December 7th Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 313:
Description
A fine and fully original example of the U.S. Army Air Forces Type A-2 flight jacket, manufactured by Rough Wear Clothing Co. under contract 535-AC-27-53, size 42, and named inside the lining to Lt. V. J. Barry O-694115 . Constructed of seal brown horsehide leather with cotton lining and knit cuffs and waistband, this example retains its Talon front zipper, factory label, and original stitch outline from the leather nameplate above the left pocket.
This jacket bears two finely hand-cut, leather-applied CBI China-Burma-India theater insignia, including the Army Air Forces wing-and-star emblem on the left shoulder and the CBI shield on the rightÑboth original to the garment and showing deep patina and period stitching. The interior is clearly stenciled with the officerÕs name and serial number, offering strong provenance and research potential.
The leather remains supple and well-preserved, showing only moderate checking and surface wear from age, while the lining and knits are intact and present with typical service use. Overall, the jacket presents an authentic, well-balanced patina consistent with mid-war flight wear, representative of the final wartime Rough Wear production runÑone of the last A-2 contracts before the transition to newer flight jacket specifications.
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