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WW2 A2 issuing question (can't seem to word this in any better way!)

regius

Active Member
Ok, Andrew, John, and gentlemen, I'm afraid my English forbids me from phrasing this question in any clearer way, so please bear with me.

I have been curious about the patterns of contracts available for issuing from the say, quartermaster stores. Say all the graduates or new flyers who are stationed at the same base or receive their jackets in the same period. Would they get the same contract? Or, the contracts of that year all got mixed up and issued randomly. Thank you!
 

Roughwear

Well-Known Member
My understanding is that A2s were issued to cadets during training and others were of course issued in the theatre. I have not seen evidence that A2s from a particular contract were issued to personnel at the same training facility, although I'm sure batches of jackets from the same maker were sent to the same QMS. The problem is aircrew do not appear to have taken much notice who made their A2s in the War and have not left evidence on this subject.
 

ausreenactor

Well-Known Member
As the Cadets and soldiers with five fingers moved through the supply chain they would have burned through stock as demand dictated. All of the kit would go through larger centralized supply stores and then as the orders came through the logisitics chain they would have gone out the door. With the top boxes going first... Older contracts could sit on the bottom for months if they kept getting topped up. Nothing has changed since the Romans hit up the first blacksmith... I did one see an item in our clothing store that had a Mar 14 manufacture date.... in Dec 13? I called bullshit!
 

herk115

Active Member
Sorry for going 4 1/2 years without noticing this thread, but I've wondered the same thing. Though I don't claim my jacket identification skills are anywhere near as good as other members of this group, I have noticed what seems to be an unusually large number of RW 1401-P's going to 15th AF crews. My father was issued this contract while he was still at Gowen in Boise when he was with the 29th BS, which I understand was just a "paper" unit, but shortly thereafter he was assigned to 49th BS/2nd BG. The Tuskeegee Airmen seem to wear a lot of them, at least in the photos I'm able to get hold of.
 

B-Man2

Well-Known Member
Sorry for going 4 1/2 years without noticing this thread, but I've wondered the same thing. Though I don't claim my jacket identification skills are anywhere near as good as other members of this group, I have noticed what seems to be an unusually large number of RW 1401-P's going to 15th AF crews. My father was issued this contract while he was still at Gowen in Boise when he was with the 29th BS, which I understand was just a "paper" unit, but shortly thereafter he was assigned to 49th BS/2nd BG. The Tuskeegee Airmen seem to wear a lot of them, at least in the photos I'm able to get hold of.
Rough Wear was the second most prolific maker of A2 jackets during the war with 5 different contracts totaling 108,238 jackets . Being surpassed only by Aero who made 242,738. So while I can’t speak to where the jackets went or what theaters of operations the jackets were shipped to , from a percentage standpoint the odds that you were issued an Aero or a Rough Wear we’re pretty good .
 

herk115

Active Member
Rough Wear was the second most prolific maker of A2 jackets during the war with 5 different contracts totaling 108,238 jackets . Being surpassed only by Aero who made 242,738. So while I can’t speak to where the jackets went or what theaters of operations the jackets were shipped to , from a percentage standpoint the odds that you were issued an Aero or a Rough Wear we’re pretty good .
Thanks, B-Man. I did not know this. Guess I'd better hang onto my Goodwear RW 1401-P.
 
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