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No other item of flight clothing is more recognizable than the famous leather jackets of WWII aviators. Flight jackets were introduced during the early years of WW1, when many planes were not pressurized and so protection from the elements was required. The most famous was the jacket designed for the Army Air Force - the A2, otherwise known as the "bomber jacket."
Flight jackets were generally made from horsehide, with a silk or cotton lining. Jacket art, similar to aircraft nose art, quickly became popular. Designed ranged from aircraft, to pinups and cartoons, to patriotic scenes. The AAF patch was often worn on the left shoulder, and squadron patches could be worn on the chest. Officers sometimes wore rank on the shoulder epaulets. Cloth wings and leather name badges could also be worn if desired. In some instances, survival "chits," such as the one pictured below from the Flying Tigers, were sewn into the inside lining of the jackets, in case of a forced landing in enemy territory. The chit was a pledge in a foreign language that usually read something along the lines of: "This foreign person has come to China to help in the war effort. Soldiers and civilians, one and all, should rescue, protect, and provide him medical care."
Do you have WWII memorabilia that you are not sure what to do with it? The children don't want it? Then let us help you preserve this history by donating these items to the Army Air Corps Library and Museum. We are accepting donations in the form of uniforms, medals, ribbons, patches, photos, memorabilia, papers, gear and equipment. We also accept monetary donations to support our operations and long term plans. This website is part of the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, and as a 501(c)(3) Non-profit, your qualifying donations are tax deductible.
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Historical Artifacts: We are looking for photos, documents and other types of artifacts including uniforms, medals, insignia, gear, manuals, and training material. We accept electronic/scans or originals of pictures and paper records. A General Order could be an award document that contains information on many servicemen. Special Orders may contain transfers or other information. Flight records, accident reports, maintenance logs, after action reports, pilot encounter reports, diaries and biorgraphies; all of these types of documents help us support or mission: preserving your history! Contact us today for instructions on sending us this material. Contact Today
Are you an AAC, AAF or USAF Veteran, family member, historian or WW2 enthusiast? We Need YOU! Contact us today to see how you can help the Army Air Corps Library and Museum, a Texas Not-For-Profit Corporation. We need your help! We are looking for volunteers that can help us with the following tasks. Typing and Transcriptionists: One of our big projects is extracting data from the thousands of documents we have and putting this data into a database where we can display the information on a website such as this one. We also need assistance with retyping unit history documents.
