Grandfather’s A-2

[DustinD]

I’m new to this forum and found this site after beginning my research into how to best preserve my grandfather’s flight jacket. I’m going to pursue professional conservation because I’d like to preserve the jacket for generations to come if possible. Would welcome any feedback these photos generate. The 5th AF patch was in the right pocket of the jacket. My grandfather flew 43 missions represented by the bombs painted on the back of the jacket. The bomb with the red star represents a mission where they lost their navigator during a raid on Balikpapan in Oct 1944. Also included a picture of a painted panel from a flight bag that I had framed. I would assume these were done post war to commemorate their missions.

 

[VeraVoulik]

Back artwork seems not original wartime one.

 

[mulceber]

Yeah, that paint looks awfully fresh. I could be wrong though.

 

[Flightengineer]

Back artwork seems not original wartime one.

I agree, or it was updated (then it's a pity)

 

[B-Man2]

Agree the back paint is not original …the jacket looks great and there are several people on this forum who are very capable at preserving the jacket .

 

[DustinD]

I wish my grandfather was still around to ask about the artwork. I never saw him wear the jacket. I only became aware of it a few years before his passing. I know he wore it after the war at events like crew reunions. He would have had a hard time fitting into it after his 20’s. I would guess whoever did the flight bag also did the back of the jacket.

 

[B-Man2]

I wish my grandfather was still around to ask about the artwork. I never saw him wear the jacket. I only became aware of it a few years before his passing. I know he wore it after the war at events like crew reunions. He would have had a hard time fitting into it after his 20’s. I would guess whoever did the flight bag also did the back of the jacket.

I’m guessing at this so … my thoughts on the back paint are that probably at one of his reunions the word was past around that if you still had your jacket and wanted it touched up that you could send it to such and such and they’d touch up the art work .

 

[mulceber]

I’m guessing at this so … my thoughts on the back paint are that probably at one of his reunions the word was past around that if you still had your jacket and wanted it touched up that you could send it to such and such and they’d touch up the art work .

I could believe that.

 

[Micawber]

Agreed. I saw original jackets being worn by veterans over 25 years ago that had been freshly painted and examples that had recently been "refreshed". They were quite open about it and why not, they earned the right to do just what they wanted with their gear.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Looks to be newer work, and acrylic at that. Since I only have access to a smaller lap top, I’m going out on a limb by seeing different nose on the jacket, vs the flight bag cut out. At a size 36, ya nave to figure that the owner was appx 5’6”, plus or minus, and assigned as belly or tail gunner. All the same, a very nice 1942 aero.

 

[B-Man2]

Check that again Vic . The photo of his grandfather is that of an officer . He’s wearing an officers cap.The jacket has captains bars .

 

[DustinD]

Looks to be newer work, and acrylic at that. Since I only have access to a smaller lap top, I’m going out on a limb by seeing different nose on the jacket, vs the flight bag cut out. At a size 36, ya nave to figure that the owner was appx 5’6”, plus or minus, and assigned as belly or tail gunner. All the same, a very nice 1942 aero.

My grandfather was a Captain and the pilot of their crew. He was maybe 5’8”.

 

[Chandler]

The plane's nickname on the jacket is different from the bag, did your grandfather fly two different crews?

 

[VeraVoulik]

Bag is wonderful!, love it!

 

[DustinD]

The plane's nickname on the jacket is different from the bag, did your grandfather fly two different crews?

The way it was described to me was they flew whatever plane was ready to fly that day so they flew lots of different planes. The co-pilot wrote a book (Paul Nichols, My Lucky Dice) and I think he even listed all the different planes they flew. I think Queen of the Clouds was the plane they flew into theater. Barbara Jean (980) was the plane they lost their navigator in over Balikpapan. They lost all of their hydraulics and 5 crew members were wounded and 1 dead. They dumped everything out of the plane that weighed anything to stay airborne. The radio operator navigated them back to base and they tied their parachutes to the machine gun mounts and tossed them out of the fuselage to slow the plane down when they landed because they had no functioning hydraulic brakes. My grandfather’s name was Tom so Tommy’s Turdbirds was the nickname for the crew that ended up on the jacket.

 

[Chandler]

Outstanding info -- ISO "My Lucky Dice."

 

[A2 B3au]

Wow and thanks for that story