WWII A2 Bomber Jacket War Paint

MIL-STD-12-13-2012

Vintage hand painted leather?  This kind of stuff will never be considered uncool:

A2-Bomber-Jacket-WWII-War-Paint-1

A2-Bomber-Jacket-WWII-War-Paint-2

At the beginning of the war, Army Air Corps members were issued the most badass jacket in the military, the leather A-2—which had been the standard leather flight jacket since 1931. In WWII, these jackets became a canvas for teenage flyers to express their rugged individuality. They’d get the backs painted, and often these images included the plane’s nickname and little bombs to tally how many missions the crew flew. On the front, personalized patches would often indicate one’s squadron or bomb group.

Very interesting stuff… make sure you read the whole history and check out more pictures over at Collectors Weekly.

They recommend these two books; American Flight Jackets, and Art of the Flight Jacket if you really want to go way down the flight jacket rabbit hole.

Although more than one jacket may have been painted with the same or similar designs, the nature of leather, how it wears, and the subtle differences in hand painting make each one unique.

7 COMMENTS - JUMP DOWN ↓ TO ADD YOUR OWN

Johnny December 14, 2012 at 09:57 pm

Wow , always love seeing color photos of original jackets with art/patches !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am an artist of hand apinted unit patches also and have done many of them for veterans, they are always great to see , especially whne a veteran is wearing one or ‘preserved” in museum displays!!!
Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com

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ENDO-Mike December 17, 2012 at 01:39 pm

Awesome, do you have a website featuring your patches?

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Johnny December 17, 2012 at 01:50 pm

I can e mail you sample photos if you e mail me , I don’t have a web site , just word of mouth , thanks !!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny
WeBeEmblems@aol.com

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Travis April 8, 2013 at 04:58 pm

I was in that squadron.. 86th “Rio Lobos” now at Laughlin AFB.

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Kory August 21, 2016 at 04:42 pm

How do I purchase one of your authentic ww2 bomber jackets

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xvideos November 21, 2019 at 04:42 am

As we reflect on Pearl Harbor Day, here’s something to keep in mind: The “men” who fought and died for the United States in World War II, were just barely out of adolescence, as young as 18 years old—the same age as guys obsessed with Maxim and Grand Theft Auto today. The WWII flight jackets painted with provocative pin-up girls, favorite comic characters, or lucky charms are a reminder of just how young these servicemen were.

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Joseph Segura May 7, 2023 at 11:35 am

I am a retired TSgt crew chief with 15yrs on A-10 warthogs and 5 years on B-1B bombers.
I have been looking for a artist that could paint nose art design for me. Would like to know if this sight can point me in the right direction

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