Korean War Era IDed & Badged G-1

[Maverickson]

Recently, I've been adding some very fine USN jackets to my collection that I would like to share with the Forum. One of these jacket's in particular plays into what I find most exciting this past time and exactly what I concentrate on in my flight jacket collecting. This new jacket is a quite unusual L.W. Foster 55J14 G-1. Besides being altogether one of a kind in it's overall individualized appearance, this jacket also appears to be transitional with it's inherent unique & unusual features added to this jacket by it's maker.

The original owner of this jacket's life was short lived. Subsequently, this G-1 jacket was handed down from the original owner to his nephew. That family member who first inherited this same jacket was also a naval officer. That family member and then 2nd new owner made some modifications to the jacket. If you will look at the photos seen above you will notice that the loop hanger has been removed. As seen below that loop hanger was then attached to the jacket's winged leather name tag and covered the name of the original owner.

When I received the jacket I removed that stitched on strip of leather to reveal the original owners name.

Come to find out, that original owner was in fact a WW-2 aviator having entered the USN in 1943 under the V-5 program. Henry won his wings late war and entered the fleet with a Hell Cat squadron VF-153 which boarded the newly commissioned USS Antietam ( CV-36) bound for the Pacific. That late war embroidered on felt squadron patch (Fighting Kangaroos) is seen on the upper left sleeve.

Thereafter, Henry joined the recently reactivated Skyraider reserve squadron VA-702 (Rustlers) as it transitioned to the newly commissioned VA-145 (Swordsmen) as seen on the 1st version of that squadron patch on the jacket's right breast. The squadron's subsequent peace time WESTPAC cruise patch is found on the upper right sleeve. Henry can be seen in this USS Boxer (CVA-21) book http://navysite.de/cruisebooks/cv21-56/279.htm .

I found this jacket has some most unusual factory variations. This jacket has no metal grommets attached to the underarm gussets. On this jacket they are in fact stitched & not unlike those seen on earlier model M-422A jackets.

The other oddity I found is the Conmar zipper assembly that is attached to this jacket. It is original and not a replacement. It is in fact an aluminum version often mistaken for nickel & is more often than not found on much later 7823 (AER) model G-1 jackets. Being this jacket is a 55J14 it was made no later than 1951 makes this jacket the earliest example of having such a late model zipper attached.


Enjoy!

 

[dujardin]

nice one

good catch

 

[Maverickson]

Thank You Marcel! I appreciate your looking into my latest USN jacket

I’m very pleased to be the new keeper of this what I consider to be a real unique and remarkable piece of work. To my surprise this jacket also happens to be the perfect size for my frame. Although the size tags are no longer present, the jacket appears to be a large size 42 but more than likely a size 44. It has more than generous sized shoulders, pits and waist to make this jacket comfortable to wear. Chances are the original owner quickly outgrew the jacket as it exhibits little wear.

In this case, the wear that is present lends to what I find to be pleasing to the eye. It is my experience to have found that as many much later model USN leather jackets wear and expecially with seal colored jackets, their top coat appears to simply chip off. In this case, however that wear to this hide has more of that burnished look. That wear to the top coat has given way to red undertones which is reminiscent to that same wear as seen on much earlier made Gordon & Furgeson M-422A or even found on the hide of Aero 21996 A-2 jackets.

The hide on this jacket is extremely thick which also makes the jacket very heavy, bar none, some of the heaviest goat hide I have ever encountered on a USN jacket. Even though the hide is thick and very heavy the individual that picked the pieces to use in it’s appointed places were well chosen. In other words, most all the right cuts were used in the correct places. The most stiff or near bullet proof cuts were used underneath or the backside of the sleeves and back panel. While the top of the sleeves are still thick but altogether buttery soft and very pliable. That can be said for choice of material used at the front of the jacket, under arm gusset, and back pleat material within the bysing back. Simply put, this jacket’s hide placement was very carefully thought out and or what one might expect to be found on one of J.C’s custom made Good Wear USN 55-J-14 jackets!

Cheers, Dave

 

[Rutger]

Well,well, that's an excellent review with good eye for details that may go unnoticed to most people (including me).

One thing I wonder is why the effort to cover a name with a leather tab?

 

[bebel]

Hi Dave,

Outstanding jacket as I like (I'm sure that I'm not alone!). Thank you for your all detailed explanations and reviews about this marvelous exemplar. Such 55J14 are quite rare. More scarce when badged as your and with the history of the original owner.

Franck

 

[Maverickson]

[One thing I wonder is why the effort to cover a name with a leather tab?[/quote]

As previously explained, this jacket was passed from one military family member to another. Interesting enough, the original owner passed this jacket on to a nephew who was also a USN officer and who was also aviation affiliated. However, that second owner came from the maternal side so they did not share the same last name. Since the second owner did not share that name in common it must have been decided best to cover that tag up so the jacket could be still worn while that new owner was on active duty.

Personally, I’m glad that this jacket’s name found on the leather winged ID tag was covered up rather than simply removed altogether. Now this jacket’s history has been preserved.

Cheers, Dave

 

[bazelot]

Fantastic jacket jacket Dave. It found a really good home. Jackets like this are harder to come by nowadays.

 

[delta102uk]

Very Nice jacket Dave!....you must have quite a collection of quality USN jackets now!...here's the same earlier theatre made va - 145 patch....

Sean K

 

[greyhound52]

Another great find wow you are lucky.

 

[Anonymous]

Did regs change after WW2? I was under the impression the Navy,and Marines, were strict as to number of patches and placement- wonderful jacket,a great find.

 

[Maverickson]

Did regs change after WW2? I was under the impression the Navy,and Marines, were strict as to number of patches and placement- wonderful jacket,a great find.

As a Navy junior & son of a career naval aviator, while I was coming along during the 1960's these badged up jackets were quite commonplace. It is more than likely those childhood memories that sparked my interest in collecting these same but now vintage jackets in the first place.

At that time and not unlike my father's, those flight jackets worn by my father's associates more resembled road maps. Not to mention, many of those career aviators I met as a consequence of my Father's service were both WW-2, Korean and Vietnam veterans. That badged up 55J14 Foster is a good testament to this fact but not quite as busy as others I had seen back in the day. In those days & from my perspective, jackets worn by those guys were absolutely common place & really quite busy.

I suppose that changes did come to the USN and not unlike what happened to the USAF as to exactly what was to become the acceptable norm. However, on the contrary and having witnessed it first hand, during that same time I was always under the impression that it was the more straight laced looking USAF aviator jackets that appeared to have been under such much earlier scrutiny as to have been nearly void of such individualized patch work then seen on their flight jackets. I suppose the heyday for the USAF ended much sooner or sometime following the Korean War as thereafter their ranks appear to be void of such busy flight attire during that same period.

Cheers, Dave

 

[Jeffro]

That's a beautiful jacket, Dave. How about a closeup of the VF153 patch? Jeffro