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“A Better Fighting Garment…” 3.0 - The Guide to U.S. Navy Intermediate Leather Flight Jackets

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mulceber

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AN-6552 MONARCH MFG. CO. MILWAUKEE CONTRACT N288s-32358​

Contract Dates: Awarded May 1945, completed October 1945 (WSC 2133)
Cost of the Contract: $234,000 (WSC 2133)
Comments on the leather or mouton:
Liner:
brown
Thread: medium brown
Zipper(s): blackened Talon
Knits: purple single-ply rib-rack knits
General Comments:
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

  • Monarch details
    • Seam running down back of liner - Monarch is the only manufacturer to do this.
    • Wind flap ends about 1 inch short of bottom of jacket (GW)
    • Tall pockets with well-scalloped flaps
    • Front panels wrap around the back, where they are sewn under the panels of the bi-swing back.
  • Inside pocket built into the leather facings, unlike earlier Monarchs.
  • Single-stitched back-belt, much like other makers, but unlike Monarch’s earlier contracts.
  • black US stencil
Monarch 32358 Ex. No. 1:
Mon655201.jpg

Mon655206.jpg
Mon655207.jpg
Mon655208.jpg


Monarch 32358 Ex. No. 2:
879-19392-1-W.jpg

879-19392-2-W.jpg
879-19392-3-W.jpg
879-19392-4-W.jpg
879-19392-5-W.jpg
 
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mulceber

Moderator

AN-J-3A WILLIS AND GEIGER INC. N288s-35805​

Contract Dates: Must be awarded May 1945 as N288s prefix was not used after that date
Cost of the Contract:
Comments on the leather or mouton:
made in both goatskin and horsehide, and is the only Navy jacket contract known to have used horsehide.
Liner: brown or even purple .
Thread: medium brown
Zipper(s): blackened brass Talon
Knits: brown or rust red (like an Aero A-2) single-ply rib-rack knits
General Comments:
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

  • Manufactured at least partly in horsehide.
  • W&G details:
    • W&G was famous for having a rather boxy fit on all their Navy jacket contracts.
    • inside pocket surrounded by leather facings
    • nice gentle scalloping on the pocket flaps with rounded pocket corners (JC CD > USN > M-422A > W&G)
    • Large zipper box (JC CD > USN > M-422A > W&G)
    • John Chapman observes that W&G jackets can often be seen with mis-matched jacket panels (JC CD > USN > M-422A > W&G)
    • Front panels wrap around the back, where they are sewn under the panels of the bi-swing back.
  • Horizontal stitching on the back of the collar - W&G only started adding this during the AN-J-3A series.
  • White U.S. stencil. Aota-san has claimed that “the last two orders…[for AN-J-3As] are marked ‘USN’” (FG 122). This would mean that both this contract and L.W. Foster’s lone AN-J-3A contract had USN stencils. While we have seen a number of Foster AN-J-3As with the USN stencil, all of jackets we have seen from W&G’s last contract have had the U.S. stencil.
W&G 35805 Ex. No. 1:
Image_01.jpg

Image_03.jpg
Image_04.jpg
Image_05.jpg

Image_06.jpg
Image_02.jpg


W&G 35805 Ex. No. 2:
WGANJ01.jpg
WGANJ02.jpg
WGANJ03.jpg
 

mulceber

Moderator

AN-J-3A L.W.FOSTER SPORTSWEAR CO.INC. CONT. N383s1035​

Contract Dates: Awarded April or May 1949 (N383S contracts were first noted in the May 1949 Federal Register)
Cost of the Contract:
Comments on the leather or mouton:
Liner:
often brown or more often salmon
Thread: medium to dark brown
Zipper(s): blackened brass Conmar “conmatic” zipper
Knits: muted brown single-ply rib-rack knits
General Comments:
  • Jackets weren’t made under the 55-J-14 Spec until the amended 10-May-1949 Spec. This contract occurred just before that, but we don’t know the reason for it being made as an AN-J-3A.
  • This is an unusual contract. In most respects it resembles Foster’s later 55-J-14 contracts, except for a number of holdovers from the AN-J-3A series:
    • Frequent salmon lining
    • Occasional appearance of “U.S.” stencils
    • The blackened brass Conmar “conmatic” zipper had been used by other AN-J-3A jackets and would continue to be used on the 55-J-14 contracts, but only by L.W. Foster, so far as we have been able to ascertain.
    • Simple button design, like a few previous M-422, M-422A and AN-J-3A contracts.
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:
  • Simple button design without ridge running around the edge - as near as we can tell, L.W. Foster only had these buttons for their AN-J-3A contract.
  • White block letter U.S. or U.S.N. stencil
  • Otherwise, standard L.W. Foster first pattern details:
    • The number one identifying detail is a line of stitching distinguishing the pencil pocket, similar to G&F’s early jackets. Both pockets are the same width, however. L.W. Foster is the only maker that did this.
    • Nicely scalloped pockets
    • Big in the shoulders, tight around the waist.
    • The back panel is much wider than earlier contractors
    • Small collar
    • Simple throat latch
Foster AN-J-3A Ex. No. 1:
LWFANJ09.jpg

LWFANJ01.jpg
LWFANJ10.jpg

LWFANJ03.jpg

LWFANJ06.jpg

LWFANJ05.jpg

LWFANJ07.jpg
LWFANJ08.jpg

LWFANJ11.jpg
 
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