Help with 1942 Jump Jacket & Boots

[Larmo]

Greetings All

Recently a gentleman sent us a grouping of items which belonged to his Father In Law, who served with the 13th ABN Division during WWII. Included in the lot was a Jump Jacket and set of Jump Boots. To my eye, the jacket appears to be perhaps a post war reproduction, certainly much of the insignia is postwar, added by the veteran for wear at veteran reunions and parades. I cannot find any markings or tags on the jacket, and overall the condition is near new. The zipper pull is brass and is marked CONMAR.

 

The boots appear to be original, they are unmarked save for the U.S. ARMY on the bottom of the soles and what appears to be a MADE IN USA inkstamp (very blurred) on the inside of the leather tongue. Accompanying the items was a copy of a magazine article which appeared in an Airborne Association magazine prior to the Veteran's passing in 1989. In the article he relates that he was issued two jackets and and pairs of boots while in service. One set he wore out, the other he notes as donating to the Association's Museum. Now, either he picked up a third set somewhere or he purchased replicas to wear to reunions, with his original  donated set being returned to the family. 

 

As these have yet to be purchased, I would like to establish one way or the other their authenticity in order to be correct in a valuation. Any help in that regard would be greatly appreciated, if any extra photos are needed I would be happy to oblige.

 

Thanks

 

Larry

 

PS, the shadow and paw you see in the second uniform photo is our cat Sammy, he always takes great interest in our photographic efforts.    

 

 

[manayunkman]

Do you have pictures of the jacket?

[Larmo]

Thanks for responding...my bad, I do have photos of the jacket, but am a dunce it seems when trying to post the photos here. If you like, I would be happy to send them to you via email.

 

Best

 

Larry 

[manayunkman]

The M42

[manayunkman]

The boots are original paratrooper with what looks like nylon shroud lines as laces. 
 

Are they named?

[Larmo]

No names, however the lot belongs to the son-in-law of the man who owned them, a veteran of the 13th AB in WWII. He went to France and returned to the US with his Division. The jacket is in near new condition, without any written name or official tag visible. Likewise the boots are also unnamed.

[Allan H.]

I believe the jump jacket to be a reproduction and would further guess that it is one from At The Front as opposed to WW2 Impressions or WPG, or one of the other reproductions. Even though it is a repro and has a bunch of new insignia on it (it doesn't look like any of the insignia is WWII vintage), I think it is still pretty cool. I appreciate getting to see it.

 

Allan

[29navy]

12 minutes ago, Allan H. said:

I believe the jump jacket to be a reproduction and would further guess that it is one from At The Front as opposed to WW2 Impressions or WPG, or one of the other reproductions. Even though it is a repro and has a bunch of new insignia on it (it doesn't look like any of the insignia is WWII vintage), I think it is still pretty cool. I appreciate getting to see it.

 

Allan

But if he died in 1989,  ATF and WWII Imp weren't in business then, so it wouldn't have been something that he wore that they made.  I began reenacting in 1989 and don't recall hardly any repros being made then except George Peterson (NCHS - Washington DC area) making 1941 field jackets and tanker's jackets.

 

[Allan H.]

17 minutes ago, 29navy said:

But if he died in 1989,  ATF and WWII Imp weren't in business then, so it wouldn't have been something that he wore that they made.  I began reenacting in 1989 and don't recall hardly any repros being made then except George Peterson (NCHS - Washington DC area) making 1941 field jackets and tanker's jackets.

 

That is a good point, I missed the fact that the veteran passed in 1989. As far as repro jump jackets go though, they were being made by the likes for Chattahoochee, Phyllis Rose, Avirex, and perhaps more (Sturm? The Cav Store?). I know that I hade a reproduction suit that I bought in 1983 when I graduated from High School (a Phyllis Rose). I still think that this one is a post war made reproduction.

 

Allan

[Larmo]

Thanks 29 Navy, Allen H, and Manayunkman for all of your help in this. I went on Ancestry and did a search for the veteran and found that he died in 1998, not 1989 as I was told by his relative. The son-in-law is getting on too, so no harm...heck so am I. With that later date of passing At The Front and WWII Impressions, or SM Wholesale may have been the maker of the jacket. 

 

Again, thank you gentlemen for your assistance, especially Manyunkman for posting the photos of the jacket.

 

Larry 

[manayunkman]

Glad to help.