Ted Lawson A-2

[herk115]

Folks,

While perusing the Doolittle Raiders website last night I took a close look at the crew photo of Ted Lawson's crew taken on the Hornet shortly before their departure on the raid. Is it just a trick of lighting, or does Lawson have an extra pocket on his A-2 on the right chest? Take a look here: http://www.doolittleraider.com/images/Crew%2007.jpg

 

[Steve27752]

Both on the left appear to have extra stitching, I wonder if internal pockets have been added?

 

[dmar836]

Appears the far left one is a different mod and has a new large pocket all the way to the knit covering the original pocket location. Both of Lawson's pockets remain but perhaps the right one has been shortened and the flap lowered to make room for the addition?
Cool mods!
Dave

 

[herk115]

Appears the far left one is a different mod and has a new large pocket all the way to the knit covering the original pocket location. Both of Lawson's pockets remain but perhaps the right one has been shortened and the flap lowered to make room for the addition?
Cool mods!
Dave

Notice that Thatcher's (far right) right hand pocket seems to be lower than the left hand, but no evidence of any other mod on the right side. And the guy on the left seems to have no right hand pocket at all. Or, again, is this just a trick of lighting?

 

[chamboid]

Both seem to have been modified with the left one having he right pocket completely removed and something else sewn inside. The Lawson A-2 does seem to have another flapped pocket sew on the chest though, which is interesting. How easy would it be to find more pictures?

 

[Jeff M]

Close up of that photo on Wikepedia;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ted_W ... aiders.jpg

 

[herk115]

Both seem to have been modified with the left one having he right pocket completely removed and something else sewn inside. The Lawson A-2 does seem to have another flapped pocket sew on the chest though, which is interesting. How easy would it be to find more pictures?

You couldn't have done that to your A-2 (or any other uniform item) in the Air Force *I* was in!

 

[zoomer]

Now, it's uniform. Then, it was gear.

 

[Chandler]

You couldn't have done that to your A-2 (or any other uniform item) in the Air Force *I* was in!

Maybe if you had volunteered for a suicide mission? :shock:

Every time I look at those pictures, I just can't fathom that they're about to take off on the most risky mission ever devised by that point. No one looks the least bit scared -- some tentative, maybe, but not frightened.

 

[herk115]

You couldn't have done that to your A-2 (or any other uniform item) in the Air Force *I* was in!

Maybe if you had volunteered for a suicide mission? :shock:

Well, in that case, yes, but they didn't know where they were going until it was too late. I'm assuming the jacket was modified before they boarded the Hornet.

 

[unclegrumpy]

I'm assuming the jacket was modified before they boarded the Hornet.

Or on the Hornet. Navy riggers were very creative modifying and making things.