Tailor-Made 5th AF Flight Engineer Ike?

[36thIDAlex]

Just picked this one off of goodwill. I thought it was pretty neat and wondered if it might be tailor-made? Its made of an odd weave, has epaulettes with 4 pocket buttons, an elastic band (why?) and a unique clasp on the bottom. The engineer insignia is also a nicer version. The ribbons are plastic coated and the Air Medal appears to be missing an oak leaf.

 

A question for the forum is about an ID. It is clearly named multiple times to an “R W Camp” and the laundry number lines up as well. However, when I looked at his obituary, it says Camp served a year with the 32nd and then in the ETO with the 15th AF. Is it possible the obituary got this wrong? The 32nd was in the pacific and it seems odd that he would transfer all the way to the ETO. Perhaps they got the info confused, or maybe the jacket was reissued somehow?? The insignia appear to be completely original to the uniform, there’s no outline of Old stitching, reproduction material, or anything else. Just a bit of an odd combination of things.

 

I hope it all clears out as it’s a very cool uniform and I’d love to know more about it’s past.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ID

 

 

 

[doyler]

Its a cut down four pocket thats been very tailored

 

Tthe buttons were covered and pockets modified to the likes of a ike jacket

[Wake1941]

Typically referred to as cropped, they cut down 4 pockets. I guess these were preferred over the long 4 pocket jackets. Ribbon bars also indicate PTO.

[Paul70]

He was in Hq 2nd bn 128th Infantry for NG, I think this was reissued to a guy returning from the pacific who had it custom made and never bothered to put his name in it. It is a beauty.