the metal fittings of his parachute were discovered, his story was verified, and he survived the war.