The Mighty A-2: A Guide to the Army Air Forces’ Leather Flying Jacket

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David D. Doniger & Co. W535-AC-29971 42-21539-P​

Contract Awarded: 9 June 1942 (EA2G plate 36)
Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: 5,000 jackets (EA2G plate 36)
Leather type: goatskin
Stitch color: medium or reddish brown (Chapman)
Zipper(s): Overwhelmingly Talon M-41 nickel; the Talon M-42 nickel is attested as well, however.
General Comments:

• There are two versions of the spec. label; one has the manufacturer’s name on it, while one does not.

Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

• Collar comes to sharp points (Acme Depot).
• Shoulder seams underneath the epaulets, as opposed to behind them (Acme Depot).
• Simple, triangular pocket flaps (Acme Depot), but more elongated than those seen on others with this type of pocket flap.
• Rotated inset sleeves.
• Goatskin
• All of these details are very similar to Spiewak’s contract, but what distinguishes the Doniger is the almost exclusive use of bell Talon zippers and the use of ball stud snaps.

Doniger Example No. 1:

 

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Doniger Example No. 1 continued:

More photos…

 

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Simpsons Gloves Pty. Lt., Vic., Australia “V505”​

Contract Awarded: 1942
Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: unknown
Leather type: cowhide
Stitch color: brown
Zipper(s): Zipp
General Comments:

• A surviving example of the 1942 V505 US Army Air Corps contract is shown in Japanese mono magazine, 2021.03.16 edition. The 1942 V505 contract paperwork has not been located, but VLJ member @33-1729 tracked down the paperwork for the 1943 V505 contract so we know V505 refers to Simpsons Gloves Pty. Ltd., Vic., Australia. The 1942 jacket is made of cowhide and with a cotton broadcloth lining, as with the 1943 V505 contract. Construction details are quite similar.
• In Business Paper No. 8695 for the 1943 V505 contract they also mentioned "This firm is the previous supplier of this item and has given satisfactory service", so we knew this contract existed before a survivor was found.
• It’s likely, but unconfirmed, that Simpsons supplied all materials for construction of the 1942 V505 contract and, if true, that would make this specific A-2 contract the only one like it (see 1943 V505).
• The label was coded V505 because of Australia's proximity to the war and the need to shelter business identities from possible attack.
• V505 jackets were used by some members of the U.S. Fifth Air Force (an example is shown below)
• This is the only surviving contract where an accurate reproduction has not been produced. The original “Made in Australia” label limits possible reproduction to an Australian company.

Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

• The only confirmed contract with double-stitched pockets (also see Appendix C).

Simpson Example. No. 1:

 

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Simpsons Gloves Pty. Lt., Vic., Australia “V505” contract no. 2​

Date of Completion: by December 1943, based upon 125 jackets/week per contract
Quantity: 3,132 jackets
Leather type: cowhide
Stitch color: brown
Zipper(s): Zipp
General Comments:

• After VLJ member @dinomartino1 found a reference to this contract in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Canberra, June 24, 1943, no. 137, p. 1313 @33-1729 hired an Australian researcher to scour the National Archives of Australia in Canberra for the contract details. The researcher found that the Minutes of the Australian Contract Board Supply Business Paper Numbers 8605 (dated 19/5/43) & 9032 (dated 2/6/43) confirm this contract for the U.S.A. Air Corps.
• This is the only confirmed contract where all of the jacket construction materials, except the cotton lining, were supplied by the firm instead of the US Government. It is assumed that Simpsons' previous V505 contract sourced materials in this way as well, but it is not confirmed.
• Leather samples were supplied with the bids and Simpsons Gloves had the “lowest offer received” and fastest delivery time of the four bidders (The contrast with the production velocity of US-made A-2s is abysmal, but Australian industry during the war was in turmoil. See Hastings 2008:336-339 for a brief summary).
• Business Paper 9032, dated 2-June-1943, noted the firm was unable to secure supplies of art silk lining, so the U.S.A.A.C. arrange for a free issue of cotton material in lieu of art silk and reduced the contract price accordingly. As planned the V505 would have been manufactured with a silk lining, but ended up with cotton like all the other contracts.
• The label was coded V505 because of Australia's proximity to the war and the need to shelter business identities from possible attack.
• V505 jackets were used by some members of the U.S. Fifth Air Force (an example is shown below)
• This is the only surviving contract where an accurate reproduction has not been produced. The original “Made in Australia” label limits possible reproduction to an Australian company

Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

• The only confirmed contract with double-stitched pockets (also see Appendix C).

