WWII US NAVY FLIGHT JACKETS M-422, M-422A , M-421A , M-445A , AN-J-3A , AN-6552

[NMWW2A]

One of my volunteer duties is to do historical research for items donated and about to be catalogued for a museum I volunteer for.  We just received two navy flight jackets issued to a marine... a M-444 and an M-445. Can someone help me with factual info on these two jackets, such as materials used, manufacture and or issue dates, difference between the M-445 and M-445A, how to decipher contract numbers, names of manufacturers, and any discerning/interesting facts about these jackets.  Also sources would be helpful. The info I have found online is sparse at best.  Thank you in advance!

[dmar836]

NMWW2A, you are wise to find a community. On the web info can be pretty spread out. Are you a member of the Vintage leather jacket forum as well? The questions you ask are appropriate but rather involved - pages worth. This forum has knowledgeable members who might be able to help but the VLJ forum has(or had) members who focus mainly on such detailed facts. Give that forum a try as well.

Welcome to the forum!

Dave

[NMWW2A]

Thanks Dave.  I will check out VLJ.  In the meantime if anyone has any info on these jackets, it'll be of great help piecing together a picture.

Hans

[dmar836]

Dave(Maverickson) is a wealth of knowledge on Navy jackets down to the stitch.

Best of luck,

Dave

[tda003]

This is an M-422A I recently acquired.  It's a Gordon & Ferguson. In pretty good condition.  Note the name in pen on the lining "Lt. E.A. Reed".  On a hunch that he might be a Marine aviator (no patches/artwork on the jacket), I researched the name.  Everett A. Reed joined the Navy Air reserves while working for the family in July, 1942.  He subsequently attended the Marine Aviation Training Center, NAS, Corpus Christi, TX and graduated as a Marine aviator on Christmas eve, 1944.  He went home on leave, became engaged and then joined the Marine Aviation Detachment, Naval Air Gunners School, Hollywood, FL in January, 1945.  After completing training, he was stationed at MAS El Toro, CA.  On March 23, 1945, he was injured and subsequently died of those injuries on March 21, 1945.

This is his jacket, in beautiful shape, but it comes with a sad story attached.

[bazelot]

nice jacket, being named and researched makes it all the more special

[bond_fan]

On 4/15/2021 at 5:51 AM, Maverickson said:

Hi All,

 

Actually, the story behind my association with that VB-135 related Switlik M-422 jacket predates it's purchase. As a number of years ago I happened upon a picture that looked to have included a naval aviator wearing a Switlik Parachute & Equipment Co. M-422 jacket.  By luck I saved that particular pic on the hunch that this same jacket seen worn (upper left) was in fact one of those elusive and seldom seen Switlik M-422 jackets.

 

 

As it turns out this same M-422 jacket I IDed in that period pic was fact a Switlik. In fact it was one in the same jacket, Albeit, that group pic in which I initially IDed containing the Switilik was taken early on in the War and when the owner was a LTJG. verses a LT. as seen in my later pix that I received with the jacket.  

 

That bulge in the bulge in that left pocket was the result of it containing four morphine shots and several books of matches. As they were all still present when the jacket was received. 

 

 

Cheers, Dave

 

 

 

Very cool!

 

[bond_fan]

On 8/14/2021 at 6:00 AM, tda003 said:

This is an M-422A I recently acquired.  It's a Gordon & Ferguson. In pretty good condition.  Note the name in pen on the lining "Lt. E.A. Reed".  On a hunch that he might be a Marine aviator (no patches/artwork on the jacket), I researched the name.  Everett A. Reed joined the Navy Air reserves while working for the family in July, 1942.  He subsequently attended the Marine Aviation Training Center, NAS, Corpus Christi, TX and graduated as a Marine aviator on Christmas eve, 1944.  He went home on leave, became engaged and then joined the Marine Aviation Detachment, Naval Air Gunners School, Hollywood, FL in January, 1945.  After completing training, he was stationed at MAS El Toro, CA.  On March 23, 1945, he was injured and subsequently died of those injuries on March 21, 1945.

This is his jacket, in beautiful shape, but it comes with a sad story attached.

Great detailed photos!!!

[bond_fan]

I'm looking to buy a size 36 -  40 WW2 M-422 leather flight jacket, made by Monarch, Switlik or any other manufacturer of the M-422 style?

 

Please let me know if you have one for sale?

 

Best & thanks!

[bond_fan]

On 9/13/2013 at 1:39 PM, KASTAUFFER said:

 

Sweet jacket!

[mch979]

Interesting this HL Block M422a has no collar stand, as required by the M422a specifications.  Are the underarm gussets vents sewn or are the brown colored brass eyelets?

[Siamundo]

I just acquired this M422-A made by Fried, Osterman Company. Trying to figure out the relationship between the insignia though. Appears to have an original USMC VMF 422 patch on the chest, although name tage is for a USNR aviator with a USS Hancock patch on the back. Insignia appears to have been there for quite some time so not recently added. Had wondered if pilot discharged from USMC and then entered naval reserve or if this might be a hand me down from father to son. Unfortunately pilot's name, Bill Young, is pretty common and I don't have much else to go on other than seller told me it was acquired at a garage sale in St. Joseph, MO. 

[rabidCollector]

Can anyone tell me what jacket I have here. There's no mfg. tag, so no help there. Also, any comments on the jacket and patch would be appreciated.

(If the pics aren't viewable, it's because I grabbed some thumbnails off the site I bought it from. I will re-shoot some pics and re-post tomorrow if they are no good)

Thanks!

[Stony]

Since there's a US under the collar and not a USN, it's an AN series jacket which were made from 43-47. Either an AN-J-3A or AN-6552. Do some research on the pilot and patch and it will give you an idea. 

