Vintage Type A - 2 Leather Jacket. Named & Documented. XIII Fighter Command. WOW
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:219596 | Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
(Be sure to check each week for patches, wings, jackets and military memorabilia postings of all varieties.) This is a fantastic grouping from William E. Smith, a P-38 Lightning pilot who, as noted in the photograph, was awarded 3 Oak Leaf Clusters. He may have won a lot more awards, do some research and find out! Smith was a member of the 13th Fighter Command, the unit in which pilots Barber or Lamphier shot down Admiral Yamamoto and changed the course of the war!Group inclu...des Smith's flight school yearbooks (name indicated with photoshop arrows). Also a bit of wartime memorabilia. ANother photo of the group is not shown but included.Size 38. Roughwear Co. As you can tell from the photos, condition is very good with appropriate wear. Classic spring-loaded Crown zipper. Nipple snaps, with verdigris. Cuffs are missing, I added a pair of excellent replacement cuffs to the group. Male zipper insert is separating from fabric but still functional with careful use. (I NEVER recommend zipping up any original A-2 jacket as they are all prone to damage in that area.) A-2 jackets usually run small, essentially at least one size smaller than modern jackets.
The XIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946.XIII Fighter Command was a World War II command and control organization for Thirteenth Air Force. Its mission was to provide command and control authority of Army Air Force fighter organizations within the Thirteenth Air Force Area of Responsibility.It participated in the following campaigns: China Defensive; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.
==================What always amazes me is that folks are willing $1, 500+ for a completely fake of this exact Roughwear design jacket -- with fake history, fake collectability and silly P.R. materials. Many of the faking companies bought their original prototype jackets from ME! All I can say is the fakes are like gateway drugs --- start buying those and soon you'll be collecting Hummels, Franklin Mint dolls and British coronation cups. Stop before it's too late! ============= I ship once a week. Pleasebe patient, I'm movin' a bit slower each year. Post Office is often really pokey of late. Any overcharge on shipping will berefunded. I obey all laws and regulations. Please ask any questionsbefore bidding. I will answer when able. Please be patient. Some of you know mybackground as a collector/dealer in military memorabilia, particularlyaviation-related. I was a major or the primary contributor to the followingbibles of aviation collectibles: The Art of the Flight Jacket, Gearup!, American Flight Jackets, Silver Wings and LeatherJackets, Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens and other booksabout memorabilia including vintage clothing in many categories.
Bid/Buywith confidence! (Books shown not included in lot.) I sell originalitems, ONLY! Returns for material misrepresentations only, not size.
The XIII Fighter Command was a United States Army Air Forces formation. It was last assigned to Thirteenth Air Force, based at Manila, Luzon, Philippines. It was inactivated on 15 March 1946.XIII Fighter Command was a World War II command and control organization for Thirteenth Air Force. Its mission was to provide command and control authority of Army Air Force fighter organizations within the Thirteenth Air Force Area of Responsibility.It participated in the following campaigns: China Defensive; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive.
==================What always amazes me is that folks are willing $1, 500+ for a completely fake of this exact Roughwear design jacket -- with fake history, fake collectability and silly P.R. materials. Many of the faking companies bought their original prototype jackets from ME! All I can say is the fakes are like gateway drugs --- start buying those and soon you'll be collecting Hummels, Franklin Mint dolls and British coronation cups. Stop before it's too late! ============= I ship once a week. Pleasebe patient, I'm movin' a bit slower each year. Post Office is often really pokey of late. Any overcharge on shipping will berefunded. I obey all laws and regulations. Please ask any questionsbefore bidding. I will answer when able. Please be patient. Some of you know mybackground as a collector/dealer in military memorabilia, particularlyaviation-related. I was a major or the primary contributor to the followingbibles of aviation collectibles: The Art of the Flight Jacket, Gearup!, American Flight Jackets, Silver Wings and LeatherJackets, Silver Wings, Pinks & Greens and other booksabout memorabilia including vintage clothing in many categories.
Bid/Buywith confidence! (Books shown not included in lot.) I sell originalitems, ONLY! Returns for material misrepresentations only, not size.
