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My Normandy find - Troop Carrier Glider Pilot M41 jacket


jonesy1275
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Some of you may have seen this on the USMF Facebook page but I thought I'd post it here too.

Whilst out in Normandy last week for the D-Day commemorations, I checked out the militaria stores in the area. Usually it's overpriced and fairly bog standard but on my last day I went into a store in St. Mere Eglise and found gold.

This M41 jacket was in a glass cabinet looking rather ratty and filthy. However, I could tell immediately it was an early Airborne Troop Carrier M41. On the left is a silk screened on canvas 9th AF patch with an additional Airborne tab sewn above it. This was definitely IX Troop Carrier Command. Whilst the right was a First Allied Airborne Command patch.

 

 

When inspecting the jacket at the store I spotted a name, rank and a partial number on the inside.

Hurley Wm
Flight Officer
T-_2_340

I had a hunch this could have been a Glider Pilots M41 so I bought it.

A good friend of mine named Patrick Elie who is my Troop Carrier guru checked his records and confirmed that F/O William Hurley T-121340 was indeed a Glider Pilot in the 99th TCS 441st TCG. Hurley had flown a CG-4A Glider into Southern France and Holland.

This was fantastic news and 24 hours later, Hans den Brok added the icing on the cake by supplying me a photograph of Hurley.

What a jacket.

post-72146-0-02782900-1497297527_thumb.jpg

 

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ParanormalTrooper

Very awesome find, heckuva jacket!

 

Incredible to have a picture of the vet wearing it, too!

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