Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of a 1943 dated Eisenhower “Ike” Jacket. This uniform jacket was once worn by a member of the First Allied Airborne (Army) that also ran convoy missions with the famed Red Ball Express as identified by the lower right sleeve patch. This is a wonderfully attractive Ike jacket, with all the “bells and whistles” making it a perfect display item.

First Allied Airborne: The First Allied Airborne Army was an Allied formation formed on 2 August 1944 by the order of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force.

The formation was part of the Allied Expeditionary Force and controlled all Allied airborne forces in Western Europe from August 1944 to May 1945. These included the U.S. IX Troop Carrier Command, the U.S. XVIII Airborne Corps, which controlled the 17th, 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and a number of independent airborne units, all British airborne forces including the 1st and 6th Airborne Division plus the Polish 1st Parachute Brigade.

Red Ball Express: The Red Ball Express was a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in 1944. To expedite cargo shipment to the front, trucks emblazoned with red balls followed a similarly marked route that was closed to civilian traffic. The trucks also had priority on regular roads.

Conceived in an urgent 36-hour meeting, the convoy system began operating on August 25, 1944. Staffed primarily with African-American soldiers, the Express at its peak operated 5,958 vehicles that carried about 12,500 tons of supplies a day. It ran for 83 days until November 16, when the port facilities at Antwerp, Belgium, were opened, enough French rail lines were repaired, and portable gasoline pipelines were deployed.

Ike Jacket:
Left Arm Sleeve Insignia: The shoulder has a beautifully crafted bullion insignia for the First Allied Airborne Army. The patch is a light blue shield at the top of which is a black band with the words 'Allied Airborne' in yellow; below, a white figure '1' with yellow wings above a pair of crossed gladiator swords, point down, on a purple-red background.

Right below shoulder insignia is a Staff Sergeant chevron (3 stripes up, 1 rocker). Below this further down on the cuff are (4) horizontal gold bars signifying a total of 2 years served overseas (each stripe equals 6 months).

Right Arm Sleeve Insignia: The shoulder features a beautiful embroidered ADSEC patch. ADSEC was the Advance Section of the Communications Zone (Com-Z), European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA), and was formally activated at Bristol, England in February 1944. It is commonly referred to as simply "ADSEC". Upon its creation, ADSEC was attached to the U.S. First Army, but from the outset was one section (of ten) of the Communications Zone (Com-Z, ETO) logistics organization, and was the first Army logistical agency on the continent. The section moved forward with the Armies and provided close support. ADSEC came into actual operation on 6 June 1944 with the invasion of Normandy, D-Day, and was operating on both U.S. beaches as soon as they were secure.

Patch description: The meaning of the patch is the lightning bolt represents the Allies breaking the chains of NSDAP oppression. The patch is similar to the ETOUSA patch with the addition of the blue 5 pointed star in the white six lobed field. This blue star in white field is the emblem of the Services of Supply organization. The ADvance SECtion of the Com-Z, 1/10th of the organization, advanced closely behind the US Armies. There is an arched ADSEC tab that soldiers in ADSEC could wear above this patch but is not present on this one.

Below the shoulder patch is another Staff Sergeant chevron. On the lower left sleeve above the cuff is a T.C. “Red Ball” MTS rating patch. The name “Red Ball Express” was not a new term in the transportation world, as it originated from railroad slang for “express freight.”23 In France in 1944, the Army appropriated a red ball classification symbol that was placed on cargo, vehicles, road signs, and uniform patches. The "T C" stands for Transportation Corps. and "M T S" is for Motor Transportation Service.

Left Breast Front Side: The insignia consists of a Combat Infantryman Badge, Ribbons for Good Conduct-WWII Victory-EAME (with 3 stars) with a tarnished set of Jump Wings below this.

Right Breast Front Side: All that is present on this side is the “Ruptured Duck” Honorable Discharge patch. The honorable discharge insignia, also called a “ruptured duck,” is a small patch that was issued to honorably discharged veterans. The patch was sewn onto a veteran's service coat upon leaving military service. This type of patch was used during WWII.

Tags, Size Label, Markings: The size label is still present and reads as being a 36R. The interior left pocket still retains its 1943 dated tag. Markings that are visible is just a single laundry number written on the back lining below the size label; H9029. We did a quick search for this laundry number at wwiienlistment.com and came up with at least 80 different results. With patience, one should be able to identify who this belonged to by process of elimination on the names that share the laundry number.

This is a wonderful opportunity to add this iconic uniform jacket to your collection. Comes more than ready for further research and display.