Simpson Example No. 1:

 

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Part IV: A Confused Conclusion – the AN-J-3 and the Last Three A-2 Contracts – December 1943​

The last phase of A-2 production is opaque to us. On 2-June-1943 the A-2 was officially switched to Limited Standard issue. While this moment has often been portrayed as the end of the A-2, Limited Standard Issue really meant the A-2 had been superseded by newer equipment, but that military procurement was still allowed (source; see also the Authority for Change of Status of Equipment dated May 24, 1943 with the approval date noted at the bottom of the page below). The official replacement for the A-2 was drawing no. AN-6552, better known by its specification number, AN-J-3.

From Sweeting’s Combat Flying Clothing book, this jacket type “...was used in limited quantities by both the Army and Navy during the latter half of the war. Quite similar to the A-2 jacket [editor’s note: more precisely, quite similar to the US Navy M-422a], the AN-J-3 was made of brown leather, including the collar, had knitted cuffs and waist band, and a zipper-fly front…” (Sweeting 59) Except for the Smithsonian Institution photograph below, a verifiable military-issued AN-J-3 has never been located, although similar jackets have been found, some with civilian labels, some without any label at all.

Instead of pursuing the AN-J-3 further, in December of 1943, the AAF ordered three more A-2 contracts, all from tried and true contractors. Why they chose not to pursue the AN-J-3 but did choose to order more A-2 jackets is an open question and likely will remain so until further records of this transition are discovered.

The government also undertook the refurbishment of existing A-2 stock, along with many other items, to help alleviate supply issues and ensure quality control. VLJ member @Grant spoke with a woman who worked for Aero during the war and she noted they received literal truckloads of jackets to refurbish (new hardware, lining, knits, etc.) and any jackets with art on them were destroyed. A-2s continued to be issued to pilots who might need them (or really wanted one) through the end of the war. When the A-2 specification was eventually canceled, on Feb 26, 1951, it was replaced by an intermediate jacket under Specification MIL-J-6251 “Jacket Flying, Intermediate, Type B-15C” (see below).

File No. 06-242 - the document that made the A-2 “Limited Standard” Issue

Existing A-2 stock took a while to thin out. Note the Feb 26, 1951 approval date.

 

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J. A. Dubow Mfg. Co. W33-038 AC-1755 (11631)​

Contract Awarded: December 1943
Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: 35,000 (13 June 1944 document from Maj. Gen B.E. Meyers, Office, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Materiel, Maintenance and Distribution via VLJ member @Roughwear)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: medium brown or olive drab
Zipper(s): Talon M-42 gilt and blackened Talon M-43, according to Eastman (EA2G plate 37)

General Comments:
Beginning July 1, 1943 (Fiscal Year 1944) the contract code changed to W33-038, where “W33” is the War Dept. ID code for Wright Field and “038” represents all Air Materiel Commands within the USAAF.

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.
• This contract appears to have been made entirely in a dark seal.
• Examples that we have seen of this contract are almost universally in sizes 36-40, and it has been credibly speculated, but not proven, that these last three contracts (Dubow, Perry, and Bronco) were made mostly in smaller sizes. As Eastman notes “this is based on present day observation only.” This conclusion is going out on a limb, as these contracts were large, and the most likely survivor is the one least used. There are a significant number of samples that can be inspected, but we have no supporting documentation to support this theory. (EA2G plates 37-39, FG 21)
• Mostly double-marked gilt Talon zippers.

