Item Description
Original Items: One-of-a-kind set. This stunning grouping belonged to a winner of the Silver Star, Air Medal and Soldier's Medal during WWII who flew a Lockheed P-38 Lightning over occupied Europe during World War Two as a member of the 429th Fighter Squadron, 474th Fighter Group, 9th Air Force.
1st Lieutenant Wayne E. Comment performed heroically while observing the return of planes from other Squadrons on 28 January 1945, and was subsequently awarded the Soldier's Medal. "The Soldier's Medal is awarded to any person of the Armed Forces of the United States or of a friendly foreign nation who, while serving in any capacity with the Army of the United States, distinguished himself or herself by heroism not involving actual conflict with an enemy." However, don't let that citation fool you, Lt. Comment also was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) and the Air Medal (3 times!). He flew over 50 missions during the war including one on D-Day.
Contained in this amazing grouping are the following:
- Excellent condition A-2 jacket features with some wonderful features including: Large hand painted 429th Fighter Squadron insignia patch to left chest. W.E.COMMENT leather embossed name patch with Pilot wings above squadron insignia. One the reverse are the remains of his P-38 Lightning, while there has been significant paint loss you can clearly see the plane and the propellers. Jacket is a large size 40 with original lining, and period replacement cuffs and waistband. Functional CONMAR zipper and a data label that reads:
TYPE A-2
Drawing NO. 30-1415
A.A.F. CONTRACT
NO. W535-AC-27753
PROPERTY
AIR FORCES, U.S. ARMY
- Excellent condition Ike jacket in a nice large size US 40S. Rare 9th AF patch on left shoulder, AAF patch on right shoulder. The medals, patches, ribbons, awards are as follows:
- Five overseas service bars (on left sleeve cuff) meaning 30+ months of combat service
- Sterling Pilot Wings
- Soldier's Medal Ribbon
- Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) Ribbon
- Air Medal Ribbon (3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
- American Campaign Medal
- European, African, Middle East Campaign Ribbon (2 Campaign Stars
- WWII Victory Medal
- German Occupation Medal
- Fourragère shoulder cord for raids conducted over occupied France and in support of French combat units.
- Excellent condition U.S. WWII USAAF Named Officer OD Green Crush Cap by Eddie Stephens Tailor, Miami Florida. Excellent quality and condition with name label still present under celluloid internal pocket. That reads:
Lieut. Wayne E. Comment
639 Anderson Avenue
Fort Wayne, Indiana
3258-R (Puebleo, Colo.)
- Research and photocopies of wartime photos of Comment are also included.
History of the 429th Fighter Squadron in WW2: Activated in August 1943 as a P-38 Lightning fighter squadron under IV Fighter Command in Southern California. Trained with the fighter over the Mojave Desert, moving to the European Theater of Operations (ETO), being assigned to Ninth Air Force in England during March 1944.
Engaged in combat operations beginning in April, making low level sweeps over Occupied France, attacking enemy transportation targets and military convoys, bridges, armor formations and airfields. During D-Day, the squadron flew patrols over the invasion fleet. Remained in England after D-Day until August, moving to France and primarily provided ground-air support to the United States First Army in Northern France. Moved to Occupied Germany at the end of the war, becoming part of the United States Air Forces in Europe army of occupation during the summer of 1945.
Personnel demobilized in Europe during 1945, returned to the United States in November as an administrative unit and was inactivated without personnel or equipment.
- This product is available for international shipping.
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