WW-II 8th AF Tribute Jacket - Looking for some guidance

[TPD166]

I have decided to put together a WW-II “tribute jacket” and was hoping for some advice/opinions. The jacket is a tribute to my mother’s first cousin, 2LT Millard C. Miller, Jr. He was a B-24 navigator whose plane was shot down over Germany. He was severely injured and was taken prisoner after he pushed out of the plane (a fascinating story - http://www.458bg.com/crewaa87klusmeyer.htm). I had heard his story handed down in the family all my life and when I finally read an official account I was amazed at how accurate the family retelling had been. LT Miller passed away a few year ago and I never got to meet him.

As for the jacket, I have an ANJ-3 headed my way that I may use for the jacket (he entered the USAAF in 1943, so it’s a possible jacket). He served in the 8th AF, 458th BG, 755th (and 752nd) Bomb Squadrons. I have found no photos of LT Miller wearing a flight jacket. And I have only found one example of an original A-2 jacket from the 458th online, and it is actually from the 755th BS (but different ship and crew). The jacket, shown below, has only the cloth squadron patch on the front, but the back is painted with nose art. The jacket, according to the poster, also belonged to a navigator.


If I decide to use the ANJ-3 I am waiting for, it has some damage to the left chest (thus the great deal I got on it) that I will cover with a 755th BS patch (Old Club Badges on ebay has them in cloth). So my questions are:

1. Should I use a cloth squadron patch, as was used on the original jacket above, or look into getting a painted leather one? I am only guessing at this point, but I think a cloth patch will work better covering up the left chest damage.

2. Should I add 8th AF and/or USAAF patches to shoulders? If the squadron patch is cloth, would leather shoulder patch(es) look appropriate. If I add both, which shoulders to they go on? The originals I have seen have been mixed as to which patches are on which shoulders.

3. Should I add leather navigator wings and/or a nametag with LT Miller’s name.

4. Any other thoughts are appreciated as well.

I have looked at many original A-2s and their markings online and have found all of the above in various combinations. I know there are no “right” answers, but I value the feedback and opinions of fellow loungers who have done this before and/or are far more learned in the composition of original jackets.

 

[Stand By]

Good day TPD,
I must say, I think your idea for a tribute jacket is a superb. I mean, it’s well-deserved – to think, that not only did your family member go through training (not easy – and then considering the amount of fatalities that were incurred during training!), and then run the gamut of flak and the Luftwaffe, but to end up in a POW camp. Hogan’s Heroes it certainly wasn’t!
As for the bomb squadron in question, I can’t see any photos of any other A2 examples in my “American Flight Jackets” (Maguire & Conway) or “Art of the Flight Jacket” (Maguire & Conway) reference books. I have, however, looked up Lt. Miller’s squadron in my “Battle Colors: Insignia and Aircraft Markings of the Eighth Air Force in WWII, Vol. I” (Robert A. Watkins, Schiffer Military Press) and I see that they were based in Horsham St. Faith in Norfolk between January 1944 – June 1945. If you would like me to get a colour copy of this emailed to you, please let me know and I’d be glad to do that.
So I think it’s a great thing to do.
If I may, I’d like to offer up my own 2 cents (worth a measly 1.4 cents compared to your US dollar, so please take it for whatever it’s worth!) – merely for you to consider – and what you do with it is entirely up to you.
I think that what you’re looking at needs considering in terms of components – and order – so I’ll cover this in the order that I think I’d do this:

1. The jacket
You speak of an ANJ-3 for the jacket. Personally, I would say go with an A2. Yes, the ANJ-3 was exclusive to 1943 and is indeed a great jacket, but it was a very, very rare jacket and the chances of your relative having worn an A2 would be around 99.9% in that regard. So if you have the ANJ-3 coming, I would save/use it for something else or sell it on (that’s just me). I think the A2 is just synonymous with the USAAF in Europe.

