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ANJ-4 in service

S

Schoonerman

Member
Hi All,

First-time poster here. You seem like a friendly group so I'm very glad to be joining you!

I'm wondering if at least a few of you would be interested in a photo I ran across recently of an ANJ-4 actually in service. I may have been living in my own world, but I can't ever recall seeing a photo of one of these jackets being worn wartime. The photo is of 100th BG chaplain Capt. Glenn F. Teska taken outside the chapel at Thorpe Abbotts. The picture is shared here with the kind permission of the 100th BG Foundation and Anne Cowing.

Anyone else have pictures of ANJ-4s in action?

Thank you for letting me join you. I'm looking forward to the conversation.

Mike
100 BG chaplain Glenn Teska in ANJ-4.jpeg
 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Schoonerman said:
Hi All,

First-time poster here. You seem like a friendly group so I'm very glad to be joining you!

I'm wondering if at least a few of you would be interested in a photo I ran across recently of an ANJ-4 actually in service. I may have been living in my own world, but I can't ever recall seeing a photo of one of these jackets being worn wartime. The photo is of 100th BG chaplain Capt. Glenn F. Teska taken outside the chapel at Thorpe Abbotts. The picture is shared here with the kind permission of the 100th BG Foundation and Anne Cowing.

Anyone else have pictures of ANJ-4s in action?

Thank you for letting me join you. I'm looking forward to the conversation.

Mike View attachment 154161
Click to expand...
SM
Welcome to the VLJ Forum and thank you for the kind words. Great photo of a member of the 100th BG.
We have a few members here who live near the old Thorpe Abbotts air field and will appreciate seeing this photo .
And you’re correct .. not many original photos of guys wearing ANJ-4 jackets around these days .
 
S

Schoonerman

Member
Thank you all for the welcome. Must admit I didn't expect another ANJ-4 shot - particularly such a great one! - to come out of the woodwork so fast, mulceber - thank you for sharing it. Any background on the young gent in the picture? (After all, it's not the clothing, it's the men wearing it!)

This shot and that of Rev. Teska highlight an interesting feature of the ANJ-4 and its design progenitor, the USN M-445, viz., their short sleeves (and from a wear standpoint, they're even shorter, as the woolen cuffs are well up further inside the sleeves). I think your photo, mulceber, may suggest the reason: both jackets were designed as part of a complete suit, and the cuff length was guided by glove integration/fit. But that's just my theory - someone could surely confirm or completely debunk it! I have a size 44 M-445 (a story of its own) that fits me perfectly in the shoulders and even at the wrist with the outer cuff, but the inner cuffs feels like they're at my elbows. The M-445 is a masterpiece of materials and craftsmanship, but it's an odd fit.

Again, thanks one and all for the kind welcome. Fly Navy...
 
mulceber

mulceber

Moderator
His name was Thomas Merriman, and he was a ball turret gunner in the 8th AF. His Fort was shot down in late ‘44, and his crewmates forgot to tell him they were bailing out. He managed to get out anyway, and then managed to evade capture for a couple weeks, since he was a country boy. Spent the rest of the war in Luft Stalag IVa. I idly wonder if he managed to hold onto this marvelous Monarch all that time:
Screenshot 2024-07-14 at 3.10.11 PM.jpeg
 
S

Schoonerman

Member
Many thanks, mulceber - great story. Nothing like your crewmates having your back (I have a story or two on that phenomenon, too). Hope he did take care of the Monarch: it's a lovely A-2.

And please, Monsoon, no abuse: I'm a delicate flower...

Blue side up,

Mike
 
B-Man2

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Schoonerman said:
Thank you all for the welcome. Must admit I didn't expect another ANJ-4 shot - particularly such a great one! - to come out of the woodwork so fast, mulceber - thank you for sharing it. Any background on the young gent in the picture? (After all, it's not the clothing, it's the men wearing it!)

This shot and that of Rev. Teska highlight an interesting feature of the ANJ-4 and its design progenitor, the USN M-445, viz., their short sleeves (and from a wear standpoint, they're even shorter, as the woolen cuffs are well up further inside the sleeves). I think your photo, mulceber, may suggest the reason: both jackets were designed as part of a complete suit, and the cuff length was guided by glove integration/fit. But that's just my theory - someone could surely confirm or completely debunk it! I have a size 44 M-445 (a story of its own) that fits me perfectly in the shoulders and even at the wrist with the outer cuff, but the inner cuffs feels like they're at my elbows. The M-445 is a masterpiece of materials and craftsmanship, but it's an odd fit.

Again, thanks one and all for the kind welcome. Fly Navy...
Click to expand...
Interesting commentary on the ANJ-4 .
Please feel free to post some photos of your M-455 . Would love to see it .
 
S

Schoonerman

Member
Thanks kindly for the interest, All. Happy to share pictures of the M-445, but it's really a thread of its own: there's a bit of mystery to it, and I'd welcome your help sorting it. So as time allows, I'll organizes pics and a write-up and be back. Meantime,
Cheers,
Mike
 
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