Item:
ONSV23DCW156

Original U.S. WWII Named 8th Air Force 332nd Bomb Squadron Painted A-2 Flight Jacket 1st S. W. Jenson - Featured in Book American Flight Jackets, Airmen & Aircraft

Item Description

Original Item: One-of-a-kind. This is an exceptional A2 leather flight jacket was featured on page 116 of the fantastic book American Flight Jackets, Airmen & Aircraft by Jon A. Maguire & John P. Conway. A copy of the book is included with purchase of this jacket.

This fabulous painted and named A-2 flying jacket was issued to an officer in a crew from a B-17 Flying Fortress. The aircraft markings (206573) on the rear of the jacket indicate a B-17 of the 332nd Bombardment Squadron, 94th Bomb Group of the Eighth Air Force.

The best aspects of this incredible jacket are as follows:.

- The reverse side of the jacket features a lovely, but faded, hand painted image of of a B-17 Flying Fortress with the tail number 206573 still visible.

- Leather name tag stamped with LT. S.W. JENSON. We unfortunately have not been able to locate any service information, making for a wonderful research opportunity.

- Silk Screen canvas 332nd Bomb Squadron patch. A light red disc, the head of a buffalo in silhouette black and white in sinister chief, blowing a white aerial bomb, outlined and banded black, from the nostrils toward dexter base, in a large white vapor cloud outlined of the first. (Approved 23 Dec 1943.)

- Left side features the name “Skip” painted in white, but we are unsure if this was his name (starts with an S) or the name of his B-17.

- The two shoulder straps feature separate smaller leather tabs sewn on with Lt bars.

- Shoulder patch is an incredible 8th Army Air Forces patch, painted in fantastic colors of orange, white and black.

- The TALON zipper on this example is fully functional and one of the most interesting features. Attached to the zipper’s tab is a 6 sided die with a hole drilled and attached by a piece of leather.

- Knit Cuffs and Wait Band are original and show expected wear and pulls.

This leather A-2 flight jacket is in very good condition in an approximate size US 40. The inside lining is retained quite nicely, but data label is missing. Lining does show the expected service wear with some tearing, but nothing that subtracts from the beauty or structure of the jacket.

This is truly a wonderful example that has stood the test of time with all original components! Comes ready for research and display!

Approximate Measurements:-
Collar to shoulder: 10"
Shoulder to sleeve: 24.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 16”
Chest width: 19.5”
Waist width: 18.5"
Hip width: 17”
Front length: 27"

94th Bomb Group

Activated 15 June 1942 at MacDill Field, Florida. Initial organization and training at Pendleton Field, Oregon on 29 June 1942. Primary flight training at Davis-Monthan Field in Arizona from 28 Aug. 42 to 31 Oct. 42; then at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas from 1 Nov. 42 until 2 Jan. 1943. Final advanced training at Pueblo, Colorado, 3 Jan. 3 to 30 March 43.

The air echelon began movement to Bassingbourn, UK on 1 April 1943 and the ground echelon left for Camp Kilmer, New Jersey on 17 April 43, then sailed on the Queen Elizabeth 5 May 1943. They arrived at Greenock on 11 May 1943. Encompasses 331st, 332nd, 333rd and 410th Bomb Squadrons. The 94th Bomb Group flew 324 missions in 8,884 sorties from 13 May 1943 to 21 April 1945 and dropped 18,924 tons of bomb while losing 153 aircraft MIA.

After VE Day the Group took part in 'Nickel' Project missions, dropping leaflets over former occupied territories and to displaced people in Germany. In November 1945 Forty Five aircraft returned to the US or transferred to other units, and the squadrons were inactivated. Remaining personnel left Bury St. Edmunds on 11 December 1945.

The group inactivated Camp Kilmer on 21 December 1945. Allotted to the US Air Force Reserve and established first as a light bomber group in 1949, and later as a carrier organization flying C-119.

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