Bummer. We should build a thread with photos of all the cloth jackets to avoid including what to look for on the labels of these civilian jackets. I'm sure there are quite a few others that have been fooled by these and don't even know it. I know we seem to discuss them on the forum at least a couple of times per year.
Here's a current thread on the US Militaria forum concerning a Fitzwell B-15 for sale as part of a grouping. Our own member Stony gets a roasting for trying to be helpful. The seller appears to be a real jerk. http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/ ... usherb-15/
Considering the jacket has quilted lining instead of the regular "mil-specs" alpaca fur lining, it was pretty obvious there was something quite fishy about it.
Yep, I got a roasting by the guy at first, but he appologized later via PM. However, after it was all said and done, he roasted the guy he bought the grouping from on those same forums and they were going at it the last time I looked. I learned the hard way many years ago about "original type".
Fitzwell Sportswear was indeed a government contractor in the War. This company had a contract in 1944 for B-15 jackets and A11 trousers, contract 44-6355 AF. They had a contract for B15A jackets and A-11A trousers in 1945, contact 45-8968 AF. However they made non- contract B-15s post war, which are often mistaken for Wartime examples.
These details quoted below ,you will not find on the jacket label , only the order number which Andrew has quoted will be shown . Fitzwell Sportswear contract #'s for B15/A11 w33-038 AC 2958 B15a/A11a W33-038 AC 8590
From what I understand, issued mil WWII cloth jacket, if not all, use brass, FAN/ Bell type pull - bigger zip pull, not rectangular - for the ease of pulling with gloves on. Rectangular Pull Talon zip of the 40's usu. sewn to civilian jackets or causal jackets like denim or half belt. While listing the types of zippers used by different models is exhaustive; 1 thing is Certain - I have NEVER seen an issued military cloth jacket of the WWII era that use 40's Rectangular Talon zipper pull. P.S. saved for M-41/ Tanker - the Army jkts [no gloves]
