A-2 jacket

A classic advertisement for an A-2 jacket.

The Type A-2 leather flight jacket is one of the most classic and immediately recognizable articles of military clothing ever designed. It is most closely associated with World War II U.S. Army pilots, who often decorated their jackets with squadron patches and elaborate artwork painted on the back. Sometimes casually referred to as a "bomber" jacket, its original designation was "Jacket, Pilot's (summer)," and its wartime usage was limited neither to pilots nor to bomber crews.

History

The Type A-2 flying jacket was standardized by the U.S. Army Air Corps as the successor to the Type A-1 flying jacket adopted in 1927. The Type Designation Sheet lists the dates for Service Test as September 20, 1930, and Standardized (adopted as standard issue) on May 9, 1931. The military specification number for Type A-2 is 94-3040. The Drawing Number was given as 31-1415, but the spec. labels found in the jackets themselves show this to be 30-1415.

On April 27, 1943, Type A-2 was declared Limited Standard, meaning that only replacements for in-service units could be ordered. New units would now be supplied with cloth-shelled jackets such as Types B-10 and B-15.

The U.S. Army Air Forces Class 13 Catalog listed the garment as "Jacket, Flying, Type A-2," with Spec. No. 94-3040. It describes the jacket's construction as "seal brown horsehide leather, knitted wristlets and waistband (skirt)." Broadly similar in construction to the A-1, it replaced the A-1's buttoned front and pocket flaps with a zipper and hidden snap fasteners (although some very early A-2's retained the pocket buttons). The A-1's stand-up knitted collar, which buttoned closed, was supplanted in the A-2 by a shirt-style leather collar, with hidden snaps at the points and a hook-and-eye latch at the throat. Stitched-down shoulder epaulets were also added to the design. Sizes were listed as ranging in even numbers from 32 through 54.

Design and construction

Although the actual design would vary slightly depending on the manufacturer, and even among contracts within a single manufacturer, all A-2 jackets had several distinguishing characteristics: a snap-flap patch pocket on either side that does not have hand warmer compartments (hands in pockets were considered unfit for a military bearing), a shirt-style snap-down collar, epaulets, knit cuffs and waistband, back construction from a single piece of leather to limit stress on the garment, and finally a plain silk or cotton inner lining with a military spec tag attached just below the back collar. Most pre-war and wartime A-2's are constructed of horsehide, which was either vegetable or chrome tanned. Some original A-2's were made from goatskin (as was the Navy G-1 jacket), and others possibly from steerhide (which can be nearly impossible to tell from horse). Spiewak- and Doniger-made jackets are always goatskin, as are many Cable, Dubow, Bronco, Perry, and Rough Wear examples.

Wartime-issued A-2 jackets appear in a wide range of color tones and hues, although all are based on two distinct colors: Seal (dark brown to almost black) and Russet (light brown to pale red-brown). Most seal jackets were russet jackets re-dyed during the war to cover scuffing and discoloration, although some contracts, like the Aero Leather AC-21996, were dyed seal right from the start. Original knit cuffing typically matched the leather or came close, but exceptions exist, such as Aero Leather's eye-catching rust-red cuffing on seal brown hide.

Early A-2's had linings made from silk, per the original specification. This was changed to cotton later on. A letter from the Materiel Division of Wright Field, dated 7 January 1939, states that the use of silk in flying jackets had been discontinued "as its procurement was found not to be feasible." The letter does not say when this happened, but it makes it clear that the vast majority of original A-2 jackets have cotton linings. The Werber Leather Coat contract 1729, dating to 1933, is now reproduced by Eastman Leather with a cotton lining.

Zippers were made of steel or brass, and some were nickel plated. Known zipper suppliers were Talon, Crown, Conmar, and Kwik, with Talon providing the majority of zippers used in wartime A-2 construction.

