Maker of this A-2?

[Chris217]

I just found this picture of my grandfather wearing his A-2 in 1949. What maker do you guys think it is?

 

[greyhound52]

I am thinking Roughwear. Looks like a collar stand upon close exam of the photo. I have also seen the pocket top curl like that on original Roughwears. But it is real hard to tell would like to have a closer look at the collar.

 

[Chris217]

Heres another shot of the jacket taken a few years later in 1954.

 

[Chandler]

What? No pictures of him wearing it while painting?

Interesting to see from the shadow that the woman taking the picture is probably using a box camera.

Chandler

 

[Andrew]

hmmm, not as successful as a fisherman as his mate
Chris, what did happen to this obviously much loved jacket again? I feel for you that you don't have it.

 

[Chris217]

I asked my grandmother what happened to his A-2. She said she remembers the jacket well, and that he wore it often. But she had no idea what became of it.

One thing I did notice, this is not the same A-2 he had while with the 486th. He must have picked this one up later when he rotated stateside.

See the difference in the collar details.

 

[rumblefish]

Looks to me like the first and second shot show a jacket with no wind flap. Maybe not a USAAF spec. A-2?

 

[T-Bolt]

You know rumblefish......I think you are right! The front closure appears to be more like a Navy type jacket.


Ted

 

[zoomer]

No windflap? Navy-type front? How about an Army AN-J-3? Note dark color, biggish pockets (are there buttons?) and lack of obvious hardware at collar.
More likely still is that it's some civvy model. AN-J-3s were very rare in the Army, and this drapes like horse rather than goat anyway.
Finally, Gramps appears to have filled out in the face between wartime and '49. His Army jacket might not even have fit him any longer.

 

[Roughwear]

No windflap? Navy-type front? How about an Army AN-J-3? Note dark color, biggish pockets (are there buttons?) and lack of obvious hardware at collar.
More likely still is that it's some civvy model. AN-J-3s were very rare in the Army, and this drapes like horse rather than goat anyway.
Finally, Gramps appears to have filled out in the face between wartime and '49. His Army jacket might not even have fit him any longer.

Zoomer, I would agree. Most likely a civi jacket, not an issued one. The issued A2 in the wartime photo is impossible to identify from the one photo. It looks to be made from horse, judging by the folds.

 

[Chris217]

Wow! Your right, I just looked at the photo under a magnifiying glass and I don't see a windflap. I can't believe I missed that! I've never seen an A-2 style jacket with a G-1 style zip. It seems odd that with as many surplus A-2's that were available back then, they were being copied by civilian companies.

I wonder which civilian manufactor made this type of jacket? Sears? Monarch?

I'm glad I showed this to you guys