As for the A2 itself, if you intend to wear this jacket yourself once it’s done, I would suggest that you go for as good an A2 as you can afford – as this deserves to be done well and not look “cheap” or "cheesy" at the end. Spend the few hundred bucks more if possible – you’ll live with the benefits much longer after the difference is felt in your bank account. I don’t think that a GoodWear or ELC A2 is necessary – but if it was me with this project, I’d be looking at perhaps a good used Aero 1401-P (check their website in the used section) or a new A2 made by Simmons Bilt (ask for Edith. She made my ANJ-3 and her work is amazing and A2s are her thing). I mention these two companies as either of them could also add the patches you want bespoke and do so with finesse. You could also consider US Wings or Cockpit if you’re so inclined, but do contact them beforehand to make sure they can add the patches precisely the way you want.

2. The patches
So where to begin with the patches?
As you say, there was a whole range of materials and styles - and variations within those – and reference materials will show you that there were certain standards of appearance, but there were always anomalies within those too. So, to a degree, you do have a certain amount of carte blanche to do what you want. Insignia was often painted directly on to the jacket and, where patches were used, they were sometimes made of bullion, cloth materials and painted-on-leather pieces – and combinations thereof – and I think it’s fair to say that certain theatre of operations were more typified by certain materials – such as leather patches being more prevalent in the Mediterranean Theatre (where they were private purchases at local bazaars by local artisans – and the officialdom of the USAAF let the crews have more latitude with these things). So that’s what I used for my Aero ANJ-3 as I wanted it to have more casual MTO markings. But this wasn't so for the 8th AF. They were tidier.

So you're wondering about what material the bomb squadron patch should be – leather or cloth? How do you decide that?
Well, I would say that A2 jackets with insignia and patches look better when it’s all of a similar style and material – so it looks “together”, not thrown together.
And I would begin with the shoulder patches.
a) Shoulder patches – when one thinks of an A2 in the ETO and under the 8th AF, I think of cloth patches. And I would go with those – but not a repro! For just a few bucks more, you can still get great vintage, original patches that were made in England at that time (and your relative could have got some on his many trips to London on leave). Some of these had borders and some did not. These were made in either silk, cotton or wool – and combinations thereof – and the embroidery work is often beautiful. Examples can be seen for sale on this website:
http://militaryaviationartifacts.com/shoulder.htm
Hunt around for others. They are some good ones out there (or I can help point you in a few other directions if you like).
And FYI, the 8th AF roundel goes on the right sleeve and the USAAF on the left. Yes, these were very occasionally switched, but this was not the norm at all. You could have them sewn directly on to the jacket which was standard - but I had my patches added with a HH border to hide some stitch marks from a previous patches, plus one of the patches had no border of its own, so I bordered them both to make them look like a matching pair. And I like the effect.
My vintage English-made theatre patches can be seen here on my ELC RW B-3:

NB: My jacket is themed towards the early arrival of the 364th BS in England (when the redskin B-3 was more prevalent), so I have a "stubby" 8th AF patch. You would be wanting the later - and longer-winged - version. But you can see the nice details in the embroidery here.
The USAAF patch is silk and the blue background appears blue - or blue/steel grey, depending on the light. I love it for that.

b) The Bomb Squadron patch – So, let’s assume you like that idea of the cloth patches.

If that was so, then I think that answers your next question of whether to have a cloth or painted-on bomb squadron (BS) patch.
The cloth patch by Andrew Butler is a winner. I know as I have one on my Aero C-3 (seen below). It is a completely faithful and detailed copy of the design and the material is of beautiful wool, so it’s not going to fray on you and it totally looks the part. The only thing with mine was that it had an unfinished edge, so I had Edith (formerly at Aero, now SB) make a HH leather border for it – and it looked all the more amazing for it (again, a benefit of having the person do this for you at source). I really like the wool patch over the painted-on-leather variety as it’s softer on the eye (to me) and looks immediately more vintage.