Dubow 1755 Example No. 1:

 

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Dubow 1755 Example No. 2:

More photos…

 

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Perry Sportswear Inc. W33-038 AC-1756​

Contract Awarded: December 1943
Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: 25,000 (13 June 1944 document from Maj. Gen B.E. Meyers, Office, Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Materiel, Maintenance and Distribution via VLJ member @Roughwear )
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide
Stitch color: reddish brown
Zipper(s): Conmar M-40 gilt and Talon M-42 gilt, according to Eastman (EA2G plate 38).
General Comments:

• The manufacturer is not listed on the spec. label for this contract. It was first identified as Perry in Eastman’s A-2 Guide (EA2G plate 27). This identification is confirmed by similarities to other contracts manufactured by Perry.

Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

• Perry Contract Features:
  • Collar stand used on all contracts, even though it was no longer mandatory.
  • The underside of the storm flap on many Perry jackets is made up of three panels (Acme Depot).
  • “Soft and shallow curves to pocket flaps, with stitch lines which are spaced farther than typical from the edge of the flap.” (Acme Depot)
  • Rectangular reinforcement stitching on the pockets (Acme Depot)
  • No Perry has been found with a pocket tag (GW)
• The collar points on this contract often seem to be a bit more angular than is typical of Perry.
• Examples that we have seen of this contract are almost universally in sizes 36-40, and it has been credibly speculated, but not proven, that these last three contracts (Dubow, Perry, and Bronco) were made mostly in smaller sizes. As Eastman notes “this is based on present day observation only.” This conclusion is going out on a limb, as these contracts were large, and the most likely survivor is the one least used. There are a significant number of samples that can be inspected, but we have no supporting documentation to support this theory. (EA2G plates 37-39, FG 21)
• The leather on these seems to have frequently been a very dark seal, although a more chocolate-colored seal is attested as well.

Perry 1756 Example No. 1:

 

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Perry 1756 Example No. 2:

More photos…

 

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Bronco Mfg. Co. W33-038 AC-1761​

Contract Awarded: December 1943
Date of Completion: unknown
Quantity: Estimated to be over 25000, but no supporting paperwork (EA2G plate 39)
Leather type: horsehide/cowhide. Aota Mituhiro suggests that goatskin was also used (FG 21), but we have never seen any examples.
Stitch color: medium brown and olive drab
Zipper(s): Talon M-42 gilt, Talon M-41 gilt
General Comments:

• Isaac Spiewak, through his relatives, was also the owner of United Sheeplined and Bronco mfg. Bronco was run by his younger sons, Pete and Murry Spiewak, while United Sheeplined was run by his son-in-law and the son-in-law’s cousin (Chapman).

Identifying/Distinguishing Details:

• Bronco’s distinguishing features:
  • Beveled pocket corners. This is a trait shared only with the United Sheeplined contract and the vanishingly-rare H.L.B. contract (Acme Depot).
  • Shoulder seam is behind the epaulets, not underneath them. This is similar to H.L.B’s contract, but different from the much more common United Sheeplined contract (Acme Depot).
  • Hanger loop frequently attached with bartacks. No other contractor did this (Acme Depot).
• Examples that we have seen of this contract are almost universally in sizes 36-40, and it has been credibly speculated, but not proven, that these last three contracts (Dubow, Perry, and Bronco) were made mostly in smaller sizes. As Eastman notes “this is based on present day observation only.” This conclusion is going out on a limb, as these contracts were large, and the most likely survivor is the one least used. There are a significant number of samples that can be inspected, but we have no documentation to support this theory. (EA2G plates 37-39, FG 21)
• This contract seems to have mostly been made in dark seal, with some lighter seals seen as well.
• Gold-colored zippers

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CHR7I3GtDy7bFnTh4BMaTw4Fzf82qR9P?usp=drive_link
Bronco 1761 Example No. 1:

 

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Bronco 1761 Example No. 2:

More photos…

 

