My first original A2

[littlebuddy]

Well after some wait and with great help from STONY who i thank most gratefully ,i now own an original A2

A BRONCO contract W535 ac29191 named to a Lt John "Jack" Hallecy of the 535th BS

 

[littlebuddy]

 

[ciddu]

Congratulations!
It looks wonderful!

 

[littlebuddy]

Thankyou very much ! i am really glad i have it !!

Carl

 

[unclegrumpy]

I think this might be the jacket Stony had that once had a chenille 535th BS patch on it....not while he owned it though. Those patches are a bit oversized, and luckily are not as difficult to find than most.

 

[Roughwear]

Congratulations on a very nice Bronco. What is the fit like?

 

[Silver Surfer]

outstanding! wear it.

 

[Roughwear]

outstanding! wear it.

I second that!

 

[littlebuddy]

Thanks for the kind words fellas !!
I havnt actually tried it on !! But I will over the weekend

I would love to get an original 535th patch to replace the one that was on it originally

Anyone have one ?? Lol !!

There is an issue with the knits , I will get some pics done of them for some advice on what to do

Carl

 

[Peter Graham]

I havnt actually tried it on !!

What !! Get it on now, and photos or it didn't happen !

 

[unclegrumpy]

I would love to get an original 535th patch to replace the one that was on it originally

Anyone have one ?? Lol !!l

You need to find a used one, but they are out there, sometimes not too pricy on eBay...though they do make chenille repros of this patch, so you have to be careful.

 

[B-Man2]

Forgive my lack of knowledge regarding the timelines for this contract, but was this one of the earlier issued A2's?

The reason I ask is, look at the pattern of the stitch marks and the placement of the wings and name tag down low over the pocket

under the patch stitch marks. Wasn't that an earlier configuration for a wing and name tag placement position on A2 jackets?

 

[dujardin]

good catch

enjoyyyyy

pitty original patch is gone

 

[Roughwear]

Forgive my lack of knowledge regarding the timelines for this contract, but was this one of the earlier issued A2's?

The reason I ask is, look at the pattern of the stitch marks and the placement of the wings and name tag down low over the pocket

under the patch stitch marks. Wasn't that an earlier configuration for a wing and name tag placement position on A2 jackets?

It was actually one of the later contracts dating to 18th May 1942.

 

[ciddu]

Your jacket seems to have an interesting history - looks like it's been re-issued a couple of times.
I'm sure it has been through a lot . It would be nice to know the names of the former owners!

 

[PADDY_M]

Enjoy it

 

[Silver Surfer]

if you do decide on a repro patch [originals are pricey], be sure to get the diameter of the patch, so that fits over the existing stitch holes properly. this is the hard part. in order to stay away from putting yet more holes in the front panel, you should hand sew the patch [original or repro] on, using the existing stitch holes.

 

[unclegrumpy]

Here is some information about the original owner. I think there is a good chance only one guy owned this jacket, he just moved and changed the insignia around:

John H. "Jack" Hallecy, a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012, at an Arlington hospital at the age of 90. Funeral: 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Chapel, 5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville. Visitation: The family will receive friends beginning at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday before the service. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 2105 Lunar Road, Suite 390, Carrollton, Texas 75006.

Jack started his career as a World War II pilot in the Army Air Corps and served his country 24 years, retiring from the United States Air Force in 1967. He then began a career with American Airlines as a flight instructor, retiring in 1988 after 21 years of service. His hobbies were model railroading and reading, and he had a passion for history. His associations included Quiet Birdmen, and lifetime member of the Daedalians and 8th Air Force Society.

Published in Star-Telegram on January 29, 2012

He is the officer in the bottom row center wearing the crusher, and was the copilot.

Unit of Service:

535th Bomb Squadron, 381st Bomb Group, 1st Bomb Division, 8th Air Force

 

[TankBuster]

Very nice A-2. Hope you find a nice patch. Nice find on the crew photo above!

 

[dmar836]

Definitely cool to have a pic of the owner. So many items can't be tied to the original owners. The members here are great for that!
Dave