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Tokyo joe Humphrey Bogart jacket

busdrivermike

Well-Known Member
Watching this old 1949 movie after I saw some pics of bogart in the jacket
Interesting movie jacket, I could totally see recreating the patches and jacket
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Brettafett

Well-Known Member
Two things from my pov.
1. It appears to be a modified A-2. Modified with a fur collar... Original or no...? Not sure. Shoulder decal says 20AF
2. First pic, guy behind bumping his head is wearing a Dubow.

This could be a cool Fivestar project. A-2 with a mouton collar...
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Good strategy for any occasion, Indy. ;)

Just find it odd that they'd make up some unknown A-2 version as a tribute and not just make an M-422... like the Tigers were issued.
From what I learned from Ken from Aero and from reading , several pilots had A2 jackets that they were issued and were partial to over the m-422 jackets but they liked the fur collars of the M-422s . There were also a number of them that had problems with not having there sizes available . So they went out on the local market and had collars put on there A2’s . I remember seeing a photo of a ground crew guy wearing one someplace .
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
From what I learned from Ken from Aero and from reading , several pilots had A2 jackets that they were issued and were partial to over the m-422 jackets but they liked the fur collars of the M-422s . There were also a number of them that had problems with not having there sizes available . So they went out on the local market and had collars put on there A2’s . I remember seeing a photo of a ground crew guy wearing one someplace .
Pictures, or it never happened. ;)

Seriously, I have a lot of books on the AVG and never seen a custom A-2 like that.
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Pictures, or it never happened. ;)

Seriously, I have a lot of books on the AVG and never seen a custom A-2 like that.
The only thing that I can say is, that I can see how when you’re looking at photos in books of several guys wearing M-422 jackets , an A2 jacket made like this, unless you were specifically looking for it, could easily blend in and be over looked , unless you could get a clear look at the pockets of the jacket.
Second thing is ... maybe Ken will happen to see this thread and offer his opinion as to whether this type of modification was made
during that period .
 

MikeyB-17

Well-Known Member
Aero were offering ‘field modified’ A-2’s years ago, and I imagine that it was done because they had come across actual examples. In fact, I have a vague recollection of seeing an A-2 with a fur collar in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
 

Chandler

Well-Known Member
...unless you could get a clear look at the pockets of the jacket.
And the sleeve ends where the cuff has that extra stitching on the leather -- and yeah, I know older A-2s had this, but they probably weren't being issued to the AAC volunteers to the AVG. But..?
...and I imagine that it was done because they had come across actual examples.
From 1941-42 Kunming? Hmm. Here's where I need that "curious" emoji again. ;)
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
And the sleeve ends where the cuff has that extra stitching on the leather -- and yeah, I know older A-2s had this, but they probably weren't being issued to the AAC volunteers to the AVG. But..?

From 1941-42 Kunming? Hmm. Here's where I need that "curious" emoji again. ;)
Interesting conversation, if I might offer a differing point of view : I’m not sure why it would be a reach to think that in 1941-42 this modification would be difficult to have done to a jacket . For discussion purposes, let’s take a look at how EASY it would be to have a jacket modified . You certainly had parachute riggers, who could literally make just about anything that required sewing together different types of materials . If you’ve ever been anywhere in Asia you know that you could have just about anything clothing related made for you in 24 hours , that includes 1941-42 as well as now .
There are several examples of private purchase jackets and flight clothing made in Asia from WWII , Korea and Vietnam , so why not Burma , or China during WWII ? Not trying to be difficult, but just offering a different view point on the possibilities of how this jacket modification could have developed .
I probably won’t change your point of view, but that’s ok . It would still be interesting in hearing Ken’s response on this issue .
 
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Chandler

Well-Known Member
Interesting conversation, if I might offer a differing point of view : I’m not sure why it would be a reach to think that in 1941-42 this modification would be difficult to have done to a jacket.
Sorry, I think you misunderstood my post -- I wasn't saying I didn't think it could be done, just that I've seen no proof of it being done by the AVG. My dates were for pinpointing a jacket for documentation purposes -- in other words, yeah -- maybe there have been altered A-2s, but has anyone seem one that survived China and Burma between 1941 and 1942?

And sure, riggers did a lot of things, but how many were actually in the AVG? I guess they had to have someone to pack parachutes.

The other side of research also shows that not many of the pilots brought there A-2s with them -- not sure why, but you just don't see many A-2s being worn. But I suppose they could be "disguised" with fuzzy collars. ;)

Of interest, there were also M-444s "donated" to the AVG -- you see them in a lot of the China pics. Seemed pretty popular too.
 
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