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91 yr old veteran shows off his A-2
- Thread starter Greg Gale
- Start date
Garylafortuna
Well-Known Member
One of my favorite WW2 stories. Bailing out of a B17 at a thousand feet and surviving when your parachute doesn't open puts you into a very rare and exalted place.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
That hour long video of Jack sitting in an armchair and telling about his bailout from the B-17 and getting a Bronze Star from Patton is one of the nicest interviews you can see from a veteran. And that very last bit at the end where he talks about his recently departed wife brings a tear to my eye.
I never met him but he seemed to be the most lovely chap.
Greg Gale
Well-Known Member
This makes me wonder what kind of information do we have about A2s told by veterans? It would be interesting to know what they thought of the jackets, how they got them, how they treated and wore them, whether or not they realized there were different makers, how common was it for them to trade jackets with each other for a better fit, etc...
I've read countless books written by USAAF pilots, and only in one of them did the writer mention A2s. It was quite late in the war, everybody got B10s, but there was a guy who managed to acquire an A2, and all the others envied him for that. Apparently the ladies were much bigger fans of leather jackets, than cloth ones.
Of course, if I interviewed a vet about all this, he'd think I'm crazy - and he'd probably be right
I've read countless books written by USAAF pilots, and only in one of them did the writer mention A2s. It was quite late in the war, everybody got B10s, but there was a guy who managed to acquire an A2, and all the others envied him for that. Apparently the ladies were much bigger fans of leather jackets, than cloth ones.
Of course, if I interviewed a vet about all this, he'd think I'm crazy - and he'd probably be right
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Garylafortuna
Well-Known Member
I can picture it now: the men hanging around the mess after a mission comparing A-2s and discussing patina.
taikonaut
Active Member
About 12 years ago I picked up a civilian A2 on ebay with a name tag and I did a bit of searching on google and discovered the owner who was still alive. A Mustang pilot who who did bombing raids on German military supply vehicles.
Not only that he wrote a book about his war experience and a regular at reunions. On one occasion while he bombed a German arms supply train it must have hit some fuel and big fire ball erupted at the same time his plane lost altitude and went right through the fireball through the train. He wrote that he saw something there in the fireball that is very evil and difficult to explain. He was captured by a young SS officer and while he was being escorted through a town there was a mock execution of POW taking place. He was sick and starving but was taken good care of by a German nurse.
I emailed him some photos of the jacket and he wrote back with lot of emotion and memories, he told me the repairs and alteration he did which are still there, also some he does not recognise probably by later owners. There were two inside pockets he made, one for a pistol and another for a map in case he fell into enemy territory.
Not only that he wrote a book about his war experience and a regular at reunions. On one occasion while he bombed a German arms supply train it must have hit some fuel and big fire ball erupted at the same time his plane lost altitude and went right through the fireball through the train. He wrote that he saw something there in the fireball that is very evil and difficult to explain. He was captured by a young SS officer and while he was being escorted through a town there was a mock execution of POW taking place. He was sick and starving but was taken good care of by a German nurse.
I emailed him some photos of the jacket and he wrote back with lot of emotion and memories, he told me the repairs and alteration he did which are still there, also some he does not recognise probably by later owners. There were two inside pockets he made, one for a pistol and another for a map in case he fell into enemy territory.
B-Man2
Well-Known Member
Have to ask ..do you still have the jacket? If so would you mind posting a few photos? That’s one I’d like to see
taikonaut
Active Member
Have to ask ..do you still have the jacket? If so would you mind posting a few photos? That’s one I’d like to see
I sold it as it was too small for me. I included the stories from the book with the jacket so the future owner can have some provenance. At the time I wasn't too keen on collecting veterans stuff or stories, just wanted a cool jacket but I wish I kept it,
The book is call "Furrows in the Cloud". If he is still alive he would be at least 95.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
I'm intrigued Taiko, what did he see?
If as Burt says you've got some photos of the jacket buried away, dig them out as it would be wonderful to see it.
MikeyB-17
Well-Known Member
Chuck Yeager I know has been heard to say that the A-2 was too cold, and he much preferred the B-10. I gather from most of the accounts of folk who have met vets that they didn't give a monkey's who made their jackets, in fact paying them very little attention. They were too busy flying and fighting a war.
Smithy
Well-Known Member
Most veteran aircrew couldn't give a stuff who made their jackets or if an A-2, what contract it was. It was a piece of equipment, and sure with an A-2, perhaps there was that little bit of a badge of honour because it marked what you did. But 99.9% of them couldn't give a damn about the minutiae that we get carried away with.
Back home I know of two who used their Irvins to work on their farms when they got back home. They had no sentimental attachment to them whatsoever, they were just a piece of kit and still useful to fix a fence or muster some sheep in cold weather, and thanks to the British government for giving them one!
B-10s were apparently exceedingly popular when they arrived on the scene. and especially with fighter boys.
taikonaut
Active Member
Not sure if I still have it. He mentioned that he had more than one A2. I said the one I got is a civilian not a military version but he said it was issued to him. I guess to him at the time it was just a piece of kit because right after he was demobilised he was left financially destitute and sold off all his kits including this jacket. He sent me a more recent photo of himself wearing a repro A2 with a painting of a mustang flying above a cloud on the back. I think A2 achieve a cult status from the 50s amongst the youths.