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Concluding Remarks:​

The A-2 jacket was, and is, iconic. To the pilots who flew for the USAAF, it was a status symbol and a canvas on which they could express their identity as members of a crew or a unit and comment wryly on the life they led. For the next generation, who grew up reading “Terry and the Pirates,” and watching movies like Fighter Squadron (1948), The Great Escape (1963), and Von Ryan’s Express (1965), the A-2 came to represent the swashbuckling adventures of daredevil pilots in exotic locales. The men who wore them were often presented in the media as larger than life heroes, equipped with the pinnacle of modern technology - the airplane - right at the front lines of the greatest conflict the world had ever seen. These images and ideas are echoed, distantly, in the figure of Chuck Yeager, as portrayed by Sam Shepard in 1983’s The Right Stuff, as well as Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Jake Cutter in Tales of the Golden Monkey (1982) and, much more recently, the eponymous main character in season nine of Archer (2018).

As the generation that fought at Normandy and flew over Europe has aged out, the attitude to those years and their service has shifted to one of reverence. Where so many leather jackets speak to a "bad boy" look, the A-2 flying jacket has come to speak to the "good guy" look, a piece of recognizable clothing that men, women and boys could instantly identify with the struggle of freedom and democracy against the threat of fascism. The A-2 has, to many, become accessible superhero clothing. Who would have thought a functional piece of military clothing could mean so many things to so many different people?

 

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Appendix A: First Three A-2 Contracts​

Note the 1-Aug-2017 declassification stamp in the top left.

 

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Appendix B: A-2 Contract List:​

 

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Appendix C: Goldsmith Candidate:​

The best known candidate for an actual Goldsmith 31-1897, but clearly not provable without a survivor, is the one Lt Col Arnold is wearing below (on the right). This pivotal photograph was first brought to the attention of the VLJ forum by member @zoomer

Why do we consider this a possible Goldsmith A-2?

• Paper trail: The declassified 94-3040 specification documents contain a letter shown in Appendix A stating the first three (3) contracts were all “conforming substantially” to the same 9 May 1931 specification, most notably with buttoned pocket flaps, with the fourth jacket order 33-1729 using snapped pocket flaps relying upon the newly cleared 18 Aug 1932 specification
• People: The individuals were identified, from left to right, as Col. Howard, wearing a SAT 32-485 (compared to surviving examples), Brigadier General Westover, wearing the just released Werber 33-1729 (compared to surviving examples) and Lt Col Arnold
• Provenance: Differentiated from an arbitrary photograph, Lt Col Arnold was the Commanding Officer; Chief, Field Service Section, Materiel Division, Air Corps from 1929-1931 when and from where the Goldsmith 31-1897 was ordered (Oct 1930). And at a documented official function
• Function: This is a working meeting with the photograph labeled "Army Aviation Officers Feted" covered in Los Angeles Times article "Air Defence Gaining Speed"
• Dress: The photograph notes specifically state they are "wearing [regulation] leather flight jackets". The earlier A-1 had button closure, not a zipper, so not an A-1 jacket.
• Timing: 16-May-1933. There were only four (4) A-2 contracts at this time; the Goldsmith 31-1897, SAT 32-485, Werber 32-6225 and 33-1729
• The jacket itself: The button pocket flaps show it is one of the first three contracts (along with the unusually long cuffs as seen on the SAT). The jacket details do not match the SAT details, nor the just made Werber 33-1729 discounting the Werber 32-6225 as a possible candidate (the Werber’s would have similar construction traits)

In addition, Mr Eastman noted when discussing the A-1 “. . . pilots had already, unofficially, modified their long flying coats into shorter versions in an attempt to provide themselves with something more suitable . . .“ (EA2G 114), so the above points define and separate this government issue leather flight jacket Lt Col Arnold is wearing from stray jacket photographs at the time.

All of this leaves P. Goldsmith Sons Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio 31-1897 as the most likely jacket shown. Distinguishing features are a collar loop and double-stitched pockets.

 

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Appendix D: Werber 32-6225 Candidate:​

The best known candidate for an actual Werber 32-6225, but clearly not provable without a survivor, is the one Major Hugh J. Knerr is wearing below (to Lt Col Arnold’s right) from the 1934 Alaska mission. This pivotal photograph was first brought to the attention of the VLJ forum by member @zoomer

Why do we consider this a possible Werber 32-6225?

