Item:
ONJR23RNJ082

Original U.S. WWII US Army 8th Air Force Aircrewman Ike Jacket Set With Shirt and Overseas Cap

Item Description

Original Items: Only One Set Available. This is a wonderful example of a WWII US Army Air Forces “Ike” jacket, which includes a lovely matched flannel shirt and overseas cap. The jacket features fantastic insignia, awards and devices, a perfect set for the WWII Air Force collector!

The Eisenhower jacket or "Ike" jacket, officially known as the Jacket, Field, Wool, Olive Drab, is a type of waist-length jacket developed for the U.S. Army during the later stages of World War II and named after Dwight D. Eisenhower. Intended to be worn on its own or as an insulating layer beneath the M-1943 Field Jacket and over the standard wool flannel shirt and wool sweater, it featured a pleated back, adjustable waist band, fly-front buttons, bellows chest pockets, slash side pockets, and shoulder straps.

The jacket features a beautiful embroidered 8th Air Force shoulder sleeve insignia above a Sergeant First Class chevron which is also present on the right sleeve. The lower left sleeve has 5 overseas stripes indicating 2.5 years of overseas service. Below the overseas stripe is a single “hash” mark or service stripe. The lower left sleeve bears a “specialty” or “rating” insignia which is a blue triangle with a gold colored bomb. This patch is to signify that this SFC was an Armament Specialist Patch. The color features a single US collar disc with the left disc unfortunately missing. The left breast has a beautiful set of Crewman Wings just above an array of Wolf Brown ribbons for the EAME (5 Stars), American Defense and Army Good Conduct. The wool/flannel shirt is matched to the uniform with the same 8th AF insignia and chevrons as well as what appears to be a service number written on the backside interior, which is faded and difficult to read.

A lovely uniform set that comes more than ready for further research and display.

During World War II, Eighth Air Force earned a reputation as a great warfighting organization. Originally, the U.S. Army Air Forces activated the Eighth at Savannah, Georgia, on 28 January 1942 with three major subordinate units: the VIII Bomber Command (BC), the VIII Fighter Command (FC), and the VIII Ground Air Services Command (GASC).

The modern day Eighth Air Force traces its lineage to the VIII BC, which came to life on 1 February 1942 at Langley Field, Virginia. About 23 February, the VIII BC moved to England, first to Daws Hill and later to High Wycombe, where it established its wartime headquarters in the Wycombe Abbey school for girls. On 22 February 1944, the Army reorganized its Air Forces in Europe by renaming Eighth Air Force as the United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (now known as the United States Air Forces in Europe). That same day, the VIII BC became Eighth Air Force.

During World War II, under the leadership of such generals as Ira Eaker and Jimmy Doolittle, the VIII BC (then Eighth Air Force) formed the greatest air armada in history. By mid-1944, the unit had a total strength of more than 200,000 people, and it could send more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and 1,000 fighters on a single mission against enemy targets in Europe. For this reason, Eighth Air Force is commonly known as the "Mighty Eighth."

From May 1942 to July 1945, the Eighth planned and precisely executed America's daylight strategic bombing campaign against NSDAP-occupied Europe, and in doing so the organization compiled an impressive war record. That record, however, carried a high price. For instance, the Eighth suffered about half of the U.S. Army Air Force's casualties (47,483 out of 115,332), including more than 26,000 dead. The Eighth's brave men earned 17 Medals of Honor, 220 Distinguished Service Crosses, and 442,000 Air Medals. The Eighth's combat record also shows 566 aces (261 fighter pilots with 31 having 15 or more victories and 305 enlisted gunners), over 440,000 bomber sorties to drop 697,000 tons of bombs, and over 5,100 aircraft losses and 11,200 aerial victories.

After the war in Europe, the Mighty Eighth moved to Okinawa in July 1945, where the unit started to train new bomber groups for combat against Japan. The Japanese, however, surrendered before the Eighth's first combat sortie in the Pacific. In June 1946, the headquarters relocated to MacDill Field, Fla., to join the new Strategic Air Command (SAC). That base assignment lasted until November 1950, when SAC transferred the Eighth to Carswell AFB (formerly Fort Worth Army Air Field), Texas.

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