Item Description
Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an incredible A-2 flight jacket named to Captain Clifford L. Monical who was a pilot assigned to the 1st Combat Cargo Group, 1st Combat Cargo Squadron. The 1st Combat Cargo Squadron, nicknamed the Great Snafu Fleet, was activated on 15 April 1944 and assigned to the 1st Combat Cargo Group. The squadron flew C-47 Skytrain aircraft throughout the China-Burma-India (CBI) Theater in WWII. Captain Monical's grave stone can be found at this link.
Overall condition of the jacket is very good and it is in a large size 38. The leather is still supple. The lining is original. The knit cuffs and the waist band appear to be period replacements. The zipper is marked on the slider and pull with TALON, a known maker of quality zippers.
The original tag is still intact:
TYPE A-2
DRAWING NO: 30-415
PROPERTY
AIR FORCE U.S. ARMY
J.A. DUBOW MFG. CO.
CHICAGO. ILL.
38
The best aspects of this incredible jacket are as follows:
- Stitched to left chest is an embossed leather name tag that reads Clifford L. Monical with his name in Chinese underneath.
- Stitched to left chest 1st Combat Cargo Squadron leather patch insignia which depicts a rabbit astride a C-47. The patch is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Stitched to right chest 1st Combat Cargo Group leather patch insignia which depicts a rabbit face with 1 CO. The patch is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Stitched to right shoulder is a leather circular classic WWII hand-painted China Air Task Force (early 14th Air Force) patch. it is multi-piece construction and very detailed in full color. This patch is very similar to the one that Chennault wore. The 14th AF was established in March 1943 in Kunming, China as a USAAF combat air force deployed to the Pacific Theater of WWII and was engaged in operations primarily in China.
- Stitched to left shoulder is a CBI patch which is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Inside the left lower lining is an American Flag SILK Blood Chit in multiple CBI related languages. This blood chit served as a notice to any civilians who may come across an armed-services member – such as a shot-down pilot – in difficulties. As well as identifying the force to which the bearer belongs as friendly, the notice displays a message requesting that the service member be rendered every assistance.
- Inside the right lower lining is a Chinese National Flag SILK Blood Chit in multiple CBI related languages. This blood chit served as a notice to any civilians who may come across an armed-services member – such as a shot-down pilot – in difficulties. As well as identifying the force to which the bearer belongs as friendly, the notice displays a message requesting that the service member be rendered every assistance.
- Captains bars are painted on each epaulette.
This is a fantastic A-2 flight jacket from a pilot that flew multiple missions "over the hump"!
Overall condition of the jacket is very good and it is in a large size 38. The leather is still supple. The lining is original. The knit cuffs and the waist band appear to be period replacements. The zipper is marked on the slider and pull with TALON, a known maker of quality zippers.
The original tag is still intact:
TYPE A-2
DRAWING NO: 30-415
PROPERTY
AIR FORCE U.S. ARMY
J.A. DUBOW MFG. CO.
CHICAGO. ILL.
38
The best aspects of this incredible jacket are as follows:
- Stitched to left chest is an embossed leather name tag that reads Clifford L. Monical with his name in Chinese underneath.
- Stitched to left chest 1st Combat Cargo Squadron leather patch insignia which depicts a rabbit astride a C-47. The patch is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Stitched to right chest 1st Combat Cargo Group leather patch insignia which depicts a rabbit face with 1 CO. The patch is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Stitched to right shoulder is a leather circular classic WWII hand-painted China Air Task Force (early 14th Air Force) patch. it is multi-piece construction and very detailed in full color. This patch is very similar to the one that Chennault wore. The 14th AF was established in March 1943 in Kunming, China as a USAAF combat air force deployed to the Pacific Theater of WWII and was engaged in operations primarily in China.
- Stitched to left shoulder is a CBI patch which is handmade of multiple leather pieces of several colors and stitched together and in very good condition.
- Inside the left lower lining is an American Flag SILK Blood Chit in multiple CBI related languages. This blood chit served as a notice to any civilians who may come across an armed-services member – such as a shot-down pilot – in difficulties. As well as identifying the force to which the bearer belongs as friendly, the notice displays a message requesting that the service member be rendered every assistance.
- Inside the right lower lining is a Chinese National Flag SILK Blood Chit in multiple CBI related languages. This blood chit served as a notice to any civilians who may come across an armed-services member – such as a shot-down pilot – in difficulties. As well as identifying the force to which the bearer belongs as friendly, the notice displays a message requesting that the service member be rendered every assistance.
- Captains bars are painted on each epaulette.
This is a fantastic A-2 flight jacket from a pilot that flew multiple missions "over the hump"!
- This product is available for international shipping.
- Eligible for all payments - Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX, Paypal & Sezzle
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