A2, patched, named, and blood chit!!

[Anorak]

What's the consensus? Obviously the knits have been replaced. It looks good to me other wise, but I am by no means an expert. It is interesting that there are two name tags. It appears to be Burmese and Chinese on one of them. Tried doing some research on E. D. Litsey, could not find much. Is my understand correct that the leather blood chits were theater made and not issued like the cloth ones? 78 bombs on the blood chit. That is a lot missions right? What is the patch of the bulldog with the plank? Thanks!

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/wwii-us-leather-bomber-jacket-341-c-5b649218d4?objectID=191538836&algIndex=upcoming_lots_lotNumber_asc_prod&queryID=b73875c6fd56d883bdf77838ced86184

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

Leather blood chit is personal purchase item.

 

[Anorak]

Leather blood chit is personal purchase item.

Interesting thank you. Do you know what the logic behind the purchase was? Was it greater durability vs the cloth ones?

 

[Yardstick]

Do you know what the logic behind the purchase was? Was it greater durability vs the cloth ones?

Based off the sheer number of these leather blood chits in circulation and the fact that most seem to lack stitch holes, my conclusion is that the majority were souvenir items bought in theatre. You see them with artwork for the USN and Marine Raiders amongst others, as well as ATC and USAAF. Yes some were clearly sewn externally on flight jackets, as they were much more durable than the cloth equivalents (more typically sewn into jacket linings). However, I believe that most were brought back as souvenirs, folded up and put into storage (as evidenced by the creases in the leather seen in many examples).

Interestingly, the 'blood chit legend' on this jacket appears to have been painted over (it's visible through the paint) and the mission tally bombs added in its place.

BTW the unit patch on the right side of the jacket (as worn) is from the 12th BG (only the 2nd example in multipiece leather that I've seen). The squadron patch is the 82nd BS, 12th BG.

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

Interesting thank you. Do you know what the logic behind the purchase was? Was it greater durability vs the cloth ones?

Issued blood chit, is an official document issued by ROC government, which ask/order civilian and military personnel help American pilot.

All else , they are personal purchase, or like what Yardstick posted, they are souvenirs.

 

[Cocker]

Interesting thank you. Do you know what the logic behind the purchase was? Was it greater durability vs the cloth ones?

That's always been my guess as well. Cloth blood chits couldn't have been very durable, especially worn on the back of a jacket that was to be rubbed against by a parachute harness, maybe mae west straps, the seat of the aircraft...

 

[Jennison]

Weren’t American flyers generally warned not to wear the Nationalist flag on the outside of the jacket due to potentially “hostile” Chinese communists?

 

[Pilot]

Weren’t American flyers generally warned not to wear the Nationalist flag on the outside of the jacket due to potentially “hostile” Chinese communists?

Only recently since approx. 4 years

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

Weren’t American flyers generally warned not to wear the Nationalist flag on the outside of the jacket due to potentially “hostile” Chinese communists?

Komi won’t kill any American pilot/crew during the war, even at Shanghai, I know one us pilot rescued by Komi.

After Japs surrendered , I know at least one American employee of 14th AF get killed by Komi.

Back to the question, American flyers won’t killed by Komi, wearing or not wearing Nationalist flag.

 

[Jennison]

I certainly believe you as you clearly know your stuff, but from what I read (and I can’t remember the source, so please forgive me), neither we nor the Nationalist Chinese knew how the Communists would react during the War.
I found this on CBI-Theatre.com:

“The Flying Tigers of the American Volunteer Group wore Blood Chits on the back of their flight jackets. They later found it best to sew them inside the jacket in case they were downed in a Communist area.

The Nationalist Chinese flag was not appreciated in communist regions because of the civil war that had begun before World War II and continued afterwards.”

 

[Pilot]

CKS and Mao and his followers ( today they are called Comis ) had a national union/alliance/ agreement against the Japanese enemy.
It was cancelled in 1949 only… The US even supported Mao as well as Ho Chi Minh against the Japanese.. ( same in the first Afghanistan war with the Taliban against the Soviet Union … read inbetween the lines ..)..
Oncle Ho was best friend of the OSS ( USA ) until approx 1947…
There was no issue at all wearing a Nationalist Flag since it meant a lot of cash for the helpers and supporters … mostly farmers and villagers…
„ Comis“ only started to kick in and exist after 1949.
The story became anotherone during the Korea war.. here Shanghai Maine is right and correct..