[KASTAUFFER]

Nice WWII Gordon & Ferguson M-422A US Navy Flight Jacket to Lt Col. Edward Drake USMC.  

He has some interesting service.  On December 7, 1941 he was serving on the USS Nevada as a Captain and was present on the ship during the Pearl Harbor attack.

After Pearl Harbor he went back to the USA and received flight training and became a Naval Aviator as a Major.  He served at the Naval Air Stations in Pensacola, New Orleans and Parris Island. 

On July 24, 1943 he crashed an SBD into Lake Michigan during carrier landing trials and he survived the accident with only multiple contusions to his head and face. The aircraft was later recovered and is on display at the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. 

In 1944 he left aviation transferred back to ground duty and commanded a Bn of the 21stMarines in 1945.

 

This jacket is all original and has not been messed around with.

 

[rabidCollector]

On 8/24/2023 at 9:12 PM, Stony said:

Since there's a US under the collar and not a USN, it's an AN series jacket which were made from 43-47. Either an AN-J-3A or AN-6552. Do some research on the pilot and patch and it will give you an idea. 

Found this on the unit: VS-20, Scouting Squadron Twenty (Antisubmarine & Reconnaissance Scout Squadron), AIRCRAFT. SBD-4 Dauntless, Operated in the South Pacific in 1943, Patch was designed by Walt Disney Studios. Still trying to find info on the pilot. Thanks for the info!

[Guest AmPenn]

On 6/16/2016 at 3:25 PM, jpstout said:

Size tag and Conmar zipper...

 

[Guest AmPenn]

This is my grandfather.  Thanks for posting so I can get some insight on him.  

[36thIDAlex]

I recently posted a thread on this large grouping I just got from a family friend of this VMJ-253, MAG-25 flight mechanic. He flew in the unit from September 1942 through the fall of 1944 when he came home. I believe the jacket is an m-422a (pencil pouch, faint USN painting on the collar) but would appreciate any insight. It’s my first flight jacket and I don’t expect it to be a marine one lol.

 

The jacket features the Australian-made chest version of the unit patch, which was designed by Disney in the spring of 1943. I couldn’t find any other examples actively sporting the chest size patch, just the shoulder mounted one earlier in this thread. Hopefully this can be a good reference for others, it’s straight out of the box in the closet.

 

 

 

[KASTAUFFER]

When comes to flight jackets, I mostly collect USN Jackets from WWII and Korea, but I always kept it in the back of my mind to look for a decent un-messed with Vietnam vintage jacket. 
 

I finally found one I liked. 

 

John Stevens flew with VA-72 over Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 earning an Air Medal and Navy Commendation Medal. 

I have never seen a Loyal Order of the Re Sam patch before . 

 

He also sewed a couple of novelty patches inside the jacket as well .

The jacket is from a 1962 dated Ralph Edwards Sportswear contract.

[AxolotlHelmet]

That's a great piece!

[navy]

First post.

 

Figure some may be interested. The vintage leather jackets forum posted a detailed history of the USN intermediate leather flight jackets with a lot of contract examples. The newly uncovered government paper trails brought up a ton of new information too. For example, the M-422a had longer sleeves than the M-422, but that was only a M-422a amendment change, with the addition of new material a key reason for the shift. The AN-J-3 specification (aka AN6552) was a surprisingly brief line item markup of the M-422a spec. The AN-J-3a was called a "G-1" within the US Navy long before "G-1" was placed on the 55J14 label. And the 55J14 spec came out in 1947, but they didn't start making them until 1949.

 

Navy Department Specification - Jackets, Aviation, Leather. 37J1, July 1, 1927
Navy Department Specification - Jackets, Aviators'. 37J1a, Dec. 1, 1932
Navy Aeronautical Specification - Jackets, Leather, Intermediate, Aviators'. M-422, Mar. 28, 1940
Navy Aeronautical Specification - Jackets, Leather, Intermediate, Aviators'. M-422a, Oct. 1, 1940
Army-Navy Aeronautical Specification Intermediate* - Jackets, Leather Flying. AN-J-3, Apr. 15, 1943
Army-Navy Aeronautical Specification - Jackets, Leather Flying. AN-J-3a, Oct. 5, 1943
Navy Aeronautical Specification - Jackets, Flight, Leather, Intermediate, G-1, 55-J-14, Oct 31, 1947
Military Specification - Jackets, Flight, Leather, Intermediate, G-1. MIL-J-7823, Nov 21, 1951
Military Specification - Jackets, Flying, Man's, Type G-1. MIL-J-7823A, Nov 28, 1958
Military Specification - Jackets, Flying, Man's, Type G-1. MIL-J-7823B, Oct. 7, 1960
Military Specification - Jackets, Flying, Man's, Intermediate, Type G-1. MIL-J-7823C, Sep. 3, 1963
Military Specification - Jackets, Flying, Man's, Intermediate, G-1. MIL-J-7823D, Apr. 19, 1966
Military Specification - Jackets, Flyer's, Intermediate, G-1. MIL-J-7823E, Jan. 15, 1971
Detail Specification - Jackets, Flyer's, Intermediate, G-1. MIL-DTL-7823F, Jun. 9, 2020

 

https://www.vintageleatherjackets.org/forums/vintage.7/

 

[KASTAUFFER]

I have has this Korean War G-1 for a while but have neglected to post it. The pilot who wore this served in WWII as well, but this is his Korean War jacket reflecting his service with VMF-115.  
 

it is a nice unscrewed with all original  jacket . The pilot added snaps to the lower pockets. I also like the coins he added to the zipper pull.

 

 

 

 

[jerry_k]

Epic jacket Kurt!

[Redcoat]

Guys,

 

I have no experience in these types of items but happened into this jacket.   Can anyone comment on these pictures?