WW2 A-2 Pictures

[captaincaveman1]

Some favorite pics I found from the VLJ forum.

 

[captaincaveman1]

This is Dick Winters in an A-2.

More recent pic. Same one?

This living legend lived and worked in Central NJ.

 

[fudge_brownie]

Some Questions

In the second photo what does the guy on the left have fastened to his belt. Let me guess, it is not his cell phone. Glasses case?

In the fourth photo what does the cowboy have in his holster besides the 45?

 

[captaincaveman1]

preflight briefing in VA:

Look for the blook chit. Must be the AVG.

See the non-issue jackets?

 

[captaincaveman1]

In the second photo what does the guy on the left have fastened to his belt.

I'm guessing iPhone.lol

 

[Phantomfixer]

In the fourth photo what does the cowboy have in his holster besides the 45

Hey FB to me it looks like the .45 is locked open with a .50 round pointed into the chamber, which is odd because it looks like they are under a C-47.

 

[Phantomfixer]

pic 15

Chech out the the A-2 in pic 15 back row standing. Looks like an A-2 with oversized G-1 style pocket with button closure. Then first row kneeling. Is that a leather jacket that guy has on? Very nice series of pictures.

 

[Fletch]

See the non-issue jackets?

2nd from r, top, is an AN-J-3 - was going to be issued but never was.
2d from r, bottom, is a leather Ike-looking thing. Not the greatest design, IMHO.

 

[jeep44]

I can't remember if I've posted this before, but here's my Dad -385th Bg,548th BS,England,1944.

here's the coat today. Both it and my Dad are a bit more wrinkled.

 

[kampkatz]

Thanks for the pics, JEEP. Don't ever let that A2 out of your possession.

 

[Phantomfixer]

ANJ-3

That is the first photo of an ANJ-3 that I have seen in a crew photo. Forgot all about them. Epaulettes? I like it. Flight Suits does it in the F-82 jacket. Thought about buying the F-82 but I don't like their hide selections for this jacket and they won't budge. Great A-2 JEEP.

 

[Whithead]

A2 Fit - Typical Military

I just bought an A2 and was looking to see how these fit "back when" so as to be able to best judge how mine should fit.

Looks like they were issued just like everything else...approximate fit. If you had long arms or short, you pretty much lived with what you got...reminds me of my military time.

I guess mine fits as well as theirs did.

Great pictures!

 

[captaincaveman1]

Yeah that's how I stumbled upon these pics - was looking for what the fit was in that period too.

I just bought an A2 and was looking to see how these fit "back when" so as to be able to best judge how mine should fit.

Looks like they were issued just like everything else...approximate fit. If you had long arms or short, you pretty much lived with what you got...reminds me of my military time.

I guess mine fits as well as theirs did.

Great pictures!

 

[Spitfire]

A great shot of John Godfrey, 4th FG. - and his A2

And here together with Gentile.

 

[PoohBang]

I can't remember if I've posted this before, but here's my Dad -385th Bg,548th BS,England,1944.

here's the coat today. Both it and my Dad are a bit more wrinkled.

looks like it has a new name tag or the patch was moved? One photo the name tag is past the patch and the other it's quite to the right... or is it just the way the photo was taken?

 

[Speedbird]

Jeep44 - a question for you?

That's a great picture of your Dad. I love the expression!

Can I ask, does your Dad's jacket have any noseart on the back? Or do you know if his plane had a name? what was his crew position? ooops - that's three questions, don't mean to be nosy.

 

[jeep44]

I'll reply to both questions: The patch was removed for a number of years-My Dad must have removed it after the war sometime,and the jacket just hung in the closet for years as he "outgrew" it. When I was in college, I wanted a leather jacket,and this one fit. I had the original patch resewn on,but obviously not quite the same as before. I saw more than a few guys at college wearing painted and patched A2 jackets that belonged to their dads,too.
Nothing on the back of this coat. His plane had no name that I know of-he is not very talkative about those days, but I remember asking him once as I was assembling a B17 model, and he told me his had no name. I thought that was very unimaginative at the time,but I suppose he and his crew had their reasons. Edit: He was a tailgunner.

 

[Speedbird]

Thanks Jeep!

Both my Grandfathers were remarkably untalkative about their experiences. It was hard to get anything but the odd snippet here and there. It's common and understandable. Too many friends lost. Too many bad memories.

A lot of aircraft were unnamed. Crews moved around, replacements arrived (men and machines) ... some were lost before they were named .... I believe some crews considered it sentimental nonsense and bad luck to name the thing just as much as others thought it would bring good luck.

Total respect to your Pa; I reckon the tail and ball turret gunners must have had the loneliest, most terrifying and most dangerous positions in the Air Force - they must have been almost as close as any infantryman to looking the enemy right in the eyes in combat.

The reason for my particular interest in your Dad's jacket is I am researching a jacket decoration conversion to more accurately represent the Mighty 8th in England, 1944.

 

[jeep44]

Oddly enough, my Dad had more painted on his M41 than his A2-note the bombs denoting missions flown under the painted squadron patch in this photo.

 

[Speedbird]

Any chance you have a clearer image of the squadron patch and mission count ... it might be that my machine can't display sufficient detail but I can't see enough in the photo to make out the patch design and bombs. And also he is wearing a what looks like a chunky signet ring on his right hand? What would that be?