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: 19-May-1943 and amended 02-Jun-1943
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 May '43) & 9032 (dated 2 June '43) confirm this contract for the U.S.A. Air Corps.
• This is the only contract where all of the jacket construction materials, except the cotton lining, were supplied by the firm instead of the US Government.
• 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).

V-505 Simpson Example No. 1:

 

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V-505 Simpson Example No. 1 continued: