Anyone have a bomber jacket? Well, I am getting an A-2 WWII Government Issue A-2 Jacket military grade horsehide. I provided a pic of the one I purchased. I am a artist some what always have been, so I decided to make my own squadron patch, and do the nose art on the back. The patch is made out of leather painted with acrylic and is 5" diameter. The unit that I chose is the 8th Army Air Force, 1st Air Division, 1st Combat Bombardment Wing, 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 401 Bombardment Squad. "The Ragged Irregulars". The plane they Flew was the B-17 "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" Enjoy! :beers:

The first is the original patch
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/401_bombardment_sq_91bg.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/1-3-200960815PM.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/cockpitWWIIa-2.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/450280149_37f72ef9f6.jpg

Thats very cool!

Anyone have a bomber jacket? Well, I am getting an A-2 WWII Government Issue A-2 Jacket military grade horsehide. I provided a pic of the one I purchased. I am a artist some what always have been, so I decided to make my own squadron patch, and do the nose art on the back. The patch is made out of leather painted with acrylic and is 5" diameter. The unit that I chose is the 8th Army Air Force, 1st Air Division, 1st Combat Bombardment Wing, 91st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 401 Bombardment Squad. "The Ragged Irregulars". The plane they Flew was the B-17 "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" Enjoy! :beers:

The first is the original patch
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/401_bombardment_sq_91bg.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/1-3-200960815PM.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/cockpitWWIIa-2.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/450280149_37f72ef9f6.jpg

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^Nice...the "G" model! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My wife has an A-2, but I have a G-1 from a F-4 Phantom "driver" during the Viet Nam war.

My bud has an A-2 that cost him over $1000 that is an exact duplicate of those made during WWII. Seams, zipper, thread pattern, stitches, etc., as made during that period. No patches or markings on that bad boy! :eek: I think it was made in the U.K.
Is that the type you're getting?

Weren't most, if not all B-17's part of the 8th AAF and the 15th AAF (England), in the European Theatre during WWII?

Cool! I recently escorted a bunch of WWII vets to see their memorial in D.C.with a program called "Honor Flight". One of the best days of my life! No doubt they were the greatest generation in my mind.

What museum is Shoo Shoo Shoo baby in? Isn't that in the AF Museum in Dayton?

Steve

Nice...the "G" model!

My wife has an A-2, but I have a G-1 from a F-4 Phantom "driver" during the Viet Nam war.

My bud has an A-2 that cost him over $1000 that is an exact duplicate of those made during WWII. Seams, zipper, thread pattern, stitches, etc., as made during that period. No patches or markings on that bad boy! :eek: I think it was made in the U.K.
Is that the type you're getting?

Weren't most, if not all B-17's part of the 8th AAF (England), in the European Theatre during WWII?

Yes Steve, "Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" A B-17G-35-BO, serial number 42-32076 is in Dayton, Ohio. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_the_United_States_Air_Force Yes six, I do believe most of the B-17 were out of the 8th. The B-17 was a flying fortress. Thus the 8th was a (heavy) Bombardment group. Heres a link for some history on the 8th. http://mighty8thaf.preller.us/ No, I am getting the one from Cockpit USA: http://www.cockpitusa.com/store/product.php?productid=17334&cat=338&page=2 my size is 50R :yes:

Ken,

(Another squadron of '17's were also part of the 15th AAF).

There is a place here in NJ that sells them too, but they are very pricey. They would require every measurement to fabricate your jacket, and I do mean every measurement. However, for the price you're paying, it's a decent jacket without going too far overboard as my friend did.

Enjoy it while the cold weather is still around. ;)

Yes six, I do believe most of the B-17 were out of the 8th. The B-17 was a flying fortress. Thus the 8th was a (heavy) Bombardment group. :

The majority of B-17s used in WWII were with the 8th AAF. The (Mighty) 8th was a whole Air Force, not just a group.

Very cool jacket, Ken! :hurray: And nice choice of artwork. :thumbsup: Gots to get me an A-2! :cool:

"Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby" is one of the few B-17s left that saw actual combat in WWII. A friend of mine was a pilot with the 91st BG, and was shot down on his second mission over France. His story here:

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/91st_tales/1944%20French%20Underground.html

He gave me a couple fragments of his plane that he dug up some 50 years later. :D


Weren't most, if not all B-17's part of the 8th AAF and the 15th AAF (England), in the European Theatre during WWII?

It's an unfortunate fact that the B-17's role in the Pacific is little known to the general public.

