Help to identify A2

[ealag]

Hi
Thanks for letting me join your forum.
I’m new to this so apologies if I get protocol wrong. I’ve owned an A2 for at least 40 years, it’s not been worn for the last 30 years and been hung in the wardrobe with the leather nourished from time to time over the years. I bought it from a militaria dealer and was told it was an authentic WW2 jacket, It no longer fits and so I think it is time to let someone else appreciate it. I have been trying to do research to find out more about it and have come up with questions that I hope you can help with.
The label inside the neck is difficult to read, it is a black label with a series of numbers I can’t properly make out but I can read AERO LEATHER CLO CO. BEACON NY.
The research I’ve done tells me that the lining of the jacket should be silk or cotton but this one has a lining made from a kind of suede/leather, then I read that silk was prioritised for parachute manufacture. The zip is a DOT with MADE IN ENGLAND round the DOT trademark. It looks to be the original zip. If the jacket was made in the USA then why has it got an English zip? The jacket looks authentic to me but now I have doubts. During research I read that some jackets were made in England. Can anybody throw any light on this for me?

 

[Silver Surfer]

Without any pix, no one is going to be able to the solve the mystery, ealag

 

[ealag]

I forgot to mention that the jacket has a patch on the left upper arm of the 8th Air Force.

 

[ealag]

Without any pix, no one is going to be able to the solve the mystery, ealag

Thanks Silver Surfer
I’m not great with the technology but will try to post photos

 

[ealag]

I’ve attached some photos let me know if you need more

 

[ealag]

Here’s some more

 

[Silver Surfer]

Once again I only have limited lap top access, so my observations are based on small pix. The jacket appears to be a smaller 1942 aero(can’t make out the contract numbers) the liner has been removed and the nomenclature label stitched and or glued to the interior back leather. Knit elements were replaced, as was the zipper. All of the work appears to be older, rather than newer.

 

[Brettafett]

Aeroleather for sure, but someone else can ID the actual contract number... Likely the earlier 42-15142-P.
You can find some info here:

Good Wear Leather Coat Company — A-2 Acme Leather 42-18775-P

www.goodwearleather.com

Type A-2 Details, Jackets by Manufacturer, Page 1

The Type A-2 Flight Jacket Web Page provides a detailed description of the famed jacket from World War II.

www.acmedepot.com

 

[B-Man2]

Welcome to the forum E
Agree with Silver surfer. The lining was removed and never replaced . The zipper is a replacement zipper not original to the jacket.
We have people on this forum who can re condition this jacket and make it look like new . What else did you care to learn about it?

 

[2BM2K]

The jacket is from the Aero Leather 21996 contract as the label doesn't have the property of Air Force, US Army nomenclature.

 

[ealag]

Thanks for the replies. The jacket has a full separate lining sewn in which extends all the way down the sleeves, it is made from a soft suede/leather material. The label is sewn onto the lining.
2BM2K. What is the Aero Leather 21996 contract?
B-Man2. I would just like to know as much about the history as possible.
Brettafett. Thanks for the links.

 

[Chandler]

Thanks for the replies. The jacket has a full separate lining sewn in which extends all the way down the sleeves, it is made from a soft suede/leather material. The label is sewn onto the lining.
2BM2K. What is the Aero Leather 21996 contract?
B-Man2. I would just like to know as much about the history as possible.
Brettafett. Thanks for the links.

Are you sure that's a lining and not just the opposite side of the outer hide? If you've never inspected a piece of raw leather, you may not recognize that there's a smooth and rough side.

Rough-out boots use the inner side of a hide for the outside of their manufacture.

 

[2BM2K]

Thanks for the replies. The jacket has a full separate lining sewn in which extends all the way down the sleeves, it is made from a soft suede/leather material. The label is sewn onto the lining.
2BM2K. What is the Aero Leather 21996 contract?
B-Man2. I would just like to know as much about the history as possible.
Brettafett. Thanks for the links.

There were several makers of the Type A2 jacket. One of these was Aero Leather Clothing Co. Aero had 7 orders from the Government for these jacket. Each order had a legal contract between the maker and the Government and each had a contract number.
The Aero 21996 contract was from 1941 with about 25000 jackets made.
Here is a label for this contract;

There is more information at the Acmedepot http://www.acmedepot.com/a2jacket/a2detail2.html

 

[mulceber]

No, I agree with @ealag - that's actually a suede liner. If you look at the points on the jacket where the liner would be sewn in, you can tell that material is the liner, not the rough side of the leather.

 

[Micawber]

Some interesting details on the full size images chaps. Check the stitching on the waistband interior, had the original lining been removed the turned edge of the hide would be visible as would the raw edge of the waistband, this is not the case here.

Replacement DOT zip...

 

[Micawber]

No, I agree with @ealag - that's actually a suede liner. If you look at the points on the jacket where the liner would be sewn in, you can tell that material is the liner, not the rough side of the leather.

Sorry Jan you posted while I was looking at then downloading the full size images. Agree with you, it's a suede lining.

 

[mulceber]

No worries - re-posting the photos helped illustrate the point.

 

[Micawber]

Check the back. No sign of the label having been sewn to the jacket shell therefore it has a separate lining.

Interesting mod.

 

[Micawber]

No worries - re-posting the photos helped illustrate the point.

A case of the thumbnail attachments slowing things up.

 

[Micawber]

Interesting details on that jacket of yours @ealag Would be interested to see photos of both sides of the zipper with it partially done up.