Original Item: Only One Available. This is a lovely example of the U.S. Army Air Forces Type B-10 Intermediate Flight Jacket. The jacket shows signs of moderate use and wear, with the USAAF logo still visible, but faded on the left shoulder. All buttons are present and functioning as well as the zipper, which still retains the leather “tassel”.

The sheeps wool collar and the alpaca fur liner is in lovely condition and is still soft to the touch. The jacket still retains the original manufacturer/data label and states the jacket is a size 36.

The Data Tag Reads As Follows:

TYPE B-10
SPECIFICATION NO. 8300-470700
CONTRACT NO. 130-0531A.C.97
CANN CLOTHING CO.
PROPERTY
AIR FORCES U.S. ARMY

The most notable feature on the jacket is the lovely personalization with Japanese writing painting on the back. Painted vertically is:

立
川
日
本

立川日本 (Tachikawa Japan) is the name of an Airfield in the city of Tachikawa, the western part of Tokyo, Japan.

During the late 1930s and throughout World War II, Tachikawa Aircraft employed growing numbers of workers; it produced more than 6,000 aircraft. It produced fighters, troop carriers, and bombers. Prototypes were designed and developed at the manufacturing plant. The Imperial Japanese Army built technical schools at Tachikawa, one of which was the Tokorozawa Army Aviation Maintenance School, established in 1935. The school was moved to Tachikawa in April 1939 when the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Fifth Air Wing moved to the airfield. Cross-trainees, college graduates and Air Academy graduated went to this school to become aviation technical maintenance officers. It also co-existed with the Fourth Aviation Training Unit which provided basic training for Japanese Army Air Force flyers.

Near the end of World War II, Tachikawa was subjected to intense bombing by United States Army Air Forces XXI Bomber Command 29th Bombardment Group B-29 Superfortresses during April and June 1945. The Shintentai, an anti-aircraft kamikaze group, defended the airfield and its manufacturing facilities, however most of the airfield was rendered unserviceable by the bombing raids, along with most of the structures and support facilities of the airfield by the time the first United States Army forces moved in on 5 September 1945.

After the war, the United States occupied the base, with the airfield being a shambles. Given its proximity to Tokyo, Tachikawa Airfield was designated as a transport base, with a mission to provide transportation for priority passengers and cargo in and around the Tokyo Area; to support the Occupation Government in Japan, and provide strategic transport to the United States.

Air Transport Command (ATC) was given the assignment to get the airfield cleaned up and operational. ATC established the 1503d Army Air Force Base Unit (AAFBU) to manage the cargo and personnel operations at the airfield, and by 1 January 1946 the base was ready enough to permit C-47 Skytrain and C-46 Commando aircraft to operate from the base. Larger C-54 Skymasters began using the base by April 1946, and a day/night lighting system was installed and in operation by November 1946.

We do not know if the original owner of the jacket was apart of the bombing raids, the occupying force or both. There are no names attributed to the jacket unfortunately, but still lovely nonetheless!

This beautiful B-10 Flight Jacket comes ready to research and display!