Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This incredible A-2 Jacket is featured in the fabulous book Silver Wings & Leather Jackets by Jon A. Maguire on page 198. It was purchased directly from the collector that loaned it to the author for publication.

This wonderful A2 leather flight jacket issued to John H. Campbell, a lead navigator in the 98th Bombardment Group. This jacket comes complete with an extremely rare Italian-Incised "Force for Freedom" 98th Bomb group patch sewn underneath the name label reading J. H. CAMPBELL.

The CROWN marked zipper slider has a small bell marked CAPRI 1944 SAN MICHELE BELL, indicating that Campbell most likely spent time on the island of Capri.

Overall condition of the jacket is very good. Jacket measures 23 inches across the chest just below the arms. Measures 20 inches across just above the waistband. The leather is still supple, and while a bit dry, does not have any major cracking or damage. There is some minor wear in places from use. The liner is original as are the cuffs, which definitely show some damage due to wear or moth, as they are definitely wool.

Also included with purchase is a copy of Silver Wings & Leather Jackets by Jon A. Maguire which features this jacket and a photo of Campbell with his crew in Italy.

History of the 98th Bomb Group

The 98th trained for bombardment missions with B-24 Liberators during the first half of 1942.

The group was alerted and departed for the Middle East on 15 July 1942, arriving in Palestine in late July 1942. The 98th was initially assigned to the USMEAF (United States Middle East Air Force). However, the USMEAF was dissolved on 12 November 1942. At that time, the 98th came under the 9th Air Force. It flew its first mission to Mersa Matruh, Libya on 1 August 1942, with the aircraft being serviced by Royal Air Force personnel until 98th maintenance personnel arrived in mid-August 1942.

It supported the British Eighth Army in its westward advance from Egypt into Libya and Tunisia. It bombed shipping and harbor installations in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Crete, and Greece to cut enemy supply lines to Africa and to prepare for the Allied invasion of Italy. The 98th earned a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for action against the enemy in the Middle East, North Africa, and Sicily from August 1942 to August 1943. It received a second DUC for participation in a low-level bombing raid on enemy-held oil refineries at Ploesti, Romania, on 1 August 1943. On this raid, of 47 B-24s launched, only 21 returned safely. One, the Kickapoo, crashed on takeoff with the loss of all crewmembers except two. Six aborted before reaching the target. Seventeen went down in enemy territory. Two went down at sea. The Group Commander, Col. John R. (Killer) Kane was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership.

The 98th was under the command of the Twelfth Air Force in September and October 1943. From 1 November 1943 it was under the Fifteenth Air Force and moved to Italy. It flew many long-range missions to France, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania to bomb enemy heavy industries, airdromes, harbors, oil fields, and communication centers. On another raid on Ploesti on 9 July 1944, Lt. Donald Pucket sacrificed his life trying to save three of his crewmembers who could not or would not bail out of their doomed B-24. Donald Pucket was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his sacrifice.

In the summer of 1944, the 98th participated in the invasion of southern France, assisted in the Soviet advance into the Balkans, and supported the partisans and guerrillas in Yugoslavia and neighboring countries. It flew a total of 417 missions and earned a total of 15 battle streamers as well as two Presidential Unit Citations.

The group returned to the United States as the war was ending in Europe, where it trained in preparation for movement to the Pacific Theater. It was re-designated the 98th Bombardment Group (Very Heavy) and equipped with Boeing B-29 Superfortresses, but the war with Japan ended before redeployment.

The 98th was inactivated as a group on 10 November 1945. However, the 343rd, 344th, and 345th Squadrons were reassigned to B-29 groups. The 343d Squadron was assigned to the 40th Bomb Group at March Air Force Base, California. and inactivated on 27 November 1946. The 344th was assigned to the 444th Bomb Group at Davis-Monthan Field, Arizona and inactivated on 1 October 1946. The 345th was assigned to the 462nd Bomb Group at McDill Field, Florida and inactivated on 31 March 1946.