I hope no one here got duped by this A-2 w/ bogus insignia: Ebay # 251107996503.
This A-2 stunk from the beginning. The 349th Bomb Sq. is from the 100th Bomb Grp. that operated B-17s in the 8th AF, not the B-24s in the accompanying photos, which don't even feature 8th AF a/c. And the name on the name tag matches no known roster for the 100th or the 349th, but you don't need to even go there. The insignia is the typical Pakistan-made type sold as copies by Andrew Butler on Ebay, ELC, etc., and I am not aware of the 349th having an embroidered insignia (which would have been made in England if they did have one embroidered); all legit 349th insignia that I've ever seen are painted on leather or canvas or directly on the A-2s. Lastly, genuine 100th-attributed A-2s are extremely rare, due to the unit having one of the tightest post-war organizations with a museum at their old air base at Thorpe-Abbotts; vets very readily donate their wartime gear and souvenirs, so seasoned collectors would pounce on a 100th A-2 with a patch and name tag, shooting the price up well beyond what this one achieved.
Did the seller know? Who knows. But knowing this hobby as well as I do, very, very few ever get the benefit of doubt from me. I'd watch out for this guy. :twisted:
Saunders
This A-2 stunk from the beginning. The 349th Bomb Sq. is from the 100th Bomb Grp. that operated B-17s in the 8th AF, not the B-24s in the accompanying photos, which don't even feature 8th AF a/c. And the name on the name tag matches no known roster for the 100th or the 349th, but you don't need to even go there. The insignia is the typical Pakistan-made type sold as copies by Andrew Butler on Ebay, ELC, etc., and I am not aware of the 349th having an embroidered insignia (which would have been made in England if they did have one embroidered); all legit 349th insignia that I've ever seen are painted on leather or canvas or directly on the A-2s. Lastly, genuine 100th-attributed A-2s are extremely rare, due to the unit having one of the tightest post-war organizations with a museum at their old air base at Thorpe-Abbotts; vets very readily donate their wartime gear and souvenirs, so seasoned collectors would pounce on a 100th A-2 with a patch and name tag, shooting the price up well beyond what this one achieved.
Did the seller know? Who knows. But knowing this hobby as well as I do, very, very few ever get the benefit of doubt from me. I'd watch out for this guy. :twisted:
Saunders