Original U.S. WWII Colonel Thomas Joseph Kane “Father of U.S. Army EOD” Pinks Ike Jacket with Gorgeous Insignia & Ribbon Bar
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. Colonel Thomas Joseph Kane began active duty in 1941 as a major, serving throughout the world during World War II. Colonel Kane was known throughout the Ordnance Corps as the organizer of the Army's bomb disposal program in World War II. He contributed significantly to its activation, organization, and implementation. Under the direction of Colonel Kane, a bomb disposal school was established at the Ordnance Training Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, in 1941. In 1944 Colonel Kane went to England, where he formulated bomb disposal procedures, techniques, and special tools. He devised a suitable plan for the organization and administration of bomb disposal units in the field. The work performed by bomb disposal personnel proved to be immensely valuable to the war effort. Colonel Kane is very often referred to as the Father of EOD and is bio can be found at the U.S. Army Ordnance School Hall of Fame at this link.
This gorgeous British-made jacket bears a CBI (China, Burma, India) patch on the left sleeve and a Persian Gulf Command patch on the right sleeve. On the left cuff is a gorgeous British Royal Engineers Bomb Disposal bullion patch over four overseas stripes, and on the right cuff is a U.S. EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) Patch, meaning this officer saw service in both country’s disposal units. The collar bears U.S. and Air Corps officer’s insignia, and each shoulder has a sterling Lieutenant Colonel oak leaf rank. Above the left breast pocket is a gorgeous hand-stitched 8-place ribbon bar, with the Legion of Merit, two unidentified medals, the WWII Victory MEdal, the American Defense Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European Middle Eastern African Campaign Medal with 5 stars, and the Pacific Campaign medal with 2 stars.
The interior of the jacket bears a gorgeous maker’s tag reading:
BY APPOINTMENT
OF THE LATE KING GEORGE V
SIMPSON & SON
(LIVERY OUTFITTERS) LTD.
63 SOUTH AUDLEY ST.
LONDON. W.1.
And in the interior pocket is a name tag reading 1968 / COL. P.J. KANE, which is how we identified it to Kane.
Colonel Kane was the Chief Ordnance Officer of the Far Eastern Air Forces in Tokyo during 1948-49 and was Commanding Officer of Frankford Arsenal, Pennsylvania, from 1953 to 1954. During the following year, he was Commanding Officer of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Colonel Kane retired on May 31, 1955 and died on November 12, 1965.
This is a fantastic identified uniform to the Father of EOD, ready for further research and display!
Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 11"
Shoulder to sleeve: 27”
Shoulder to shoulder: 17"
Chest width: 21.5”
Waist: 18"
Hip: 18"
Front length: 23"
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