The fact that they got it wrong is amusing, but the people who will try to come up with some official reason why an AAF flier had a navy jacket will be equally amusing. Guys in combat zones trade clothes and equipment all the time just to have something different. Besides, how many jackets were so elaboratly painted until after the war or at least until after their tour ended? Who knows where he got it.Good Wear Fan said:Nice A-2 :roll:
capt71 said:tgd31968
Great museum--I visited there in October. I posted 3 shots of jackets there, one of which was the "Duke Spook" jacket. Someone id'd it as a AN-6552. Found this info:
The AN-6552 jackets were originally designed to be a joint service (Navy, Marine Corps, Army Air Corps) jacket to replace the Navy/USMC M-422A and AAC A-2. These jackets were made for only a six month period in 1943 by American Sportswear, Bogen & Tanenbaum, Monarch, Willis and Geiger, and H&L Block. While H&L Block made a good number of M-422A jackets, it is thought that they made very few AN-6552 jackets making them among the raresr of an already scarce group.
AN-6552 jackets exhibit several unique characteristics which are worth describing. First, as a joint service jacket a "USN" stencil used on M-422A and later G-1 jackets is replaced with a "US" stencil. Second, the AN-6522 series used a black painted main zipper, however, the other manufacturers typically used a nickel zip while Block chose a brass Talon (B&T used a brass Conmar). The subsequent AN-J-3a jackets look identical to the AN-6552; the only sure way to tell the difference is by the label in the neck.
So, it's very possible that AAF crewmembers could have had these jackets.
When I was at the museum they were in the middle of constructing a new B-24 exhibit room (it wasn't open yet, which was unfortunate because many B-24 vets from the 380th BG Association were there with me). Was it open when you visited and if so, how was it?