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WWII USN Flight Jacket worn by Internee of USSR in Siberia


KASTAUFFER
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This jacket has lead an interesting life. It was owned and worn by both a Naval Aviator and an AAF pilot, both hit over Japan, both landing in Siberia becoming " guests" of the Soviet Union.

 

On Sept 17, 1944 a PV-2 from VB-136 left Attu for a bombing mission against the islands in Northern Japan. Over the target the pilot and squadron commander Lt Cdr Wayne reported they had been damaged and were going to make a landing at Petro in Siberia.

 

A little over a week later a B-24 of the 404th Bomb Squadron , 11th AF , left their base in Alaska on a mission to bomb Northern Japan. They received damage from Japanese fighters and also landed at Petro.

 

Until the very end of the war, Russia was considered a " neutral nation" since they had not declared war against Japan. Any combattants who landed there were obliged to become Internees for the rest of the war. All of these crews eventually "escaped" accross the border into Iran with the help of their Soviet comrades.

 

This M-422A was worn by the Navigator of the PV-2, Jack Ehret, from VB-136 during the mission. He later traded his Navy Jacket to the Pilot from the 404th Bomb Squadron in return for an A-2 .

 

The Pilot, Jack Ott, scratched off Ehret's name from the nametag and put an A-2 leather nametag over it. He later removed the A-2 nametag. He also put an 11th AF patch on the jacket and Capts bars which have been removed.

 

What is left is the original VB-136 squadron patch and the original Navy nametag which Jack also embroidered an AAF wing over the Navy gold wings. If you look carefully at the tag, you can still make out part of the name and ENS. USNR.

 

In January 1945 , 4 months after their journey began, both men escaped together over the border into Iran. Jack Ott kept the Navy jacket as a souvenir of his time with the Russians and wore it.

 

 

Here is the crew photo of Otts crew. Ott is in the back row, first on the left. He is wearing the A-2 he later traded to Jack Ehret.

 

Stauffer 001.jpg

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Very cool Kurt! That jacket has indeed had a very interesting life! I have a M-422A that was traded from a Navy guy to a AAF P-51 pilot on Iwo. In areas where the navy and army flyers mingled together, I think this kind of stuff was done more often than one thinks.

 

JD

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Thanks for the comments guys! There are more items with the group, but I thought the Jacket, the most interesting piece. His named crusher he was wearing is in the group, but it is VERY beat up.

 

Kurt

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Incredible jacket and amazing that the patch survived.

 

I just happen to know that men like Ott weren't alowed to talk about this until it was declassified in 1986.

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Salvage Sailor

Very cool Kurt! That jacket has indeed had a very interesting life! I have a M-422A that was traded from a Navy guy to a AAF P-51 pilot on Iwo. In areas where the navy and army flyers mingled together, I think this kind of stuff was done more often than one thinks.

 

JD

 

The NOVA program is The Last Flight of Bomber 31 which accompanied the book by Ralph Wetterhahn.

 

http://www.pbs.org/w...mber/about.html

 

I met with Ralph at the Air Museum on Ford Island while he was lecturing on aircraft recovery projects. While he was researching Bomber 31, he had visited another Ventura crash site in Siberia. This was the crash site of the Cowles crew, shot down in a running fight after bombing Paramushiro. I shared with him the photos of John McDonald, top turret gunner who shot down an Oscar and damaged several more prior to the crash landing & internment. McDonald was awarded the USN DFC & Purple Heart upon his return to the US after his 'escape' from Soviet internment.

 

See 'Uncle Jack in a neutral country' on this blog

 

http://grammyzanne.blogspot.com/

 

Photos of AOM2c John McDonald from my collection.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 year later...

Back in the early 90's There used to be an air show at the Middletown, Pa. airport formally Olmstead AF base.

 

Everytime there was an airshow I would do an impression of a WW2 pilot and tell stories of the aviators I had met.

 

On one such occasion I met Jack Ott.

 

Apon learning about my passion for aviators he invited me to his house and I got this group.

 

Unfortunatelly years later I was going through a divorce and many items of this group were seperated.

 

A little later I was forced to sell the remainder of the group.

 

Here is just a portion of what I got from Ott.

 

Thanks Kurt for bringing it back up.

post-51189-0-02088400-1413180099.jpg

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  • 11 months later...

Thanks for posting the pics. I still have all the items in the photos too. The b-24 model is basically a piece of folk art. I love it.

 

Kurt

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  • 1 year later...

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