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Did the Air Corps use G-1's?


Cpl. Punishment
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Cpl. Punishment

Hey guys, so I am potentially buying an Army Air Corps flight jacket from the vet's son. The jacket is fur lined but has elastic sleeve cuffs and waste like an A-2. The jacket looks like a G-1 but even the inside lining is wool/shearling like. It is painted with his bomber squadron and 35 bombs for his missions and an 8th AAF painted patch. My question is, did the army ever use G-1 jackets during the war? Or what type of jacket may this be? (I am also aware that the term G1 didnt come out until around 1947 so i am talking about the pre-G1 USN jackets.)

 

Sorry, no pictures at the moment!

 

Thanks!

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Cpl. Punishment

Honestly i handled the jacket once and i was crunched for time. I didnt even think to look at the interior other than that it was shearling all throughout. It definitely looked period and the son said its just been hanging in the radters since the death of the veteran. It reminds me of a G-1 but the elastic trim is similar to the A-2. Would they modify these? The man was a captain. It all checks out but i just cant figure out what kind of jacket it is. I havent seen one like it.

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Cpl. Punishment

Thanks again guys. Ill do some more digging, but i have yet to find a jacket like this one. The lining was unlike any other jacket ive seen. I dont usually spontaniously jump into areas i am not proficient in but this is a hard one to pass. Again, it all looked period and if it is post war then it is very early post war.

 

What should i look out for to let me know if it is a period private purchase jacket vs. a post war jacket? Any tips at this point would help!

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Cpl. Punishment

Also, I found this interesting. I haven't seen a jacket like mine anywhere but i went to the 351st bomber group (he was in the 509th squadron) website and went through period photos of the 509th and there is an alarming amount of men in the pictures wearing fur lined jackets like what i described. Some have their B-3 jackets and some A-2's but there are actually quite a few i am seeing with fur lined jackets like described. I find this to be odd that i can't find any of these online and then i look at their original photos and that's what theyre wearing.

 

One man who was a gunner in the 509th is wearing his painted fur lined jacket (exactly like the one that has been such a mystery to me) and wouldve been exactly like the one i am potentially buying. The man just painted the 351st bomb group emblem rather than the 509th squadron emblem. The 351st have their own website and may be worth taking a look!

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Not sure this will help but this shows the typical style of the issue jackets avaiable that were shearling lined.The site sells reproductions but they are of the type used in the war and the patterns can be seen.The pocket variations.They also show a commercial jacket made by Schott thats cut in the navy style with knit cuffs etc.

 

You can see the B3,B6,ANJ4,D1 etc,

 

 

 

http://www.original-flightjackets.com/Fliegerjacken/Alle-Fliegerjacken:::5_119.html?language=en

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Also, I found this interesting. I haven't seen a jacket like mine anywhere but i went to the 351st bomber group (he was in the 509th squadron) website and went through period photos of the 509th and there is an alarming amount of men in the pictures wearing fur lined jackets like what i described. Some have their B-3 jackets and some A-2's but there are actually quite a few i am seeing with fur lined jackets like described. I find this to be odd that i can't find any of these online and then i look at their original photos and that's what theyre wearing.

 

One man who was a gunner in the 509th is wearing his painted fur lined jacket (exactly like the one that has been such a mystery to me) and wouldve been exactly like the one i am potentially buying. The man just painted the 351st bomb group emblem rather than the 509th squadron emblem. The 351st have their own website and may be worth taking a look!

I think you're seeing B-10 and B-15 jackets which were cloth and not leather in construction. OD in color. Just don't want you to make an expensive mistake

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Agreed...there could also be F1 and F2 cloth jackets that were early electric heated used by the Air Corps.They were a cloth jacket and I have an F2 with a wool collar.

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Cpl. Punishment

Both of these are from his bomber squadron (509th). Especially in the first photo, there looks to be a couple guys with fur lined leather type jackets with the elastic cuffs and waists. The second photo, the man on the far right also looks to have one on. These are just two of some of the pictures i have found with these jackets that stood out. (And no im not talking about the B-3 jackets in the photos).post-164911-0-53847300-1485746516.jpgpost-164911-0-63496500-1485746549.jpg

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Cpl. Punishment

Also, stay tuned as i will be posting pictures tomorrow of the jacket around 130 or 2. Thanks guys for all of the help!

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The first photo is the crew wearing B10 cloth jackets.

 

They had a fur collar and a alpaca type lining with a green cloth outer shell.

 

The commecially made Scott leather jackets mimick the design of the B10s

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Here is a forum topic showing a B10

 

There were no leather goverment models of the B10 produced war time to my knowledge

 

You will encounter various color collars on them fromgolden brown to darkbrown and I have seen a couple where the collars were replaced as well

 

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/187313-20th-af-b29-pilot-grouping/

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Cpl. Punishment

Thank you! I guess at this point Im hoping it is private purchase. How may i tell if it is a private purchase jacket? Truth be told, i still haven't found a jacket like it yet. The inside was shearling but it looks like it was lined with a green fabric of some sort closer on the inside along the zipper area (like B-10 material). It is definitely unique! I'll be posting pictures tomorrow!

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from the 303rd BG web site..showing the traditional brown collar and the rare white collar B10...both made by the same company...maybe different contracts? but given the short run of B-10s maybe not...

 

 

post-155518-0-34295400-1485781944.jpg

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Cpl. Punishment

Hey guys, i got pictures! Im just having a difficult time trying to upload them (im using an iphone 6). Any tips? Thanks!

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Cpl. Punishment

Here are some photos of the jacket! The son said he never saw his dad wear this post war and that it was always just hanging in the rafters of the basement. He told me his dad only went to one reunion and he was not very impressed. Let me know what you guys think

post-164911-0-92463500-1485806264.jpg

post-164911-0-46951900-1485806281.jpg

post-164911-0-87247800-1485806295.jpg

post-164911-0-40613400-1485806307.jpg

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Looks like a B-15 liner and collar inserted into an A-2...the A-2 might or might not be issue...

 

the liner is present in the A-2 still...look for the spec tag, look in the left pocket flap for a small white size tag, look for the small AAF decal on the windflap, any AN stamps on the A-2 liner...and under the collar backside for the box stitching on the hanger loop..pics of these areas will help ID the jacket...from what I am seeing it looks good....and IMO ...it looks like something a GI would do to make his jacket warmer...

 

the artwork looks period/original.. I like it...the A-2 looks good to me too...but the pockets give me some concern...

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