So there was one (1) Willis & Geiger A-2

[33-1729]

There has been an erroneous belief that Willis & Geiger had an original A-2 contract. Willis & Geiger Outfitters said they were awarded a 1931 U.S. Navy Air Corps contract for an “A-2” flight jacket, but they probably confused it with a Navy G-1 type versus the U.S. Army Air Corp type A-2. (The only A-2 contract from 1931 has been indisputably documented as the twenty-five jacket 31-1897 Goldsmith order, per the declassified 94-3040 A-2 specification documents.) There may be another source of the confusion too … When reading “Hell-Bent for Leather” by D. Nelson and D. Parsons on page 63 they state “The A-2 was a particular favorite of General MacArthur, who acquired several A-2’s, one of which was custom-made by Willis & Geiger [I add the italics]”. So they made one (1). Probably not for sale.

 

[Chandler]

Gotta wonder how much proof Nelson & Parsons had about that custom jacket?

 

[B-Man2]

If this “ W&G MacArthur A2” information is accurate , the jacket has never surfaced. There are two known MacArthur jackets still surviving and one just recently sold at the Rock Island Armory Auction . I’m not saying it’s not possible , just that it’s very unlikely .

Historic A-2 Flight Jacket of General Douglas A. MacArthur | Rock Island Auction

www.rockislandauction.com

Historic A-2 Flight Jacket of General Douglas A. MacArthur

Historic A-2 Flight Jacket of General Douglas A. MacArthur - Rock Island Auction Company

www.icollector.com

 

[mulceber]

Yeah, I’m gonna bet this is mistaken. It’s never surfaced, and MacArthur’s preferred jacket during WW2 was a Rough Wear, before he switched to a Cable in the Korean war. Could he have had a W&G custom jacket at some point along the way? Sure, but I don’t see why he’d go to the trouble when original A-2s were plentiful and he was happy to use contract A-2s.

 

[Chandler]

Does anyone on the forum have one of the W&G "repros" that was made in the 90s or 2000s?

I always wanted to see one of them in person.

 

[Chandler]

...but I don’t see why he’d go to the trouble...

I don't know if the presumption is that *he* went to the trouble more than W&G made it special and gave it to him -- sort of a publicity stunt.

 

[mulceber]

Ah - well I suppose that’s possible. Still, the proof is in the pudding and we haven’t seen any pudding.

Can anybody tell I’m hungry?

 

[33-1729]

Ah - well I suppose that’s possible. Still, the proof is in the pudding and we haven’t seen any pudding.

Since it was never a real government contract, but a private purchase, it would not have a contract identification label. I doubt it could be identified even if in plain sight.

 

[mulceber]

Since it was never a real government contract, but a private purchase, it would not have a contract identification label. I doubt it could be identified even if in plain sight.

Both of MacArthur’s A-2 jackets are accounted for. My point was that if he had a special A-2 given to him by W&G, I’d think someone from his estate would have dragged it out as an interesting curio.

 

[Chandler]

Since it was never a real government contract, but a private purchase, it would not have a contract identification label. I doubt it could be identified even if in plain sight.

And you have to wonder if it followed a true A-2 pattern? One piece back? Fasteners all true to specs? Just a fantasy at this point, but interesting.

 

[Chandler]

Both of MacArthur’s A-2 jackets are accounted for. My point was that if he had a special A-2 given to him by W&G, I’d think someone from his estate would have dragged it out as an interesting curio.

Forgot it in Japan when he was fired.

 

[B-Man2]

Well ..if there really is a MacArthur W&G out there somewhere , I would guess that it would have had to been made for him during the Korean War, because A2 jackets were out of the supply chain by the end of the war . Now I realize that they ceased to issue them from 1943 on, but there were still some around I’d bet . However ... by 1951 I’d guess that A2’s were out of stock everywhere . So if MacArthur wanted a new one , he may have had to privately purchase one someplace . So it may have happened ... hard to say .

 

[33-1729]

Both of MacArthur’s A-2 jackets are accounted for. My point was that if he had a special A-2 given to him by W&G, I’d think someone from his estate would have dragged it out as an interesting curio.

On page 151 they mention one of the MacArthur A-2 jackets was stolen from a display in Norfolk, VA in 1976. Appraised at the princely sum of $350 in 1968!

 

[B-Man2]

Damn!! at $350.00 that’s the price of a 5 star these days

 

[Chandler]

Now I realize that they ceased to issue them from 1943 on...

Did they? I thought they continued to issue them until the stores were depleted -- that should have been well after '43, no? Last contracts in '44, but I'm not sure of the quantities.

FWIW -- my father was issued WW2 HBT fatigues in 1953.

(yeah, I still have the shirt)

 

[B-Man2]

Did they? I thought they continued to issue them until the stores were depleted -- that should have been well after '43, no? Last contracts in '44, but I'm not sure of the quantities.

FWIW -- my father was issued WW2 HBT fatigues in 1953.

(yeah, I still have the shirt)

“Now I realize that they ceased to issue them from 1943 but there were still some around I’d bet . “
Thought that I had said that .

 

[Chandler]

“Now I realize that they ceased to issue them from 1943 but there were still some around I’d bet . “
Thought that I had said that .

It was the "ceased to issue" that I was asking about. Maybe I'm misunderstanding your use of "issue."

 

[SuinBruin]

The claim about a custom W&G A-2 for MacArthur sounds like the kind of thing the late Burt Avedon would have come up with, and he was a fabulist.

 

[33-1729]

The claim about a custom W&G A-2 for MacArthur sounds like the kind of thing the late Burt Avedon would have come up with, and he was a fabulist.

That's quite possible. Of course, it doesn't have to be true for people to believe it. For me, I have no idea at this point.

 

[Flightengineer]

Does anyone on the forum have one of the W&G "repros" that was made in the 90s or 2000s?

I always wanted to see one of them in person.

I once had this jacket from the late 80s. Tagged 40 but was fits like 44.
I painted it and then sold it 3 years ago. But saved pics.