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Opinion on Leather Flight Jacket


MasonK
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Posting this for a friend who is at an auction. AAF leather flight jacket. Appears the lining is missing, and there is no tag.

 

What are the opinions on authenticity as a WWII era jacket? Appears to have age, as does the squadron insignia. Speaking of which, any info on which squadron is represented?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

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It looks like a legitimate WWII A-2 that had the leather collar removed, and the mouton collar added. The epaulets are missing and were probably removed as well.

 

Kurt

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Thanks, Kurt! That was my thought as well, regarding the collar being added. I know this isn't the what it's worth section, but any opinions on value in this condition?

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Looks to have remnants of a quilted lining and the waist band...lower pocket construction/stitching is off...not the 45 corners. but the sewing...and the wind flap construction is not sewn correctly......the wind flap snap looks to be factory, which is incorrect...and the large tag in the pocket...

 

maybe a private purchase jacket...

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My buddy got the jacket. It's actually attributed to Bill Skinner, who was with the 308th. Photo of Bill in front of his Spitfire, the Lonesome Polecat.

 

 

 

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Another photo of the Lonesome Polecat; not sure if that is Skinner in front. I'll let the buyer of the jacket give the story of how the attribution was determined.

 

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The first photo is Jerry Carver, not Bill Skinner. Error on my part.

 

The second photo information:

 

12 February 1944. Bill Skinner's wingman stands in front of his leader's Spitfire Mk. VIII after landing at Castel Volturno, Italy, and points to the second kill he has just helped Skinner make. Victories were often hard to come by; this was the only kill made by an American pilot in the Mediterranean Theater that day. There was good reason for the wide smile.**

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OK, so this went to auction once before, however didn't sell.

 

Description from previous auction:

 

US WW II leather flight jacket of l. William F. Skinner, fighter pilot, Mediterranean Theater.1st Lt. USAAF William (Bill) J. Skinner saw service during WW II in the Mediterranean Theater as a fighter pilot, 308 Squadron, 31st Fighter Group, 12th Air Force (then the 15th AF), seeing active service in North Africa, Malta, Sicily and Italy. Lt. Skinner flew 155 combat missions piloting British Spitfire models MKVb, MKVc, MKVIII, and North American P-51 Mustangs. He is credited with three BF (ME)-109 German fighters destroyed over Italy (See photo of 2 swastikas on Skinner's Spitfire), and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Lt. Skinner's jacket is a private purchase leather flight jacket, similar to the US-AN type jacket, displaying machine embroidered squadron patch on left breast. Liner is missing. The patch itself is extremely rare. Bill Skinner told the consignor that he had several flight jackets, however, this is the jacket he had worn on most of his missions. Jacket obtained directly fromBill Skinner early '80s by the consignor. An enlarged scan of Bill Skinner's note to the consignor and original note are included in the lot. Bill Skinner's color photographs of himself in or near his Spitfire and other squadron members taken in theater of operations, WW II, are published in the books "Bomber Command" and "Fighter Command". See Fighter Command and selected photos. included with the group.

 

https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/41568005

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