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_B-17_Pacific.html

Five groups in the 5th and 13th Air Forces in the SWPA (5th, 7th, 11th, 19th, 43rd) flew B-17s in the early days of the war '42- til mid '43 when they transitioned to B-24's (the crate the B-17 came in :D).


The E and F models are much better looking IMHO without that ugly chin turret. :D But all the B-17s are beautiful, especially in flight, as far as I'm concerned. :thumbsup:

I could blather on and on, but this is a Chevelle site. :)

there is a place in Wildwood NJ that has all military aircraft,they have the bombers fly in the end of August and you can take a flight over the ocean for $400,This site was used to train pilots in World War 11

http://www.usnasw.org/

i always loved the bomber jackets, hard to find one thats not "imported"
cool pics, thanks for sharing

they sell Bomber jackets in the store there

I've had Cooper goatskin A-2's but the horsehide is much nicer. I have one now from here, www.flightjacket.com and love it. I have a patch from the 111th fighter interceptor group originally based here at Ellington AFB. I really want one of theirs with the custom artwork on the back, but at $650 over the cost of the jacket, I'll wait til next year! BTW, a horeshide A-2 will last forever, lots of WWII ones on ebay bring anywhere from $1500 to $5000! The japs are crazy for them.

I have my Great Uncles Leather flight jacket (not a bomber one) He was a Marine Supply Sergeant in the VMF 214 in WWII. (After Pappy was shot down.) I got the jacket and didn't think to much about it because my dad always had them when I was a kid. But the one I have has USN hole punched on the front flap. And the tag says is for the Bureau of Aeronautics USN. The story my dad told me was my uncle has his original WWII jacket until it finally wore out. So my uncle went to the Marines somewhere and they gave him a new one in the early 60's I think.
Either way I only wear it on occasion, because I don't want anything to happen to it.

No imported leather flight jackets here, all made in the USA. http://www.uswings.com/index.asp

Here is a link to my the web site of my dad's bomber group, he was a mechanic in Venosa, Italy during WWII: 485th heavy bomber group, 829 squad. Private First Class Fred Upp Jr
http://www.485thbg.org/

I haven't painted any jackets yet but I want to. I did design and paint some nose art on a B-24 though! :D

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/retroaviation/B-24A/B-24A-2/IMG_0400.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/retroaviation/B-24A/B-24A-2/RotationofIMG_0404.jpg

We flew down to the CAF HQ to paint it and I enlisted the help of my good friends Mike and Sean plus my Dad. We did it in 4 days, and we were pretty exhausted by the end.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/retroaviation/B-24A/B-24A-2/IMG_0419.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/retroaviation/B-24A/B-24A-2/IMG_0926.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c60/retroaviation/B-24A/B-24A-2/DSCN3329.jpg

We took a ride too. Awesome.

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/b24flight/images/IMG_8666.jpg

http://www.hotrodhucksters.com/chad/b24flight/images/IMG_8645.jpg

Oh, and if you're into military jackets, give this site a look. I think you have to register before you can view, but they know jacket specs like most here know option codes. :D

http://www.vintageleatherjackets.org

Awesome, I love the flying pics, storys and jacket info. See cars and planes do go together:thumbsup:

Here is something for you. This is from the back of my uncles funeral a few months ago. He is on the front row , far right.

He flew B-17,B-24 and B-29's on 86 combat missions during WW II. He was in the 308th Bomb Group and 375th squadron in China under General Chenault in the 14th Air Force. He received the Distiguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters. Retired as a Major.

Chad, is that B-24 the ol' Diamond Lil with a new paint scheme?

Yep, that's her. I it was hard to see Diamond Lil go, but the whole project was a dream come true for me. And the best part is I got to include my Dad. The ol' girl won best bomber at Oshkosh in '07.

The japs are crazy for them.

So are the French and Germans's for US WWII stuff but when I collected I refused to sell to them out of respect for my Dad and others. I have an original Eisenhower Jacket with the "Band Of Brothers" insignia, was not able to confirm the specific unit however.

Love the photo of the B-17, all business... You reminded me that my Dad had a WWII leather bomber jacket when I was a kid. He doesn't throw anything away, I will need to look for it next time I go over to his place.

Well, I finally finished the 91st Bombardment group patch. enjoy! Also some Bullion captain shoulder patches. what your opinions? It costs $700 to $1000 to have a jacket done im doing mine my self. :yes:
Good or /Fail, opinions welcome?

Original patch, is shown first.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/91_bombardment_group_5in_B_17_1.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/1-8-2009104238PM.jpg

Nice job, man! :thumbsup: I'm looking forward to seeing your nose-art job on the back of the jacket.

