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Cable Raincoat A-2 CBI
- Thread starter Art65
- Start date
Art65
Member
Thanks Edward! Would like to know more about the blood chit. They are all well made, except the flying cobra's that looks like an amateur made it...
Edward
Well-Known Member
Many patches of that nature were theater made and usually created by the locals that weren’t necessarily professionals… Sometimes the airmen had guys in the shops make the patches which is why they would look amateurish… It actually adds character and lends to its authenticity! Otherwise embroidered cloth patches were made on machines but typically leather ones weren’t official issue and local area crafts persons were commissioned. So leather patches of course by nature are all handmade and depending on the skill set of the person making it would determine its final quality.
I’m not any kind of expert. Leather patches are quite desirable for its rarity and artistic nature. Many of them were made of lesser quality and thin leather and usually did not survive very well… They were dry rot and fall apart so the fact that yours look as great as they do is really fantastic and adds to the value to your jacket in a very large way! Especially the American flag blood chit.
Silver Surfer
Well-Known Member
i could be wrong [pix are a little unclear], but there appears to be ghost stitching around the blood chit and us flag on the back. if so, this would lead me to think that the blood chit and flag were added at some point to replace the patches on the back. not exactly unusual, as these blood chits were sometimes removed by vets for what ever reason, ie: too attention getting during the post wwll period of us chinese probs, sold off, dry rot, given to family, etc. the flying cobra patxh looks good, but the border around the patch looks awfully new as compared to the rest of jacket and patches. mind you, this is a visually accessed opinion, and not writ in stone.
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Edward
Well-Known Member
The flying cobras is particularly nice actually because not only is it a leather patch but it’s hand-painted! Which again depending on the talent of the artist is what determines whether it looks more or less professional but as far as desirability goes that does not lessen its value or interest whatsoever!
Edward
Well-Known Member
Agree with silver surfer… Many times when patches of this nature which tend to wear out or rot away when they’re in this kind of condition closer examination is needed to determine if they are postwar additions… My personal opinion about CBI jackets is that they were not worn nearly as much as they were in the ETO so less wear and tear however the extreme heat and humidity of the south pacific area was detrimental to leather… Also it depends on which crew member that jacket belong to and what his job was a board the aircraft would determine how much wear and tear the jacket would receive… Depending on whether or not he wore parachute harness with a backpad or a seat pad parachute and if he sat in a cockpit chair or was a standing gunner or a bombardier… Like silver surfer said many patches were removed later in the war due to the fact that if you landed in China being there was a Civil War there were not necessarily Friendly’s that would take too well to the nationalist Chinese flag and you could be held hostage for ransom instead of protected for a promised reward they weren’t sure they would actually receive. Many cloth type blood chits were sewn inside the jacket for that very reason.
Art65
Member
Yes, coming up....
Art65
Member
Attachments
Art65
Member
And a link to more info on Lt. Bubb...
Art65
Member
Thanks for the welcome! I bought it from a collector through ebay. He sold three comparable jackets same time.
Edward
Well-Known Member
"
When he became 18, he found a job selling cars in order to take flying lessons, unbeknownst to his mother, until he received his pilot's license in 1943, buying his own plane shortly thereafter. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 to begin his 31 year flying career.
As a 1st Lieutenant he served as a B-24 Liberator Pilot in the China Burma-India Theatre from May 1944 to January 1945.
"
thats amazing! can you imagine doing that straight out of high school?
When he became 18, he found a job selling cars in order to take flying lessons, unbeknownst to his mother, until he received his pilot's license in 1943, buying his own plane shortly thereafter. He enlisted in the United States Army in 1943 to begin his 31 year flying career.
As a 1st Lieutenant he served as a B-24 Liberator Pilot in the China Burma-India Theatre from May 1944 to January 1945.
"
thats amazing! can you imagine doing that straight out of high school?
Ken at Aero Leather
Well-Known Member
All in all, fabulous
Agreed the stitch with a white spool thread is much newer than the green thread, nice to know when it was added,
Chit & Patch, judging by wear and stitch holes, look as if they've been previously used.....a lot more than the thread indicates. There is only the one run of stitch holes to the lining under the patches which means the current patches are the only ones that have ever been fitted to the jacket............whenever that was?
I bet the RH pocket could tell a story....................don't try to get it "fixed" whatever you do just in case it turns out "The" story of the jacket
Agreed the stitch with a white spool thread is much newer than the green thread, nice to know when it was added,
Chit & Patch, judging by wear and stitch holes, look as if they've been previously used.....a lot more than the thread indicates. There is only the one run of stitch holes to the lining under the patches which means the current patches are the only ones that have ever been fitted to the jacket............whenever that was?
I bet the RH pocket could tell a story....................don't try to get it "fixed" whatever you do just in case it turns out "The" story of the jacket
Art65
Member
Thanks for your careful studying Ken! I took some of the white stitching that hung loose...it immediately broke, so is probably old. I have written a nice letter to the original owners widow. She is in her seventies now, and hope she remembers selling it or anything. I thought contacting her via snail mail is the best way to go. Nobody likes phonecalls out of the blue... Ans I will do nothing to the jacket except showing it and keep it clean and dry. If I get any reaction with stuff to add to the story I will post it here of course.. Thanks!
Ken at Aero Leather
Well-Known Member
I've been looking at this closely
In my opinion it's most likely all these patches are wartime asdditions.
the name tag & rank being sewn at a different time to the rest...earlier
All the other insignia was added at the same time, this is obviouse by the back stitch.
Apart from the US Flag, and possibly the chit but I think not on reflection, none of the other patches have ever been fitted to a different jacket. Not a single stray stitch hole.
The wear on the black on the 9thBS patch and the wear to the text on the Flying Cobra patch indicate a fair amount of wear post fitting.........almost certainly in service.
The lining on the other hand is closer to mint
This suggested the jacket was stored pretty much immediately after the war
Conclusion
My ££s would be on it being 100% Kosher
In my opinion it's most likely all these patches are wartime asdditions.
the name tag & rank being sewn at a different time to the rest...earlier
All the other insignia was added at the same time, this is obviouse by the back stitch.
Apart from the US Flag, and possibly the chit but I think not on reflection, none of the other patches have ever been fitted to a different jacket. Not a single stray stitch hole.
The wear on the black on the 9thBS patch and the wear to the text on the Flying Cobra patch indicate a fair amount of wear post fitting.........almost certainly in service.
The lining on the other hand is closer to mint
This suggested the jacket was stored pretty much immediately after the war
Conclusion
My ££s would be on it being 100% Kosher
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