• Paper trail: The declassified 94-3040 specification documents contain a letter shown in Appendix A stating the first three (3) contracts were all “conforming substantially” to the same 9 May 1931 specification, most notably with buttoned pocket flaps. Subsequent jacket orders using snapped pocket flaps begin with Werber 33-1729
• People: Standing (L to R) are Lt. Lawrence J. Carr, Lt. Charles H. Howard, Maj. Malcolm C. Grow, Medical Corps (flight surgeon), Maj. Hugh J. Knerr, Lt. Col. Henry H. Arnold, Maj. Ralph Royce, Lt. John S. Griffith, and Lt. Leonard F. Harman. Kneeling (L to R) are Capt. John D. Corkille, Capt. Harold M. McClelland, Capt. Ray A. Dunn, Capt. Westside T. Larson, Lt. Ralph A. Snavely, Lt. Nathan F. Twining (not a flight member), Lt. John S. Mills (not a flight member), Lt. Hez McClellan.
• Provenance: Unlike an arbitrary photograph, Lt Col Arnold led a formation of B-10 bombers from Bolling Field (near Washington DC and today’s JBAB) to Fairbanks Alaska. The mission is extremely well documented, including on movie film, and the custom jacket insignia ensure trackable/traceable provenance
• Function: The photograph notes specifically state “On this day in history, Lt. Col. Arnold led a historic mass flight of Martin B-10 bombers from Bolling Field to Fairbanks, Alaska, to demonstrate the capabilities of the Army Air Corps’ long range bombers”
• Dress: US Army Air Corp promotional trip utilized regulation issued flight gear.
• Timing: Photograph is dated 19 July 1934. There were only five (5) A-2 contracts at this time; the Goldsmith 31-1897, SAT 32-485, Werber 32-6225, 33-1729, and 34-518P. Our options for what A-2 jackets appear in this photo are extremely limited.
• The jacket itself: The button pocket flaps show it is one of the first three contracts. The jacket details match the Werber 33-1729 details, i.e., nicely scalloped pockets, laid back epaulets, and collar hook, as expected from the same manufacturer (in the picture below on the left)

So, with the date of the photo – 19 July 1934 – firmly established and the possible contracts shown clearly defined and limited, why do we believe it presents evidence of the Werber 6225?

Contrast Major Knerr’s Werber 32-6225 candidate (on the left) to the SAT 32-485 details Lt. Leonard F. Harman is wearing on the right above. Except for this sole SAT 32-485, all of the remaining jackets are nearly identical Werber’s, with only the button-pocket flaps on Major Knerr’s jacket distinguishing that 32-6225 candidate from all the rest.

Addendum: Perhaps another unknown contract is seen in this photo as well?
The timing of this photograph implies both Werber 33-1729 (of which examples still survive) and Werber 34-518P (no known survivors) may be contained within this photograph but sufficient detail in this photograph has not been found to differentiate the two. This serves as a reminder on the importance of provenance: Knowing the exact date of the photo narrows down the possible contracts and, conversely, alerts us to options that might not have occurred to us had this been a generic, 1930s photograph.

 

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Bibliography:​

94-3040 Specification Documents from U.S. National Archives & Records Administration (NARA) declassified 01-Aug-2017 (927513) include

• Records of U.S. Air Force Commands, Activities, and Organizations (Record 342) Air Material Command. Engineering Division. Central Files Unit.
  • entry P 27
  • BOX9077@190:76/9/2
  • FILE: Government Specification#94-3040
• Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917 - (Record Group 407)
  • Reference Collection Of The Departmental Records Branch, War Department General Orders
  • Entry 427: WW II Unit Operations Reports
  • BOX11584 @ 270: 57/31/3 - FILE397 -INF(303)-0.3 A/A/REPORT 1-19 APR 45
  • [14-17 APR] - 2 TABS - 7 PAGES TOTAL
• Records of the Adjutant General’s Office, 1917 - (Record Group 407)
  • Reference Collection Of The Departmental Records Branch, War Department General Orders
  • Entry 427: WW II Unit Operations Reports
  • BOX11583 @ 270: 57/31/3
  • FILE - 397 -INF(303)-0.8 JOURNAL FILE 14-15 APR 45 - 14 PAGES
  • FILE - 397 -INF(303)-0.8 JOURNAL FILE 16-24 APR 45 [16-17 APR 46] - 11 PAGES