3. The nametag – IMO you should absolutely have a name tag! Lt. Miller deserves to be named - and remembered. Split-S (in the US) make nice name tags, but the two I have from them are of quite thin leather. The ones I have had from ELC, Aero and SB are all pretty much identical (it’s rather like Pepsi .v. Coke) and all are of far superior quality. I would go with any those for sure – and if the name tag is to be sewn on at your Texas end (i.e. not by Aero/ELC/SB), do ask them to run a needle around on the border so your tailor can run a needle and thread through it and it will look as it should. Note: Olive Drab thread (or whichever colour is used for the jacket) should be used for this.

4. Rank Insignia – I don’t wear rank on my jackets as I never served and I didn’t earn the right to wear rank. However, Lt. Miller did – and you could easily add some. Yes, you could add the rank in leather (ELC make them) and have them sewn on by the jacket maker or tailor. If it was me, I would hunt down some period vintage lieutenant bars in sterling silver – not a bright and shiny pair, but something with some nice aging and tarnish. You can get pick some up easily for US$50-100. http://www.doughboymilitary.com/details.php?cid=7
The same with some bombardier wings, although you can expect to pay more for those.

5. I.D. Stencil in the lining - If you wanted, you could also have LT. MILLER stenciled onto the cloth lining of the jacket. Easily done by an A2 jacket maker and relatively inexpensive, a personal touch and very unobtrusive.
My Aero ANJ-3 has a stencil:

6. A final touch? So now you have shoulder patches, a BS patch, a name tag and some small rank pips. I would say that, at this point, you want to be careful not to over-do the jacket and make it look too “busy”. You don’t want to “over-egg” the soufflé and make it look wrong.
But as a last touch, you could always have a last piece of insignia of the 458th BG added – such as their “Circle K”, which was the identifier on the tails of the B-24s. These were originally a white circle with an Insignia Blue “K”. You could add that (have someone paint it) and perhaps a USAAF “star-and-bar" or some small yellow code letters for the squadron if you can identify the actual B-24 he flew on. But I’d put the jacket together and make that the last decision before you ask someone (an artist) to do that for you – as sometimes, less is more, you know?

Here is my Aero C-3 with the D-MO and star-and bar for you to see.

And here is the back of my ELC C-3 with the “Triangle G” I added for the 364th BS.

So that’s what I’d do. I'm sure others here will have other ideas, but this is my 1.4 cents.
I hope that helps you with a few things to consider – and if you’d like any more help, please let me know.
Good luck!

 

[TPD166]

Stand By - thanks for the great detailed response! You make many great points and I appreciate your input. And your example jackets are fantastic!

Getting no feedback previously, I got with Siggy here on TFL and have already headed in certain direction. Here's is the current plan: While highly unlikely he had an ANJ3, it's one of my favorite jackets and I got a great deal on one because of the need to cover up a previous patch removal - which will work perfectly with a squadron patch. I already own several A-2s, a couple of other ANJ3s, an A-1, and G-1; most of good quality by reputable makers, but my "bargain" ANJ3 is of excellent quality and fits like it was made for me. Since the jacket is for my pleasure only (vs. reenacting, etc.), I am good with using an ANJ3 vs. an A-2.

Being a longtime admirer of Siggy's painted watch work, I reached out to him and he has agreed to make leather patches for the 755th, 8th AF, and USAAF. Hopefully he will receive my payment soon and the patches will be headed my way in the next few weeks. Once they come in, and I find someone I trust to put the patches on for me, I will post the final project here on TFL. I suspect Siggy may post the patches here on TFL once he completes them.

I will make decisions as to wings, nametag, etc. once I get the first three patches on the jacket. The original A-2s I have found pictures of range from nothing added to minimal patches to fully painted and decorated jackets. It may be an on-going project for a while!

Thanks again for the great input and recommendations!

 

[SIGGY]

Hey Robert , just got your order today's mail , much thanks, am in process of getting them started and I'll let you know when they're ready to send off , thanks again for the order and have a great week !!!!!!
Siggy

 

[Stand By]

Stand By - thanks for the great detailed response! You make many great points and I appreciate your input. And your example jackets are fantastic!

