PRIVATE PURCHASE ROUGH WEAR A2

[aswatland]

This jacket is a bit of an enigma really in that it has a RW label in the pocket with a production number like an issued jacket yet has a green silk lining, green/brown knits and a looped cloth hanger (all original to the jacket). Also unlike contract RW A2s there is not the reinforcement stitching on the female side of the zip.

The other details are much the same as one of their contract A2s. I am wondering whether this jacket was sold as a civilian jacket because the collar is a little off centre and would not have passed inspection for the USAAF. It fits like a generous Wartime 42 and is much the same size as my size 44 1401p. In fact it is an inch wider across the shoulders and the sleeves are slightly longer.

The Crown zipper is the early sort, found on 1401s, so I'm wondering when this jacket was made. Yet it is seal like many from the later 27752 contract. Any thoughts?

I know Aero and Star, for example, made A2s for as private purchases, but I have not seen a civilian RW A2 before. Has anyone here seen one before? I should imagine they are extremely rare.

 

[aswatland]

 

[Edward]

What are the giveaways that these non-standard featurs are original to the jacket - is it to do ith the stitching?

Cetainly seems an interesting beast. I've seen pictures of a Buzz rickson repro of a B15-C that had very rare non-standard colour knits etc, but I should have thought that even with the pressures of wartime production emphasising non-wastage of anything, it'd have been highly unlikely that you'd see something so unique issued. By any chance could this be a pp jacket that was produced post 1943 for a officer who wanted a leather A2 instead of a B-10..... hence green knits being what was readily available?

 

[aswatland]

Interesting comments Edward. It could be a late War jacket, but the number in the pocket is unlikely to be near the end of a RW contract, which were normally very large! Why use an early Crown, when the 27752 contract only used Talons? It might be a custom job earlier in the War, but who knows. There is no evidence a RW label was ever attached to the jacket or that the lining has been replaced. The stitching is 100% original to the jacket as well with no tell tale stitch holes at all where it was previously sewn. It is certainly a very rare survivor indeed. If only this jacket could talk......

 

[Edward]

Yes, there's definitely a story in there!

 

[scotrace]

Fascinating find. If there are no others out there.... could it be an employee-made piece, from scraps or just on a lark with hides that didn't pass muster?

Amazing. Anyone at any other forum turn up anything?

 

[aswatland]

Fascinating find. If there are no others out there.... could it be an employee-made piece, from scraps or just on a lark with hides that didn't pass muster?

Amazing. Anyone at any other forum turn up anything?

Over on VLJ one guy commented "Looking at how the collar is off-centered maybe it could be a model sold at half price a sort of internal factory sell, assuming that the lining was purposely modified after the collar mistake in order to distinguish it from the correct issued models.
Often happens also nowadays with garments."

This is a plausible explanation. An employee may have preferred a Crown zip to the Talons used on the last A2 contract and fancied green lining and knits. The knits are similar in colour to those used on the B-10, so it could well date from around 1944 when RW were completing their last contract for A2s and making B-10s.