Australian “V505” documentation include

• Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Canberra, June 24, 1943, no. 137, p. 1313
• Business Paper/Agenda No. 8605, Schedule 68340 - Series Nos. 263/4 Vol. 89 Minutes of meeting - Contract Board Supply 5 May 1943 to 26 May 1943 - Agenda numbers 8152 to 8856 National Archives of Australia Canberra
• Business Paper No. 9032, Schedule 68340 - Series Nos. 263/4 No. 90 Minutes of meeting - Contract Board Supply 2 Jun 1943 to 30 Jun 1943 - Agenda numbers 8857 to 9762 National Archives of Australia Canberra
• Business Paper No. 9032, File Nos. 68340 - Series Nos. 263/4 Vol 91 - Minutes of meeting - Contract Board Supply 8 Jul 1943 to 28 Jul 1943 - Agenda numbers 1 to 781 Canberra
• National Archives Victorian branch contains additional printed information (Series MP1045/8 Box 5, barcode 10516012)

Interview With Our Own John Chapman of Good Wear Leather denimbro.com 2014 (this was taken down and re-posted on vintageleatherjackets.org)

Los Angeles Times Photographic Collection, University of California, Los Angeles. Library. Department of Special Collections, uclamss_1429_9652, ark:/21198/zz002dhrpr; photograph with the heading "Army Aviation Officers Feted" above the article: "Air Defence Gaining Speed." Los Angeles Times, 16 May 1933

Report of the Secretary of War to the President United States, Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1931, Government Printing Office Washington DC 1931

U.S. Army Air Forces Illustrated Catalog: Clothing, Parachutes, Equipment and Supplies Class 13 Sept 30, 1943, including Apr 1, 1944 supplement

Werber Leather Coat Co. v. Niagara Fire Ins. Co., (254 App. Div. 298) Appeal from Supreme Court of Dutchess County. June 6, 1938
Books:

EA2G = Eastman, Gary. Type A-2 Flight Jacket Identification Manual. Plymouth: Latimer Trend & Company Ltd. 2012.

Hastings, Max. Retribution: The Battle for Japan, 1944-1945. New York: Alfred A. Knopf 2008.

FG = Mituhiro, Aota. Full Gear: Collector’s Guide on US Military Flying Clothing from 1920’s through 1970’s. Other Co. Japan 2009.

Mituhiro, Aota. Zipper Gear: Collectors guide to American Antique Zippers from 1890s to 1930s. Kazi Co Ltd Japan 2013

Maguire, J. A. & Conway, J. P. Art of the Flight Jacket Schiffer Publishing Ltd. Atglen, PA 1995

Miller, Donald. Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks. 2006.

Nelson, D. & Parsons, D. Hell Bent for Leather Motorbooks International Osceola, WI 1990

Risch, E. The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services Vol. 1 Center of Military History U.S. Army Washington DC 1995

Risch, E. & Kieffer, C. The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services Vol. 2 Center of Military History U.S. Army Washington DC 1995

Sweeting, C.G. Combat Flying Clothing. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC 1984

WSC = Civilian Production Administration Industrial Statistics Division. Alphabetic Listing of Major War Supply Contracts: Cumulative June 1940 – September 1945. 1946

 

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Bonus Section:​

If you've already read Eastman's A-2 guide this pretty much sums up the changes on what we’ve gained over the past ten years or so, based upon the declassification of the A-2 spec documents, tracking down the V505 paperwork, and other tangible evidence.

1) A-1 Drawing Number is AN-6501, not 074737 as erroneously listed on the Type Designation Sheet (TDS). As the TDS came out long after all A-1 jackets had been produced every A-1 with the 074737 Drawing Number on the label is an undisputable reproduction.