Unlike modern loose-fitting jackets, the original A-2 was a rather trim-fitting jacket in both the torso and sleeves. It was designed to fit younger, fitter men who were typically more lightly built than men today. This is particularly true of pre-war contract garments such as the 1933 Werber and the 1938 and 1940 Aero Leathers. The A-2 was also not intended to fit over multiple layers of clothing; airmen were more likely to switch to a sheep-lined jacket or electrified flight suit for wintertime or high-altitude operations.

Manufacturers

There were many manufacturers of A-2 jackets during the pre-war and wartime eras, with a wide range of quality, workmanship, and fit characteristics. These include:

Aero Leather Clothing Co., Inc., Beacon, NY* Bronco Mfg. Corp., New York, NY Cable Raincoat Co., Boston, MA Cooper Sportswear Mfg. Co., Newark, NJ David D. Doniger & Co., New York, NY H.L.B. Corp. (possibly H.&L. Block Corp. or a spinoff firm), New York, NY** J.A. Dubow Mfg. Co., Chicago, IL Monarch Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, WI Perry Sportswear, Inc., Newburgh, NY Poughkeepsie Leather Coat Co., Inc., Poughkeepsie, NY Rough Wear Clothing Co., Middletown, PA Security Sportswear Co., Chicago, IL** I. Spiewak & Sons, North Bergen, NJ Star Sportswear Mfg. Co., Lynn, MA United Sheeplined Clothing Co., Long Branch, NJ Werber Leather Coat Co., Beacon, NY** (reorganized in the mid-1930s as Werber Sportswear Co., Newburgh, NY*)

* Pre-war and wartime contractor.

** Pre-war contractor only.

Security Sportswear's Order No. 32-485, placed in 1932, is the earliest A-2 jacket order of which records remain.

At least three A-2 contracts, Nos. 1756, 42-18246-P, and W535-AC-23383, bear no maker name on the label.

Wartime use

The A-2 jacket was awarded to an Army Air Forces airman upon completion of basic flight training, and always before he progressed to advanced training. No standard system of distribution was used, though generally airmen lined up in front of boxes containing jackets of various sizes and given the appropriate size jacket by the base quartermaster. Unlike other articles of military clothing, each airman was issued only one A-2 jacket.

The A-2 was a treasured item to the airman and was worn with as much pride as his wings. As airmen progressed through various duty stations they often added and removed squadron patches, rank marks, and occasionally elaborate artwork depicting the type of aircraft they flew or a copy of the artwork painted on their airplane. Bomber crews often added small bombs to the right front of their jackets indicating the number of missions they had flown. As a result, many jackets ended up with numerous stitch marks as patches of various sizes were removed and replaced when the owner changed units. Unlike Navy aviators, who often wore the patches of every squadron they had ever flown with, AAF personnel could only display the patch of their current assignment. The emblem of the Army Air Forces was often sewn, painted, or applied by decal on the left shoulder, while the shield of the specific Air Force (5th, 8th, etc.) was often displayed on the right.

Despite the A-2's becoming a symbol of the American pilot, in 1943 General H. H. "Hap" Arnold canceled any further leather jacket contracts in favor of newer cloth-shell jackets like the B-10 and B-15. Needless to say, Arnold's popularity with his airmen was not improved by his decision. Even after the transition to cloth, existing units could still order replacement A-2s, keeping production going well into 1944. And it was impossible to prevent airmen from continuing to obtain and wear the style – as demonstrated by the large number of photos clearly showing Korean War pilots of F-82's and F-86's still wearing the original A-2 issued to them a decade earlier, or newer jackets made to fit their current sizes.

It's important to note that although the A-2 is sometimes referred to as a "Bomber Jacket," in reality only the bomber's pilots generally wore them into the air. The rest of the bomber crew--including navigator, bombardier, gunners, and so on--usually wore the heavier fleece-lined sheepskin Type B-3 or B-6 jackets, which were warmer and much better suited to long hours at an open gun port or turret. However, posed photos often show entire bomber crews in A-2s, suggesting that they were common attire on base and on leave in theater.

