Fall 2026 Militaria and Aviation Auction
Lot 315:
Description
Original WWII-era U.S. Army Air Forces A-2 type leather flight jacket, displaying the unmistakable wartime construction and heavily worn character associated with one of the most iconic garments of American military aviation. Constructed of brown leather with a pointed collar, front zipper closure, large flap-covered patch pockets, and knitted cuffs and waistband, the jacket exhibits extensive age and genuine service-type wear throughout the leather, including pronounced surface rubbing, finish loss, creasing, crazing, abrasions, and areas of exposed underlying hide. The wear is especially evident along the sleeves, pocket areas, lower front, seams, and high-contact points, giving the jacket the appearance expected of a garment that saw considerable use rather than long-term storage.
The jacket has undergone a number of postwar restorations or repairs that should be clearly noted. The brown interior lining appears to be a replacement, as do the knitted cuffs and waistband, which are considerably cleaner and more uniform than would normally be expected relative to the age and wear of the leather shell. The front zipper also appears to have been replaced, most likely during the same restoration process. Such repairs were commonly undertaken to keep original A-2 jackets wearable long after WWII, particularly as original linings, wool knits, and wartime zippers deteriorated from decades of use. Importantly, the principal leather shell, pockets, collar, and body construction retain substantial age and wear consistent with the WWII period.
Although the original maker’s specification label is no longer present, the jacket follows the classic Army Air Forces Type A-2 pattern developed for flight personnel before and during WWII. The A-2 became one of the defining symbols of the American combat airman, worn by fighter pilots, bomber crews, navigators, bombardiers, and other flight personnel in every major theater of operations. Because these jackets frequently remained prized personal possessions after service, many were repaired repeatedly during and after the war rather than discarded.
Of particular appeal is the jacket’s largely unaltered exterior presentation. There is no surviving painted artwork, squadron insignia, name strip, or elaborate decoration, leaving the original leather shell as the central feature and providing an excellent study example of the construction and natural aging of a wartime A-2. The absence of decorative embellishment is itself representative, as a very large percentage of wartime A-2 jackets were never painted or patched.
Overall, this is an evocative WWII USAAF A-2 type leather flight jacket retaining its original period leather shell with later replacement lining, knitted waistband, cuffs, and likely zipper. The extensive wear, patina, and surface character convey the long service life of the garment and make it an attractive example for a WWII aviation collection, display, or study of original A-2 construction.
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