My latest buy: Aero M422A Jacket

[thor]

I've read that the AVG traveled incognito (civilian clothes) aboard passenger ship to China and were issued uniforms once they arrived. The government arranged for lots of Navy gear to be issued, including crates of M-422a jackets from Willis & Geiger; maybe they sent boxes of size 46 and 48 jackets for guys who normally wore size 40 and 42?
Some AVG pilots probably brought their own gear (including their issued A-2's), hence the myriad mix of clothing worn by the Flying Tigers seen in photos.

 

[Big J]

My original Gordon & Ferguson M422A size 40(my normal size) fits me almost exactly like your first photo. A slightly longer and looser look. The fit around chest and shoulders is spot on with no shoulder droop but they do have extra length built in IMO. One would have to well over 6 ft to get the shorter look.

That's really interesting. My original Aero M442a that I sent back was based on G&F patterns, and (like I've said before), it was baggy in the arms and shoulders, and trim in the waist. Maybe the smaller sizes are baggy all over? I don't know. The W&G pattern fits me better. It's a mystery.

 

[Big J]

I've read that the AVG traveled incognito (civilian clothes) aboard passenger ship to China and were issued uniforms once they arrived. The government arranged for lots of Navy gear to be issued, including crates of M-422a jackets from Willis & Geiger; maybe they sent boxes of size 46 and 48 jackets for guys who normally wore size 40 and 42?
Some AVG pilots probably brought their own gear (including their issued A-2's), hence the myriad mix of clothing worn by the Flying Tigers seen in photos.

Traveling incognito in that region, in that era must have been an adventure itself!
You may be right. I can just imagine some one in an office saying 'Ah, let's just order the two biggest sizes, then they'll fit everyone'.

 

[Edward]

I've read that the AVG traveled incognito (civilian clothes) aboard passenger ship to China and were issued uniforms once they arrived. The government arranged for lots of Navy gear to be issued, including crates of M-422a jackets from Willis & Geiger; maybe they sent boxes of size 46 and 48 jackets for guys who normally wore size 40 and 42?
Some AVG pilots probably brought their own gear (including their issued A-2's), hence the myriad mix of clothing worn by the Flying Tigers seen in photos.

Yes. I've even seen photos of an m40 that was decorated and worn by an AVG pilot.

The official story at the time was that they had resigned from the US Army, and gone to China independently, as mercenaries. It was only in recent years that the US Government acknowledged that it had been involved. I've often wondered whether Japan had an awareness, and if that played into Pearl Harbour. The AVG didn't go into action until after the bombing, but it had been in the works a while before. Of course the hope was to help secure victory for the Republic of China, and strengthen its hand against the Maoists. Obviously things didn't work out that way.

 

[Big J]

Yes. I've even seen photos of an m40 that was decorated and worn by an AVG pilot.

The official story at the time was that they had resigned from the US Army, and gone to China independently, as mercenaries. It was only in recent years that the US Government acknowledged that it had been involved. I've often wondered whether Japan had an awareness, and if that played into Pearl Harbour. The AVG didn't go into action until after the bombing, but it had been in the works a while before. Of course the hope was to help secure victory for the Republic of China, and strengthen its hand against the Maoists. Obviously things didn't work out that way.

I don't think so. The documentation around Japanese war planning decision making regarding Pearl Harbor shows that even though the plans were drawn up some 6 months prior to the decision to attack being made, the decision really was made on the (incorrect) belief that attacking Pearl Harbor would be such a massive psychological shock that the US would negotiate for peace and accept Japanese territorial claims. The Japanese had already seized those territories out of a feeling of entitlement that they 'deserved' them, and international claims to the contrary were 'victimization' (Dower covers this really well in Cultures of War).

 

[thor]

Another great book on the subject of Japan's imperialism and military aggression is James Bradley's "The Imperial Cruise". The book makes a compelling case that much of Japan's change in politics and strategy apparently traced back to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, long before FDR and WWII.

 

[Big J]

Another great book on the subject of Japan's imperialism and military aggression is James Bradley's "The Imperial Cruise". The book makes a compelling case that much of Japan's change in politics and strategy apparently traced back to the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, long before FDR and WWII.

I'll check it out Thor!
What often gets overlooked is that Japan had been at war in Asia for almost 40 years before the US put the embargos on them that they used as justification for PH.