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Whats this chap wearing?

Silver Surfer

Well-Known Member
if it has a collar stand, and by the fact he is standing on front of a p-40 with the same flying tiger that is on his jac, i would guess a first contract dubow [pointed pocket flaps wide wind flap], or a first contract rough wear, as both were pre war contracts.
 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
If it helps, the patch is CATF (China Air Task Force) as of July 4th 1942 at midnight, the flying Tigers were disbanded. And the P-40 is E model I believe with the air scoop up on top of the nose.
 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
Not actually in hand,but eyeballed it for a while at the Lowell, MA military show. Ron from Flying Tiger Antiques had one. Not much to see in the photo but it looks to be a typical embroidered on dark brown felt and this one appears to be just tacked on for the photo or something because I can't see the edges lifting the way they do on a flexible patch. Here's the best example of one I could find and I may be off because I'm doing this on my way out the door to the swap meet. I believe this is the only patch the CATF used and most leather painted versions to be repops.

Yeah, looks pretty dead on to the photo.
 

JDAM

Member
I wonder... they always looked painted or multi-piece leather to me. I know of two people who claim to have CATF patched A-2, though they would never show. I seem to remember having a candid chat with Ron and he said he had never seen one on a jacket in the flesh. Makes me wonder whether they might even be embroidered on silk (as in the scarfs) with a leather border. Dunno.

 

a2jacketpatches

Active Member
Very possible with the sheen a couple of them have that they are painted otherwise you may see a shadow from multi-pieces of leather. Very close in design to the felt version I'm referring to so could be copied from it, I do see minor differences.
 

foster

Well-Known Member
What about the final contract from Werber? The way the knit goes into the wind flap makes me think that might be a possibility?
 

JDAM

Member
Here's your same jacket, same man - Grant Mahony, CO of the 76th FS, photo dated early 1943. He's kneeling on the right.

 

Marv

Well-Known Member
Roughwear said:
The collar is not pointed enough for a first contract Dubow. My money is on an early Rough Wear.

I would tend to agree with Andrew on an early Rough wear, small square x-box stitching on the epaulet and the triangular reforced stitching on the left waistband knit next to the zipper box.....though the pocket flaps do look a little pointy and look very Star contract in appearance.
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
Jackets from the early RW contracts had pointed pocket flaps Paul. I own jackets from the first two contracts with very similar pocket flaps.
 

JDAM

Member
Oh right, sorry got confused with another auction. Yes, seems exactly the same as the embroidered one shown in your post. I am pretty sure those embroidered type are at best very late war or more likely post war. Some say they were knocked up as movie props for 'God is my co-pilot' (see screen cap below). Whatever the case, they are not the same as the patches on the various A-2 in the photos - the one shown in the below photo is clearly stitched to the jacket. A side by side comparison reveals numerous differences... mouth shape, number of teeth, whiskers, shape and placement of arm, claws, size of hat, proportions on stripes on body and legs, proportions of ... well, just about everything. Completely different to the real thing as shown in the photos.



 
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