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The Mighty A-2: A Guide to the Army Air Forces’ Leather Flying Jacket
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J. A. Dubow Mfg. Co. W535-AC-20960 42-1403-P
Contract Awarded: 8 August 1941 (EA2G plate 14)Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: 13,000 jackets (EA2G plate 13)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: dark brown (Chapman)
Zipper(s): The following zippers have been attested. Others are possible. They are listed in approximate order of the frequency with which they have been encountered:
- Crown M-41 nickel
- Kwik M-40 nickel
- Talon M-39 straight pull
- Crown M-40 (EA2G plate 14)
- From Eastman’s research, it appears that Dubow Mfg. was particularly eager to abandon the collar stand (EA2G plate 13), and it is unsurprising that future Dubow contracts, and even some examples of this contract, were made without it.
- This contract was worn by many of the Doolittle Raiders, including Jimmy Doolittle himself (GW).
- The only Dubow contract to be made with a collar stand, although some 20960 jackets did not have one (EA2G plate 14).
- The shape of the collar itself is likewise quite different from later Dubow contracts, and is more akin to a Rough Wear or Werber collar (Chapman).
- The x-box stitching on epaulets is also noticeably more square than on any of Dubows other contracts.
- The knits on this contract were more of a medium brown, sometimes even a little bit lighter, as opposed to the purple hue that is typical of later Dubow contracts.
- Otherwise typical of Dubows, albeit maybe a bit slimmer in the lower torso (Chapman):
- Strong scalloping on the pocket flaps.
- Arm holes in the torso are wide and the sleeves tend to be baggy.
- Unusual pocket placement: equidistant from the outer edge of the storm flap, rather than the zipper. The result is that, if you pay attention, the pocket placement is not symmetrical.
- Epaulets are wide as is typical for all Dubow contracts. Dubows had the “fattest” epaulets found on A-2s.
- Dubow zippers were normally installed so that a lot of zipper tape lay exposed between the teeth and the leather of the chest panel. This photo illustrates it well. It’s not that dramatic, but compare it to this Aero.
- The knit waistband on Dubow jackets was frequently installed with very little tension, with the result that the bottom of the jacket not blouse like a normal A-2. This is evident in period photos as well as in surviving originals.
- Collar snaps on Dubows were normally installed high on the collar and had a domed look, similar to the pocket snaps.
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Rough Wear Clothing Co. W535-AC-21035 42-1671-P
Contract Awarded: 15 August 1941 (EA2G 209)Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: Estimated to be 300, based upon contract value (EA2G 209)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: mid brown
Zipper(s): blackened straight-pull Talon M-39
General Comments:
- The contract was first noted in Eastman's A-2 guide, after he found the paper trail during his research, but it wasn't until Sept. 2020 that John Chapman located a survivor. He subsequently sold it to Gary Eastman.
- The zipper is unique to a RW contract, being a brown coated M-39 Talon No. 5, as also seen on the Fried Ostermann Co. contract W535ac-23883. There’s no obvious reason why the Air Force would need corrosion-resistant zippers. However, two larger A-2 contracts over the next few months, Monarch and Fried Ostermann, would also have blackened zippers, and this small contract was made around the same time that the Navy was ordering the M-422 (not to be confused with the M-422A), which also had blackened or brass zippers. The Navy found these zippers useful, as blackening improved their resistance to the corrosive effects of seawater (Sweeting 6-7), but this was not a concern for the Air Force. Why the AAF pursued blackened zippers in late 1941 remains a mystery.
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:
- Rough Wears were very consistent across their six contracts. Among their features:
- The epaulets have little taper, a narrow double row of stitching running along each edge and have square x-box stitching (Acme Depot).
- Round pocket flaps that come to a rounded center point (Acme Depot).
- Small retaining washers underneath the collar hook eyelets on the liner side. This was only done by Rough Wear and Monarch.
- Rough Wear continued to make their jackets with a collar stand throughout the period of A-2 production
- Blackened Talon M-39 straight-pull
Rough Wear 1671 Example 1:
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Aero Leather Clothing Co. W535-AC-21996
Contract Awarded: 14 October 1941 through February 1942 (EA2G plate 15; WSC 26)Date of Completion: February 1942 (WSC 26)
Quantity: 25,000 jackets (EA2G plate 15)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide(?). The use of cowhide was detected by DNA test (EA2G plate 15), although it should be noted that the test for both this contract and Werber 39-2951P were inconclusive (EA2G 25).
