Enigma AN-6552/G-1?

[blaze424]

I recently picked up this old Navy jacket and I am having a tough time identifying the maker and contract. It has a faint black "US" under the collar, a seam down the middle of the lining and the wind-flap is on the wrong side (right side from the viewer's perspective and left from the wearer's perspective). Metal grommets in the pits. Talon zip looks like a replacement. Pocket scallop shape tells me late 40s.

A few snaps attached. I am grateful for any help identifying this enigma.

thanks

 

[Chandler]

Wind flap on the wrong side? Is there a map pocket?

The seam down the middle is a Monarch trait -- anyone confirm?

Probably an AN-6552, but I'd need to read thru the Navy FJ thread again.

 

[mulceber]

Good call, @Chandler. I hadn't noticed, but you're right, the back seam was a Monarch trait. It also looks like the wind flap doesn't quite make it to the bottom of the zipper, which is also a Monarch trait. Monarchs also had the black US stencil. Could be either AN-6552 or AN-J-3A, as Monarch had contracts of each.

 

[Chandler]

Could be either AN-6552 or AN-J-3A, as Monarch had a contract of each.

Would the AN-J-3A have had a stencil?

Again, I haven't looked thru the tagged thread.

 

[mulceber]

Yeah, we unfortunately didn't have any photos of the Monarch AN-J-3A for that thread, but I've seen one before and it had the black US stencil:

I'm not really sure the difference matters all that much though, as I don't think it's absolutely clear that the AN-6552 and the AN-J-3A were really even part of different series. The leather-collared AN-J-3 had a drawing number of AN-6552, but beyond that the relationship between AN-J-3, AN-6552 and AN-J-3A isn't very clear. I think there are two real possibilities here:

1. When the army left the project, the Navy decided that they'd call the new jacket by the AN-6552 and AN-J-3 designation, but basically have it be an M-422A with blackened zippers and (mostly) nylon thread. Then about a year later they made whatever minuscule changes that they wanted, and decided to add an "A" to the end of the designation to denote those changes.
2. When the army left the project, the Navy decided that they'd call their new jacket by the AN-6552, AN-J-3A ("A" because it was really a different design from the leather-collared AN-J-3 that they'd been working on with the Army). After that, they used AN-6552 and AN-J-3A pretty much interchangeably.

In other words, either the AN-6552 is also an AN-J-3 or it's also an AN-J-3A. It's anybody's guess which of these is correct.

 

[blaze424]

Wind flap on the wrong side? Is there a map pocket?

The seam down the middle is a Monarch trait -- anyone confirm?

Probably an AN-6552, but I'd need to read thru the Navy FJ thread again.

yes - it has the standard map pocket. The windflap on the wrong side puzzles me - maybe a Monarch employee was hungover one morning?

 

[Enigma1938]

Hey that's mine! The thread title says it all....

 

[Skyhawk]

Yeah, we unfortunately didn't have any photos of the Monarch AN-J-3A for that thread, but I've seen one before and it had the black US stencil:

I'm not really sure the difference matters all that much though, as I don't think it's absolutely clear that the AN-6552 and the AN-J-3A were really even part of different series. The leather-collared AN-J-3 had a drawing number of AN-6552, but beyond that the relationship between AN-J-3, AN-6552 and AN-J-3A isn't very clear. I think there are two real possibilities here:

1. When the army left the project, the Navy decided that they'd call the new jacket by the AN-6552 and AN-J-3 designation, but basically have it be an M-422A with blackened zippers and (mostly) nylon thread. Then about a year later they made whatever minuscule changes that they wanted, and decided to add an "A" to the end of the designation to denote those changes.
2. When the army left the project, the Navy decided that they'd call their new jacket by the AN-6552, AN-J-3A ("A" because it was really a different design from the leather-collared AN-J-3 that they'd been working on with the Army. After that, they used AN-6552 and AN-J-3A pretty much interchangeably.

In other words, either the AN-6552 is also an AN-J-3 or it's also an AN-J-3A. It's anybody's guess which of these is correct.

Reading through the Specs, I would have to say probably option #2. It's interesting that the AN-J-3a specs refer to drawing AN6552. That makes me think that the AN6552 was the first designation.

 

[ausreenactor]

Hey that's mine! The thread title says it all....

Elaborate for the new owner perhaps....