bogus cbi a-2

[ciddu]

I still wonder if the jacket itself is OK - I'm not experienced enough to judge.
If it actually is, probably the selling price isn't too high, it looks quite good to me, and worse jackets were sold for higher prices.
Anyway the CBI and the ICWATC patches show double stitching lines (left side of CBI and upper side of ICWATC) so they are supposerd to come fron another jacket.

 

[unclegrumpy]

... of some interest is that the icwatc patch is sewn on the left chest. for the most part, i have seen them sewn on the right side chest.

Yes, that is what I have seen over the years as well, though I would say it is not that uncommon for them to be on the left chest. I think this again supports the theory that this was the "new" jacket Kroepsch was issued in 1944 once he rotated home, and was flying General's around, and needed to look good and more "regulation".

It would be interesting to think for a moment about the jacket Kroepsch wore overseas that he probably turned in. It might have had a leather blood chit on the back of it or silk ones sewn inside. The other thing that his old jacket might have had was some type of marking for the missions he flew....like camels...and something painted on it to signify his crash landing. It also probably would have been a lot more worn from all those hours in the air.

One thing to further consider, is that once guys got out of the Combat Theaters, the rules for what they could wear was much stricter and closer to regulation. Much....or probably most of the jacket artwork was not tolerated once they got home and were attached to Stateside units again....it was back to name tags and the Squadron or Group patches that they were currently assigned to.

A further observation I have noticed over the years, is the vast majority of highly dolled up war art jackets that survived were from guys who got out of the service right after the war ended and never had a real Stateside assignment. That is not to say that guys who stayed in did not keep and put their jackets away as souvenirs, as many clearly did, but in my experience asking vets over the years what happened to their patched up leather jackets, all too many happily told me how they turned them in for new cloth ones once they got home.

 

[Roughwear]

I still wonder if the jacket itself is OK - I'm not experienced enough to judge.
If it actually is, probably the selling price isn't too high, it looks quite good to me, and worse jackets were sold for higher prices.
Anyway the CBI and the ICWATC patches show double stitching lines (left side of CBI and upper side of ICWATC) so they are supposerd to come fron another jacket.

The Sheeplined A2 is absolutely fine-definitely no a repro even by GW.

 

[ciddu]

Thank you for the expertise, Andrew!
So, a beautiful jacket, in very good conditions - not so pricey, all considered!

 

[prostaff4ever]

This was definitely a real deal United Sheeplined. I've got a few and there is no way a repro can gain that sort of graining without about 60+ years of aging. The knits were replaced though but I would not be able to say that the patches weren't put on by the vet. The rank insignia have definitely been sewn on for a long time.