Looks good! But the colors aren't the same?

Looks good! But the colors aren't the same?

LOL :clonk:l:)l:) its jacket art hand painted! I dare you to find 2 that are hand painted and are exactly the same.

I found my grandfathers records a short time after he passed. He never really spoke of any of his experiences, like many veterans. His records said he was an infantry in a glider, that had crashed in Normandy on D-day. Upon the impact he broke his hip, but still managed to drag out the only other survivor, into some bushes and hid out till picked up. I did a little research on the gliders, apparently there were 40 gliders released that day only 12 hit there targets due to a very dense fog.

CrazyChevelleman (or Ken Hollywood!) are you in the Houston Chevelle club? I see you are in Tomball. Look us up at www.houstonchevelles@yahoogroups.com if not, or PM me.

No, im not in the Houston Chevelle club. yeat :D and yes thats my name on the "Fedora Louge" hehehe :thumbsup: I will check the site out, I cant get the link to work?

LOL :clonk:l:)l:) its jacket art hand painted! I dare you to find 2 that are hand painted and are exactly the same.

Exactly the same no, but similar colors for sure.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i8/stu_bucket/Page75.jpg

My Dad flew over Berlin with the 8th. I've got his flight jacket, his trench coat, and his flight suit. He was real skinny during the war, so I can't wear the jacket, and the trench coat got hit hard by moths. The flight suit is in nearly perfect condition. He thought I'd use it to work on my car. No way ! :noway:

My sister took him up in a B17 for his 80th birthday. He loved it.

A friend of mine has got the leather coat his granddad wore when he flew a Spad biplane in WWI. He also has a big trunk full of other stuff his granddad brought home from the war. The absolutely coolest thing in the collection is the template he made for the very first "Oscar", 13th bomb squadron's mascot. It could very well be the same template used to paint the "Oscar" on this plane (http://www.13thbombsquadron.org/images/spadXIII.html).

Thats so kool to see him painting those patches in that pic. I guess ill have to make 2 more patches the same color so I wont get razzed l:):sad:

Fair enough. Just keep in mind the next time you see a 396 painted Chrysler Orange, that it is probably close enough. ;)

Just giving you a hard time. :D

here is another patch I Just did! 323 bombardment sq the original is first! then my repro.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/323_bombardment_sq_91bg_thumb.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/mypatch.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/picserve.jpg

I have to add a couple things here and will get back later with more details. I live in Cumming, GA now (3yrs) but was born and raised in South Jersey (Cherry Hill). I think someone mentioned the Wildwood airport. There is a museum there, but there is even a nicer one in Millville, NJ. I know, I worked at the airport (AirworK) for over 10 years. Anyway, my father (pilot) flew Madam Shoo Shoo on 13-14 missions and completed 23 missions before the end of the War. As a note his real name was (died 95) Adolph F Keskes, AND he was born in Berlin, NJ!! The inside joke with the crew, was the ships name was "Adolph from Berlin". I have alot of info on the 8th 385th bomb group, 551st squadron, if anyones interested.....take care, and "God Bless America's Greatest Generation"

My jacket sould be in soon and ill put all this together. At least this is keeping me busy while the 70 Chevelle is at paint and body! here is the shoulder patch I will be using. I decided to go with Nine O Nine I didnt want a half naked women on my jacket as you cant wear it to church. Im a beliver in Christ Jesus and I cant see Jesus wearing a half naked woman on his jacket. hehe After all, what kind of an example is that for the young kids, I will post pics when its done.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/picserveCAYMPICW.jpg

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj109/crazychevelleman/nineonine.jpg

Very cool art work.:thumbsup:

My jacket sould be in soon and ill put all this together. At least this is keeping me busy while the 70 Chevelle is at paint and body! here is the shoulder patch I will be using. I decided to go with Nine O Nine I didnt want a half naked women on my jacket as you cant wear it to church. Im a beliver in Christ Jesus and I cant see Jesus wearing a half naked woman on his jacket. hehe After all, what kind of an example is that for the young kids, I will post pics when its done.


But bombs for killing people are ok?

It always amuses me when people at airshows got so upset in the name of morality at the nudity that was on a B-24, but the plane itself that was designed for the sole purpose of killing people was ok. We've had the same discussion at a warbird board I'm on with a couple people citing Jesus for their objections to nose art photos being posted. They get REALLY bent out of shape about it. But they are all for posting photos of the planes shot down where the air crew obviously died, or photos from a bomb run of an aircraft raining death on all below.

One of my crew chief buddy's has a saying that I love. "These old planes were made for killing people and they've been doing it ever since."