Stitch color: olive drab and medium brown, sometimes on the same jacket
Liner color: mustard brown; typical of Aero contracts
Zipper(s): The following zippers have been attested. Others are possible. They are listed in approximate order of the frequency with which they have been encountered:
General Comments:
- Beginning with this three-way partnership called Aero Leather Clothing Company (note the dropped “incorporated” designation) all of these contracts had a collar that was sewn directly to the body of the jacket, where the previous Aero “Inc.” company contracts had all used a collar stand.
- These jackets frequently show some extreme fading, and much of the jacket will have faded from a dark seal to a very reddish russet, although on some of them the undercolor of the leather appears to have been a light seal. It appears that leather of an originally-lighter color was sloppily re-dyed a very dark brown at some point before the jackets were assembled. This is the first Aero contract to show this unusual coloration, and it would appear on every subsequent contract that the company made, although not always exclusively.
- Aero contract features:
- Bottom pocket corners were frequently more squared-off than other contractors.
- Relatively narrow epaulets (Acme Depot)
- The x-stitch on the epaulets outer edge of the shoulders is off-center, so that it appears to go off the edge of the shoulder. There are other makers that do this too, like Perry and Cable, but it is a detail worth noticing.
- Angular pocket flaps, normally rather wide, with some gentle scalloping, especially on earlier contracts.
- Triangular reinforcement stitching on the pockets.
- Ring snaps - seen on all of Aero’s contracts from mid-1940 onward.
- Collar snap backs are concealed by the lining (Acme Depot)
- No collar stand, in contrast to pre-1941 Aero “Inc.” company contracts.
- Extreme dark-seal-to-russet fading - unique to Aeros.
- Mustard-colored lining (Acme Depot)
- Very commonly seen with red knits (Acme Depot).
- Crown M-41 or Talon M-41 nickel or M-42
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Fried Ostermann Co. W535-AC-23383
Contract Awarded: 22 December 1941 (EA2G plate 16) or January 1942 (WSC 1213)Date of Completion: April 1942 (WSC 1213)
Quantity: 8,000 jackets (EA2G plate 16)
Leather type: goatskin
Stitch color: reddish brown
Zipper(s): blackened Talon M-39 straight pull
General Comments:
- The manufacturer is not listed on the spec. label for this contract. This identification is confirmed by the Alphabetic Listing of Major War Supply Contracts (WSC 1213). It was first identified as Cable in Eastman’s A-2 Guide (EA2G plate 16).
- The leather tab at the base of the storm flap that connects the base of the zipper to the knit waistband is about twice as wide as any other A-2 contract. This alone is a quick and easy way to identify a Fried Ostermann.
- The blackened Talon M-39 straight pull zipper used on this contract is only seen on this contract and on Rough Wear’s vanishingly-small 1671P contract. If you see this zipper type on a jacket, it’s almost certainly a Fried Ostermann.
- Where the body connects to the collar stand, the body panels are, uniquely, sewn over the collar stand.
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Monarch Mfg. Co. W535-AC-23378
Contract Awarded: 26 December 1941 (EA2G plate 17; WSC 2133)Date of Completion: April 1942 (WSC 2133)
Quantity: 15,000 jackets (EA2G plate 17)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: olive drab or mid-brown (Chapman)
Zipper(s): blackened Talon M-39 with a bell pull
General Comments:
Contract worn by Chuck Yeager during his service in World War II and during his historic breaking of the sound barrier.
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:
- The blackened Talon M-39 bell pull zipper used on this contract has not been seen on any other contract. If you see this zipper type on a jacket, it’s almost certainly a Monarch.
- Collar has large, long, rounded lobes (although some can be a bit pointier) in the front and tapers down to a more ordinary size in the back (Acme Depot).
- Small retaining washers underneath the collar hook eyelets on the liner side. This was only done by Monarch and Rough Wear.
- No collar stand.
- Rotated/inset sleeve construction.
- Large, gently-scalloped pocket flaps, although the exact shape of the scalloping varies (Acme Depot).
- Shoulder seams centered under the epaulets (Acme Depot).
- Monarch had a peculiar way of attaching the liner, male side of the zipper, and shell together: one stitch would be sewn through liner and the zipper tape, and then a second stitch was used to sew the zipper tape to the leather shell. The result is that two stitches are visible along the inner edge of the zipper while only one is visible from the outside. Most other manufacturers had one stitch that went through all three layers. This photo illustrates the difference well.
- The stitching on zipper box on Monarch A-2 jackets forms a full rectangle, where on most other contracts, the stitch goes off the edge of the leather and onto the knit. The aim on Monarch's part seems to have been to protect the knits from being damaged by the sewer. This is a feature Monarchs have in common with Star Sportswear and several of the early A-2 makers (SAT, HLB, and all the Aeros prior to 1939).
- Monarch was fond of using French seams, and did so on this contract.
Monarch Example No. 1:
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J.A. Dubow Mfg. Co. W535-AC-23379
Contract Awarded: 26 December 1941 (EA2G plate 18) or January 1942 (WSC 969)Date of Completion: March 1942 (WSC 969)
Quantity: 10,000 jackets (EA2G plate 18)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: medium brown
Zipper(s): The following have been observed, although others cannot be ruled out. They are listed in approximate order of the frequency with which they have been encountered:
- Crown M-41 nickel
- Kwik M-39 Fantail (EA2G plate 18)
- Kwik M-40
- Talon M-42 - possible replacement slider for a Talon M-41?
Identifying/Distinguishing Details:
- Typical Dubow contract:
- The most noticeable feature of the Dubow contracts is their small collar, with pointed tips that taper with a recognizable curve toward the back of the jacket.
- Epaulets are wide as is typical for all Dubow contracts. Dubows had the “fattest” epaulets found on A-2s.
- Dubows are normally seen with knits that were a distinctive purple shade. They are the only manufacturer to have knits of this color.
- Wide rectangular x-box stitching on the epaulets (Acme Depot).
- Strong scalloping on the pocket flaps.
- Arm holes in the torso are wide and the sleeves tend to be baggy.
- Unusual pocket placement: equidistant from the outer edge of the storm flap, rather than the zipper. The result is that, if you pay attention, the pocket placement is not symmetrical.
- Dubow zippers were normally installed so that a lot of zipper tape lay exposed between the teeth and the leather of the chest panel. This photo illustrates it well. It’s not that dramatic, but compare it to this Aero.
- The knit waistband on Dubow jackets was frequently installed with very little tension, with the result that the bottom of the jacket not blouse like a normal A-2. This is evident in period photos as well as in surviving originals.
- Collar snaps on Dubows were normally installed high on the collar and had a domed look, similar to the pocket snaps.
- This contract normally bears a secondary label saying “Property Air Force, U.S. Army” below the spec. label, although exceptions have been attested (EA2G plate 18). Even if both labels are absent, the stitch holes may be noticeable.
- This contract can be found both with and without a collar stand (EA2G plate 18), although in our observation, “without” is far more common.
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Rough Wear Clothing Co. W535-AC-23380
Contract Awarded: 26th December 1941 (EA2G plate 19) or January 1942 (WSC 2703)Date of Completion: April 1942 (WSC 2703)
Quantity: 12,000 jackets (EA2G plate 19)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide - the use of cow was verified by DNA test in Eastman’s A-2 guide (EA2G plate 19), although horse was likely used as well.
Stitch color: medium brown or olive drab
Zipper(s): The following have been observed, although others cannot be ruled out. They are listed in approximate order of the frequency with which they have been encountered:
General Comments:
- Gen. Douglas MacArthur wore a Rough Wear 23380 throughout World War II, and there are a number of photographs of him in it.
- Rough Wears were very consistent across their six contracts. Among their features:
- The epaulets have little taper, a narrow double row of stitching running along each edge and have square x-box stitching (Acme Depot).
- Round pocket flaps that come to a rounded center point (Acme Depot).
- Small retaining washers underneath the collar hook eyelets on the liner side. This was only done by Rough Wear and Monarch.
- Rough Wear continued to make their jackets with a collar stand.
- Commonly made with Crown or triple-marked Talon zippers.
- Commonly seen in both seal and russet.
- This contract normally bears a secondary label saying “Property Air Force, U.S. Army” below the spec. label (EA2G plate 19). Even if both labels are absent, the stitch holes may be noticeable.
Rough Wear 23380 Example No. 1:
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