Fighter pilots, who often had heated cockpits, could wear the A-2 into combat more readily and did so. Some jackets had a map of the mission area sewn into the lining, which could be used (in theory) for navigation if shot down. Some jackets (famously, those of the Flying Tigers) had a "blood chit" sewn on the lining or outer back, printed on cloth, which promised certain rewards to civilians who aided a downed airman. The prerogative of the fighter ace was the red silk lining, to which he was entitled on confirmation of his fifth aerial kill.

Theatre-made jackets

Throughout the War, as the A-2's popularity grew, so too did the demand for it. Only aircrewmen could obtain A-2 jackets through regular channels, although a few celebrated nonflying officers like Gens. MacArthur and Patton and Maj. Glenn Miller also procured and wore them. A small "cottage industry" soon appeared, especially in England, to make A-2-style jackets for GI's (including many airborne infantry troops) who otherwise couldn't get one. This was especially true after the Army stopped purchasing new leather jackets in mid-1943, and disappointed airmen were sent to war in the less desirable cloth jackets, or were unable to replace A-2's they had lost or damaged. As a result, some war-era jackets used by WWII airmen are clearly not true to original AAF specifications, though this makes them no less historic.

Survivors

Original wartime issued A-2 jackets are rare but not unavailable. Tens of thousands were issued from 1931 through 1944 (the vast majority in 1942-43), and some old stock jackets may have been issued even into the late 1940s long after Type A-2 was discontinued as standard AAF equipment. The value of such originals range widely depending on condition, known history, patches and artwork, and even size. Most originals used a sizing system considerably smaller than today's comparable sizes, with only 2-3 inches of "slack" over the tagged chest size (and in some cases, none). In other words, an original size 42 might be closer to a modern 40 or even a 38, depending on the manufacturer. Expect to pay between $800 and $5,000 for an original A-2 jacket, with wearable examples generally running $1,000 and up.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force has an amazing collection of original A-2 jackets, most donated by the families of Air Force pilots. No less than fifty are on display at any time throughout the Museum, including many historic jackets such as Brig. Gen. Jimmy Stewart's A-2 (a Rough Wear contract 1401), an A-2 from the AVG "Flying Tigers," and another worn by one of the few U.S. pilots to get airborne during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The modern Air Force A-2

Years of effort by U.S. Air Force personnel to get the legendary A-2 jacket reissued finally succeeded when the Air Force began issuing them again in 1988. The fact the Navy had never stopped issuing leather flying jackets meant that an entire generation of Air Force pilots and crew had missed out on an opportunity not lost to their Navy comrades. It's also likely that the popularity of the 1985 film "Top Gun," which depicted Tom Cruise wearing a stylish Navy G-1 jacket (with many sewn-on unit patches) – and which dramatically helped Navy recruiting – might have played a role in the Air Force's decision to return the A-2 to service. In any case, the present day issue A-2 jacket now holds just as sacred a place among current Air Force pilots and crews as its ancestor did half a century ago.

The modern Air Force A-2 is authorized for wear by aircrew members in combat-ready units, who may continue to wear the jacket if transferred to noncombat or ground duty. Only personnel who have completed their mission qualifications, as opposed to basic aviation qualifications, are permitted to wear it. This requirement makes the jacket highly prized even among Air Force aviators. It differs from the original design in several ways: it is looser-fitting, made only from goatskin, and produced in only the dark seal color, which goes better with the required black of Air Force footwear. Unlike WWII pilots, modern Air Force pilots are not permitted to paint their A-2 jackets or disfigure them in any way. The official explanation for this is that the paint is flammable and could pose a fire hazard. The goatskin used in today's A-2 is treated with a special fire retardant chemical. Finally, the crewmember's name tag mounted on the left breast, and Air Force command patch on the right, are attached with Velcro, not sewn directly onto the jacket as they were during WWII.

