Korean War A-2 jacket

[rayfel]

I have my Korean war Air Force A-2 jacket which is fast disintegrating. When my daughter was a teenager (35 years ago) she thought it cool to wear it, especially since it had my painted (most of which is gone) squadron Patch and name. I just retrieved it after all these years and it obviously has been abused and badly stored. What can I do to preserve what's left? I thought about bronzing it. Is that reasonable?

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[Andrew]

Great that you still have it at least. First thing is to get it off the hanger as it stresses out the shoulders, then i'd apply a little conditioner to the leather like Pecards to rejuvenate it and to clean off the leather. Unless the tears in the leather can be confidently repaired I wouldn't bother doing anytrhing to them, or the knits and liner. I think it's best to stabilize these things than to go over the top repairing them- more incentive for someone else to come along and try wearing it again. They are history and are part of its character.

It should also be stored flat or displayed on a half mannequin or body form. Good work and i'd like to see it after it's been treated.

 

[rayfel]

Andrew
Thanks for your advice. I've never heard of Pecards, where can it be obtained? I don't think many people could wear it these days. I was a skinny kid then and it was still pretty snug. We all wore them snug then, not like the blousey so called "bomber jackets" one sees advertised. In any event, I don't think it can be brought back to wearing condition, the leather is very fragile, apart from the tears, and the lining is falling apart. I'd like to display it and a mannequin sounds like a possibility.
Ray

 

[dmar836]

Ray,
Agree with Andrew. Please don't bronze it. That would cover up the character and reveal only the blemishes. Also at that point it would cease to be a jacket.
JMO,
Dave
KC

 

[Tim P]

I agree that pecards is the way to go. I would say that because of the significant fading that you go for the stuff with the colour infused into it. Best would be several thin coats applied over a few weeks to allow proper absorbtion.
What I then suggest is to share with us the makers name and contract details on the label, if these can be made out, to see if we can guide you towards a maker who reproduces that particular type.
(from what I can see it looks like it was issued as a dark seal brown jacket manufactured by the Rough wear clothing co?)
Once aquired, this would not be difficult to adorn in such a way as it replicated your issue example for wear or as a fake 'then' to show then and now. Also as an occasional wearer to reunions or just out and about.. W all wear them and don't look too stupid!!!!!
I can see a squadron patch at the front, is there any design on the back?

Good luck
Tim

 

[Roughwear]

Tim offers excellent advice reagrding Pecards. It does indeed appear to be a Roughwear, most likely the last contract, 27752, judging by the wider gap between the collar stitching and the edge of the collar comapared with the earlier RW contracts.

 

[Tim P]

I'm not as daft as I look, eh Andrew?
The 27752 contract is about the most widely replicated so thats a bonus.

if you also post the unit you were with when the insignia was painted on, we can work on that for you...

 

[Robman]

I think it looks like the 1756 judging by the brass-looking zipper and the label....

 

[Roughwear]

I think it looks like the 1756 judging by the brass-looking zipper and the label....

You may well be correct. We just need a close up of the label to be sure.

 

[rayfel]

Thanks for all your replies. You have convinced not to bronze it. I googled Pecard, found their website and ordered a tub of Antique leather care. I'll post a photo after I treat the jacket. In the meantime I'm posting a photo of a close up of the badly deteriorated label, a scan of my squadron patch (from a club pass) and a photo of my A-11 helmet. It's in very good condition since it's always been on a form and periodically treated with Lexol. Unfortunately the corrugated rubber tubing on the oxygen mask is badly cracked.

 

[rayfel]

I forgot to mention that I was an airborne controller and observer with the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron based at K-6 (Pyongtaek) Koreaduring 1951 and 1952.

 

[Tim P]

The label makes it a W535ac27753 potentially as I cant see any other contract number where a 75 is followed by (what could be a) 3
Opinions vary as to who was awarded this contract.

the goodwear clothing co replicate it if you would be after an exact reproduction of the jacket.. a cheaper alternative would be to buy a seal brown horsehide jacket in your size new or second hand as A-2 jackets differ only in minute (and arguably insignificant (as far as government procurements are concerned in any event) details).
I would be happy to paint the unit insignia on your new jacket gratis if you were to want to get one.

 

[watchmanjimg]

I forgot to mention that I was an airborne controller and observer with the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron based at K-6 (Pyongtaek) Koreaduring 1951 and 1952.

Ray, it's great to have you aboard. I'm glad to see you've preserved your original jacket, whatever ravages time may have visited upon it. Thanks for your service and contribution to the forum!

 

[Tim P]

I forgot to mention that I was an airborne controller and observer with the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron based at K-6 (Pyongtaek) Koreaduring 1951 and 1952.

Ray, it's great to have you aboard. I'm glad to see you've preserved your original jacket, whatever ravages time may have visited upon it. Thanks for your service and contribution to the forum!

amen, I have a strong interest in KW era aviation and would love to hear some anecdotes...

 

[Grant]

Hi Ray,
Welcome to the forum! Always good to hear from a Korean War vet.
My father flew night combat in B-26 Invaders with the 13BS out of K-8 Kunsan.

 

[Grant]

Hi again Ray,
Your jacket isn't a Rough Wear, it's called a 1756 "no name" contract because there was no manufacturer's name included in the spec label. Here's a photo of another 1756 contract showing similar wear to the label. This jacket belonged to a P-47 pilot with the 9th AF. The jacket has really a really cool painted P-47 on the back. Sorry for the fuzzy photo! Most of the jackets I've seen from this contract were made using seal brown horsehide. BTW, this contract was supposedly filled later in WWII, probably around 1944.

When you apply the Pecards, be patient and don't put too much on at once. Use it sparingly and allow the jacket to soak it up for a day or so before wiping any excess off with a cotton rag.

 

[Roughwear]

The 1756 Contract was not the same as the 27753 contract attributed to Cable and dating from 1942. The 1756 contract was a late one from the fiscal year 1944 and has quite alot of similarity with Perry Sportswear A2s. My guess is that it was most likely made by Perry. This may be relevant here.There is a document dated 13 June, 1944, from Maj. Gen B.E. Meyers, Office, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Materiel, Maintenance and Distribution which shows the following award of contracts:

Perry Sportswear, Newburgh, New York, Jacket, leather, Type A-2 25,000
J.A. Dubow, Chicago, Ill Jacket, Leather, Type A-2 35,000

The two named Perry contracts date to the 1942 fiscal year so it is unlikely the document was referring to them. The Dubow contract would most likely have been the W33-038 AC 1755. In otherwords both contract were issued at around the same time in 1944. These were large contracts and probably not completed with the transition to cloth which had started the previous year.

The label was made by the same maker who supplied the no-name labels to the Boston maker S H Knopf for A-2s (18246-P) .

 

[Roughwear]

It is likely that jackets from contracts with no-name labels bore such labels because they would have been produced before a company was picked for a contract by the USAAF. The snaps, zippers, linings, and knits would have been sourced from local or semi-local businesses via an Army contractor who studied acceptable mfg'ers for their compliance with AAF and federal regulations.

 

[Grant]

Hi Ray,
Here's a quick shot of the back of this 1756 showing the art work. I normally like russet color A-2's but always liked the seal color of this particular contract as it really makes the art work pop. Sorry for the fuzzy photo - thanks to the iphone and low light!

 

[dmar836]

It's at about this time that Ray is sorry he asked!
LOL
Love to hear more details about your experiences, Ray.
Dave
KC