A-2 Inspection Stamps

[rick.canavar]

Hi everyone,

Does anyone know when the AAF and inspector's stamps began to be used on A-2 linings? Always? A particular year?

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Rutger]

I guess inspector's stamps where used from the beginning, but since only a few jackets of each batch where inspected randomly, the habit of marking each repro with an inspector's stamp is a bit misleading.
I think that for example 1 out of 50 repros should be marked with an inspecto's stamp. But with these stamps for sale everywhere, everybody would quickly buy his own to adorn his jacket with it anyway.

 

[dmar836]

The true sign of a fake, like in muscle cars, is the over-application of factory markings. The markings were sometimes heavy, smeared, and blobbed with ink and other times were faint or non existent. If a jacket has every available marking perfectly inked, centered, and prominent, it looks like a "Top Gun" jacket.
Might also mention that the stamps commonly available from Ebay, Garcia, etc. are not the correct size. None of the commonly available sizes match the stamps on my original gear - caps, gloves, jackets, etc. Strange.

Dave

 

[Peter Graham]

I guess inspector's stamps where used from the beginning, but since only a few jackets of each batch where inspected randomly, the habit of marking each repro with an inspector's stamp is a bit misleading.

Are you sure about that ? I've owned three original A-2's and they all had inspectors stamps and I'm pretty sure any I've looked at on ebay have them.

 

[Rutger]

I checked what I remember having read a week ago, the latest A2 bible says "jackets would be randomly plucked from each lot for inspection and if they passed, they would be stamped ... etc".
I haven't checked the claim, or the numbers involved.
It'd be interesting to know the approximate percentage so stamped. I hardly assume official records exist of that, but you never know the ways of bureaucracy.

 

[Dr H]

You could go the other extreme. I used to own a pristine Hungarian ushanka from 1956 that bore no fewer than 13 separate stamps from different inspectors! :shock:

 

[Roughwear]

I checked what I remember having read a week ago, the latest A2 bible says "jackets would be randomly plucked from each lot for inspection and if they passed, they would be stamped ... etc".
I haven't checked the claim, or the numbers involved.
It'd be interesting to know the approximate percentage so stamped. I hardly assume official records exist of that, but you never know the ways of bureaucracy.

Almost all the original A2s that I have owned/own have original inspector stamps on the lining which would seem to indicate that the majority of jackets were inspected and stamped.

 

[Anonymous]

inspector stamp yes,
but what about AAF stamps?

 

[Peter Graham]

inspector stamp yes,
but what about AAF stamps?

All the repro makers get this wrong. They make a repro of say, a 1941 contract jacket, and it will have an AAF stamp in it. The only way a 1941 contract jacket will have an AAF stamp is if went through a depot refurb in late 43 onwards. It would also have an AAF stencil put on the shoulder at this point.

 

[rick.canavar]

Thanks for the information everyone. Yeah, that makes sense, there couldn't be an AAF stamp before it was the AAF. It never occurred to me that every jacket might not be inspected. The reason I began to wonder is that I have a Aero 16160 from Good Wear that isn't stamped. It's a test jacket though, so on the one hand I thought John might not have bothered. But on the other hand I could imagine the stamps started being used as the number of jackets and vendors increased with American involvement in the war. The increase in jacket numbers and contractors might require greater quality control. Also I've never heard of stamps associated with A-1s. It seemed overly coincidental that inspector stamps and such would be introduced to perfectly coincide with a change in jacket design.

 

[dmar836]

Well, if anyone is gonna get it right........

 

[Anonymous]

It would have been impossible for all jackets to have been inspected
The inspectors must had inspected only random samples.

The Class 13 catalog was fist issued in 1942 and I wonder if it had the AAF stamp provision.

Sure all repro makers get it wrong, but now the stamp is a selling point and customers are so much get used to it that
it's hard to convince them it's not accurate, especially when they tell you "I wanted stamp, like ELC (for example) jackets have", which can be interpreted like "give me stamp or I 'll buy ELC"

 

[Russ 27752]

Hi Platon,

According to USAAF Technical Order No. 13-1-12, dated February 1, 1944, supplementing AAF regulation 65-69, dated October 15, 1943,

All garments, helmets, shoes, gloves, mattresses, bags, etc. intended for issue as personal flying equipment will be marked, for the purposes of identification, on the outside and inside in the manner prescribed herein (i.e., with AAF insignia - "AAF Winged Star"). The work directed herein will be accomplished as soon as possible by service activities with the aid of sub-depots, if necessary...

Based on the T.O. above (which I have quoted directly), the AAF insignia marking was required by USAAF HQ between October 15, 1943 and February 1, 1944.

The operative words as soon as possible may mean that USAAF HQ believed the regulation requiring the AAF insignia marking was a low priority during the war.

Regards,
Russ

It would have been impossible for all jackets to have been inspected
The inspectors must had inspected only random samples.

The Class 13 catalog was fist issued in 1942 and I wonder if it had the AAF stamp provision.

Sure all repro makers get it wrong, but now the stamp is a selling point and customers are so much get used to it that
it's hard to convince them it's not accurate, especially when they tell you "I wanted stamp, like ELC (for example) jackets have", which can be interpreted like "give me stamp or I 'll buy ELC"

 

[Anonymous]

the AAF insignia marking was required by USAAF HQ between October 15, 1943 and February 1, 1944.

which means they marked all existing jackets that they could?
i.e. those that were issued in 1941 were originally without AAF marking but they later added it?

 

[Russ 27752]

Certainly, on or after February 1, 1944 the AAF insignia marking was required by regulation as per USAAF HQ. I assume this means jackets that did not already have the AAF insignia had it added -- this must have been irrespective of the jacket's date of manufacture.

Regards,
Russ