 

[Jennison]

I don’t at all doubt you and SM are correct. I can only tell you what I read, and it appears that such sentiments may not have been universal, whether from lack of effective communication or otherwise.

From “Combat Magazine”:

“…then moved inside the jacket. If an illiterate native saw the Chinese characters, he might assume them to be Japanese, and if a Chinese communist saw the Nationalist flag, then he might not cooperate; so displaying the blood chitwas not a guarantee of safe passage.”

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

I certainly believe you as you clearly know your stuff, but from what I read (and I can’t remember the source, so please forgive me), neither we nor the Nationalist Chinese knew how the Communists would react during the War.
I found this on CBI-Theatre.com:

“The Flying Tigers of the American Volunteer Group wore Blood Chits on the back of their flight jackets. They later found it best to sew them inside the jacket in case they were downed in a Communist area.

​

The Nationalist Chinese flag was not appreciated in communist regions because of the civil war that had begun before World War II and continued afterwards.”

I see,
they must met some Komi troops at Eastern China.
At that area, civil war was became very cruel during 1934-1938. Nationalist army driven those Komi to the mountains or waste land, where didn’t grown any crops.
Image yourself rarely have chance to eat real food, for four years long, and always be hunted by nationalist army, you may understand , what made they won’t have any good feeling towards nationalist flag and what it represented.
Plus, at 1940-1941 , civil war was still on going, there were some large scale battles happened, during that period.

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

I don’t at all doubt you and SM are correct. I can only tell you what I read, and it appears that such sentiments may not have been universal, whether from lack of effective communication or otherwise.

From “Combat Magazine”:

“…then moved inside the jacket. If an illiterate native saw the Chinese characters, he might assume them to be Japanese, and if a Chinese communist saw the Nationalist flag, then he might not cooperate; so displaying the blood chitwas not a guarantee of safe passage.”

I totally believe, it could happened, and please read my last post.
Komi became friendly toward almost all American military personnel only after 1942.

 

[Jennison]

From what I see of the early blood chits worn by the AVG, they only have the Nationalist flag on them (like the one below). Given the facts you and Pilot mention, perhaps that’s why the American flag was added?

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

CKS and Mao and his followers ( today they are called Comis ) had a national union/alliance/ agreement against the Japanese enemy.
It was cancelled in 1949 only… The US even supported Mao as well as Ho Chi Minh against the Japanese.. ( same in the first Afghanistan war with the Taliban against the Soviet Union … read inbetween the lines ..)..
Oncle Ho was best friend of the OSS ( USA ) until approx 1947…
There was no issue at all wearing a Nationalist Flag since it meant a lot of cash for the helpers and supporters … mostly farmers and villagers…
„ Comis“ only started to kick in and exist after 1949.
The story became anotherone during the Korea war.. here Shanghai Maine is right and correct..

American military personnels were attached to Komi troops at 1943 (liaison officers and radio operators).
Each time US airmen get rescued by Komi, they would arrange pick up, and shipping medical supplies to Komi.
Antibiotic is much useful, and worth higher value than us dollars or gold.

 

[Lorenzo_l]

The jacket in question is a United Sheeplined btw, and fitted with Talon M-41 zipper.

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

From what I see of the early blood chits worn by the AVG, they only have the Nationalist flag on them (like the one below). Given the facts you and Pilot mention, perhaps that’s why the American flag was added?

Yes, represented, anyone carried those chit, they are us military personnel, instead of foreign employer of ROC government ( like AVG personnel was).

 

[Shanghai-Mayne]

Five us airmen rescued by China civilians and Komi troops at Aug 1943.
The Komi officer (third from left), visited America at 1984 (see pic 2), met those airmen again.

 

[Jennison]

Oh wow, that’s excellent!