2) A-1 "cape" sheepskin – is a light weight (small "c") sheepskin and not a boutique leather; absolutely not the original goat Capeskin from the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

3) A-2 Drawing Number is 30-1415, not 31-1415 as erroneously listed on the TDS

4) A-2 leather – (a) We didn’t find any conspiracy, with the first possible contract using cowhide found after cowhide was approved for use 17-Jul-40 (Aero W535-AC-16160) and the first possible contract using goatskin found after goatskin was approved for use 10-Mar-41 (Rough Wear W535-AC-18091). Confusion seemed to stem from a couple items: (1) Mr. Eastman’s “inconclusive” DNA test on a Werber 39-2951P misinterpreted as “positive” – it is NOT - and (2) we learned “a cowhide tannage was developed which was intended to give cowhide the same characteristics as horsehide”, so it's no wonder they’re so difficult to tell apart (check out Poughkeepsie W535-AC-28560 where Messrs. Chapman and Eastman disagree - imagine the problem for mere mortals). (b) And all the A-2 leathers were chrome tanned, with the much more time consuming and expensive vegetable tanning process not employed (none of the academic-focused books suggest vegetable tanning but it is in a lot of reproduction advertisements, including Eastman's).

5) A-2 lining – It was cotton, and was only cotton. Even though an as-made original jacket has never been found silk lined and the cost of a silk lining at the time would have cost more than making the entire jacket the false idea they originally used silk would never seem to die until we got concrete proof the TDS was incorrect.

6) A-2 Contracts Discovered – The first A-2 contract (!), P Goldsmith Son’s 31-1897, and Werber’s first, previously unknown 32-6225, contract paperwork were found in the declassified A-2 spec. documents. And the (now) second A-2 contract, the SAT 32-485, consisted of 1,666 jackets (previously unknown production quantity).

7) A-2 Button-flapped Pockets - The declassified A-2 spec. documents showed the first three (3) jacket contracts (above) using the original 9-May-31 spec. all had button-flapped pockets (Werber's 33-1729 was the first with snap pockets using the newly Cleared 18-Aug-32 spec.).

8) A-2 “Aero” – What we’ve been calling “Aero” over the years is actually three (3) different companies, well 1+(1+1=1)=2 companies. Brooklyn’s Aero Clothing & Tanning Co. (ACT) produced only one contract, then Beacon’s Aero Leather Clothing Clothing Co., Inc. (with a collar stand) and the three-way partnership of Aero Leather Clothing Co. (without a collar stand, nor “Inc. in the name) beginning with W535-AC-21996. Other than the collar stand the last two Aero's in Beacon, NY are pretty much the same.

9) A-2 “Werber” – What we’ve been calling “Werber” over the years is two (2) different companies, consisting of Werber Leather Coat Company of Beacon, NY and Werber Sportswear Co. of Newburgh, NY. To be fair, the same person ran both with arson, creative accounting, and a few other oddities resulting in the change. In the beginning, Werber Leather Coat Company of Beacon, NY had a near lock on A-2 contracts with five in a row (no one else came close).

10) A-2 Rough Wear 42-1671P found! – Mr. Eastman discovered the paperwork but only a few years ago was a survivor located, by John Chapman no less. Maybe three hundred (300) made? A needle-in-the-haystack find.

11) A-2 “V505” – We’ve been able to track down two (2) Australian A-2 contracts that were made in cowhide for the U.S.A. Air Force and used by some members of the 5th Air Force. The label was coded "V505" because of Australia's proximity to the war and the need to shelter business identities from possible attack.

12) A-2 W33-038 Contracts - We found paperwork for ac-1755 and ac-1756 showing 35,000 and 25,000 jackets, respectively, were produced (previously unknown).

13) A-2 was canceled on 26-Feb-1951 and replaced by the B-15C. This contradicts the conventional narrative, which has erroneously suggested that the switch to “Limited Standard Issue” in 1943 was the end of the A-2 jacket.