Andrew
Well-Known Member
Hope you find this interesting, It's the bit I like most about this infliction.
Finally got around to photographing my latest aquisition. Thanks to help from fellow VLJ detectives I managed to find out quite a bit about the aircraft and i'm starting to discover things about the crew as well. What i'd like to be able to do is put a name to the jacket which I doubt I will do, and to find a photo of the particular plane.
I also have the full MACR document which has postwar statements of all the surviving Crew. Only the Pilot was killed when it was shot down and no one knows why he didn't make it as at the time of the last guy exiting he was fine and right behind him. He suspects that he may have been hit by a stray round as they were in the middle of a lot of action as they were going down. Perhaps he was pinned by G forces, we'll never know.
Shack Rats, 568th BS, 390th BG. B-17G-Vega serial # 297863. A/c letter S.
Accepted by USAAF 20 Mar 44. Tulsa Mod Center 20 Mar 44. Kearney 13 May 44. Grenier 24 May 44. 8th AF 25 May 44. MIA Merseburg 29 Jul 44. Hit by flak, two engines out. Crashed at Bad Bibra. Norby KIA, rest POW.
I have recently been in contact with the Navigator and his two Sons who are great to talk and really pleased some stranger's taking an interest in their Dad's and fellow Crews wartime experiences. Unfortunately Robert was hospitalized a week after I made contact and i've not heard since- I hope he's ok.
They did manage to send me this initial shot and hopefully i'll see more later. That's Robert in the middle top photo.
Stealing an image from Rich's post, this is what Shack Rats would have looked like. Liberty Belle was in the same Group, different Squadron.
The jacket. This was bought from Motelbuyer who bought it off Grand High Master patch collector "Walika". I presume that means it's ligit. I'll need some help identifying the maker, not that this is a big deal for me but it's more info, it's missing its label as that area has been repaired at some time. It's a small, i'd say 38 which would agree with the Nav's assertion that it would have belonged to one of the enlisted guys, possibly Ball turret or tail gunner.
I don't know why it would have been stamped- was it reissued? Unfortunaly no personalization anywhere on the jacket.
The Details- collar, pocket and inside pocket. The tabs on the backs of the snaps are quite particular.
The best bit of course is the artwork. It's quite worn in places but shows evidence of overpaint. I don't think that it's at all recent but it is not evenly worn. I'm also wondering why the leather is worn through in one spot but has been painted over. Perhaps this jacket was passed around before it was painted. There is what appears to be a lighter area of leather in the general area of the artwork, as it it's been cleaned of previous art or prepared for this art. I doubt that this is not genuine but I do wonder why it looks like that. Perhaps it's just wear as that's the most exposed part of the jacket. I hope it never belonged to a certain Canadian collector (No offence to all other Canadian collectors
)!
If I manage to unearth any more about it i'll add it here and i'm happy to accept leads!
Here's a shot of my ratty themed collection of painted jackets. '
Finally got around to photographing my latest aquisition. Thanks to help from fellow VLJ detectives I managed to find out quite a bit about the aircraft and i'm starting to discover things about the crew as well. What i'd like to be able to do is put a name to the jacket which I doubt I will do, and to find a photo of the particular plane.
I also have the full MACR document which has postwar statements of all the surviving Crew. Only the Pilot was killed when it was shot down and no one knows why he didn't make it as at the time of the last guy exiting he was fine and right behind him. He suspects that he may have been hit by a stray round as they were in the middle of a lot of action as they were going down. Perhaps he was pinned by G forces, we'll never know.
Shack Rats, 568th BS, 390th BG. B-17G-Vega serial # 297863. A/c letter S.
Accepted by USAAF 20 Mar 44. Tulsa Mod Center 20 Mar 44. Kearney 13 May 44. Grenier 24 May 44. 8th AF 25 May 44. MIA Merseburg 29 Jul 44. Hit by flak, two engines out. Crashed at Bad Bibra. Norby KIA, rest POW.
I have recently been in contact with the Navigator and his two Sons who are great to talk and really pleased some stranger's taking an interest in their Dad's and fellow Crews wartime experiences. Unfortunately Robert was hospitalized a week after I made contact and i've not heard since- I hope he's ok.
They did manage to send me this initial shot and hopefully i'll see more later. That's Robert in the middle top photo.
Stealing an image from Rich's post, this is what Shack Rats would have looked like. Liberty Belle was in the same Group, different Squadron.
The jacket. This was bought from Motelbuyer who bought it off Grand High Master patch collector "Walika". I presume that means it's ligit. I'll need some help identifying the maker, not that this is a big deal for me but it's more info, it's missing its label as that area has been repaired at some time. It's a small, i'd say 38 which would agree with the Nav's assertion that it would have belonged to one of the enlisted guys, possibly Ball turret or tail gunner.
I don't know why it would have been stamped- was it reissued? Unfortunaly no personalization anywhere on the jacket.
The Details- collar, pocket and inside pocket. The tabs on the backs of the snaps are quite particular.
The best bit of course is the artwork. It's quite worn in places but shows evidence of overpaint. I don't think that it's at all recent but it is not evenly worn. I'm also wondering why the leather is worn through in one spot but has been painted over. Perhaps this jacket was passed around before it was painted. There is what appears to be a lighter area of leather in the general area of the artwork, as it it's been cleaned of previous art or prepared for this art. I doubt that this is not genuine but I do wonder why it looks like that. Perhaps it's just wear as that's the most exposed part of the jacket. I hope it never belonged to a certain Canadian collector (No offence to all other Canadian collectors
)!
If I manage to unearth any more about it i'll add it here and i'm happy to accept leads!
Here's a shot of my ratty themed collection of painted jackets. '