Getting no feedback previously, I got with Siggy here on TFL and have already headed in certain direction. Here's is the current plan: While highly unlikely he had an ANJ3, it's one of my favorite jackets and I got a great deal on one because of the need to cover up a previous patch removal - which will work perfectly with a squadron patch. I already own several A-2s, a couple of other ANJ3s, an A-1, and G-1; most of good quality by reputable makers, but my "bargain" ANJ3 is of excellent quality and fits like it was made for me. Since the jacket is for my pleasure only (vs. reenacting, etc.), I am good with using an ANJ3 vs. an A-2.

Being a longtime admirer of Siggy's painted watch work, I reached out to him and he has agreed to make leather patches for the 755th, 8th AF, and USAAF. Hopefully he will receive my payment soon and the patches will be headed my way in the next few weeks. Once they come in, and I find someone I trust to put the patches on for me, I will post the final project here on TFL. I suspect Siggy may post the patches here on TFL once he completes them.

I will make decisions as to wings, nametag, etc. once I get the first three patches on the jacket. The original A-2s I have found pictures of range from nothing added to minimal patches to fully painted and decorated jackets. It may be an on-going project for a while!

Thanks again for the great input and recommendations!

You're most welcome, TPD.
I'm sorry my reply came in a bit late - I haven't looked in on the WW2 section for a while and only saw your reply a couple of days ago as, TBH, I don't often stray from the Outerwear section (alas, not enough time in my work day - and I only follow a few threads at that) - where I think your thread would have garnered more traffic and would have been equally relevant.
But not to worry. You have Siggy signed up onboard and you won't be disappointed - I agree, his work speaks for itself and reflects his passion for the work as his attention to detail is exemplary. And now that you are going with a paint medium, adding the "Circle K" (that I mentioned) with paint would present itself with more potential for you to consider as an idea - it'd blend in with the other painted designs, so to speak.
And I totally hear you about the ANJ-3. It's the absolute best of both worlds of the A2 and G-1 and I adore mine for that. I'm always amazed that they aren't more popular than they are. You can see mine on the How To Paint On A Leather Jacket thread (in The Fedora Lounge Guides section) - with its painted patches.
Looking forward to seeing yours all done!
Cheers!

 

[TPD166]

The project is complete (for now). I received my repro ANJ-3 jacket from ebay - really well-made beautiful jacket that was a deal (and perfect for my project) due to damage to the finish from someone gluing Velcro to the chest for a nametag.

My next step was find the appropriate patches for the 755th Bomber Squadron. After much looking around and not liking anything I found, I turned to fellow TFL member Siggy and asked if he could make the patches for me - he was willing to do so and I placed my order. Today I received my patches and I was stunned by the quality and accuracy - he is an amazing and talented artist! Here are the patches Siggy made fresh from the mail.

My local uniform shop was able to sew them on (covering the glue damage) while I waited and I took home my finished WW-II tribute jacket to Lt. Miller!

My son's A-2 made by Pop's Leather also arrived today so a father and son jacket picture was in order.

I may add a nametag and/wings at some point, but I am very pleased with the end result of a project I have wanted to do for many years.

 

[SIGGY]

Hey Robert , the jacket looks great and the patches set it off nicely, I am glad I was able to fulfill your project and thanks again for the order !!!!!!
Johnny

 

[SIGGY]

Thanks Much "Stand By" for the compliments of my work , it is appreciated !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny/Siggy

 

[Stand By]

As "Hannibal" used to say in The A-Team: "I love it when a plan comes together!" And quite right too.
A top result and the jacket looks great - and your smile says it all. A great photo!

Siggy - I think I can feel another order coming on for TPD's son's A2 …! Great work!

 

[TPD166]

Thanks!

As "Hannibal" used to say in The A-Team: "I love it when a plan comes together!" And quite right too.
A top result and the jacket looks great - and your smile says it all. A great photo!
QUOTE]

 

[SIGGY]

Yeah , hope so Stand By