In 1996 Cooper Sportswear was awarded a contract from the Defense Supply Center, Philadelphia (DSCP), to redesign the A-2 jacket to be more functional and to improve the fit. Side entry pockets were added to the patch pockets and inside wallet pockets were added. The fit was enlarged via extra pieces under the arms and on the sides. The neck clasp was also eliminated. These modifications were previously carried out by the member themselves at popular places around the world like Pop's Leather in Turkey, or in the numerous shops in Korea. Now that these modifications are part of the official issue, only "Blood Chits" and other internal linings are added by the aircrew themselves.

Reproductions

Just as a cottage industry appeared during the war to meet the need for A-2 jackets, so too does such an industry still exist today. Because the A-2 never went out of style, production of it never really ceased. Over the years it has varied in style and accuracy relative to the original war-era design, but it has remained visible in popular movies and TV shows of the 1950s and 1960s. In the mid-1970s several small companies catering to purists began undertaking the job of designing and constructing highly authentic reproductions that were as close to the original war era A-2 as possible. Duplicating wartime patterns, often obtained through "reverse engineering" from dissected originals, and using correct vegetable-tanned hides, all-cotton thread, and even actual WWII-era-old stock Talon zippers, they have effectively recreated a wartime-era jacket that can be worn daily without fear of damaging a valuable original. Such attention to detail doesn't come cheap, as such jackets regularly cost $800 or more.

Eastman Leather Clothing of England, Aero Leather Clothing of Scotland, Buzz Rickson's and The Few of Japan, and Real McCoy's, a Japanese/New Zealand firm, are among the chief makers in this high-authenticity bracket. Repro A-2s are most popular in Japan, where there is a collector market for reproduction American vintage clothing. Much of it is limited-edition and unavailable in the West.

Popular-priced A-2 jackets today only approximate the style, with oversized shoulders and sleeves intended for layering loose clothing underneath, non-spec hand and pen pockets, and softer materials like lambskin. A-2s made today by U.S. Air Force contract manufacturers (such as Cooper) tend to fit younger, fitter men with v-shaped torsos, and some former pilots have found that their old A-2s no longer fit them. Gibson & Barnes, d/b/a FlightSuits.com, is known for conscientious (though not exact) reproductions sized more generously than wartime originals. L.L. Bean makes a jacket called the "Flying Tiger Jacket," which closely follows the original design for the A-2, but is sized to fit fuller bodied men. It is made of goatskin and lined in satin acetate rayon. It has the knit cuffs and waistband, the leather storm flap over the zipper, the snap-down collar, and snap-down flaps on the patch pockets, plus added handwarmer pockets. It can be purchased in fleece-lined or insulated versions, as well as the "original," rayon-lined version. These jackets, being goatskin, are water-resistant. They are warm (sometimes too warm). They are frequently stolen.

Contrary to popular belief, Avirex is not an original WW2 supplier of the A-2 jacket. Avirex started out in 1975 (reference: the myspace profile of Avirex's history) and is now known as 'The Cockpit'. In a similar way, Neil Cooper USA (recently taken over by Ohio-based U.S. Wings) is not the same firm as Cooper Sportswear from WW2 times - even though Neil Cooper's grandfather headed the earlier company, and both had contracts to supply A-2 jackets to the US military in their respective eras. Likewise, the Scottish-made Aero Leather Clothing branded items of today are unrelated to Aero Leather Clothing of Beacon, NY. Willis & Geiger, a now defunct firm still active in the 1990s, claimed to have supplied the original 1930-31 A-2 in its sales literature, but no Air Corps contract with the company has ever been found, nor have any original A-2s by this maker. (W&G did, however, supply large volumes of flight jackets to the Navy in WW2.) Given this information, the novice collector must be careful to ensure they are not buying a jacket misrepresented as an original WW2 issued A-2. Some of the high-end reproductions are astonishingly good, and with some artificial aging or period insignia applied, one must be careful to confirm what they are potentially buying.

Links

• The Type A-2 Flight Jacket Web Page
• Vintage Leather Jackets Forum
• "The Jacket That Lives Forever" - Air Force Magazine Online, February 1993