This A-2 Flight Jacket is complete with the ornate insignia of the famous 23rd Fighter Group. The 23rd Fighter Group was formed in July 1942 as part of the China Air Task Force (CATF), marking the first such activation of a fighter group on a field of battle in WWII. The 23rd was comprised of three fighter squadrons: 74th, 75th and 76th.  Previously, some of the pilots of the 23^rd had served in that small volunteer unit known as The American Volunteer Group (AVG - also known as the FLYING TIGERS), the personnel of which had been hired by the Chinese government in their war against the Japanese.  Commanded by the tenacious Brigadier General Claire Lee Chennault, the AVG had gained notoriety as a force to be taken seriously.

After the USA entered the war, the AVG was amalgamated into the 23rd Ftr. Grp. and the tradition of marking the unit’s P-40 fighter planes with the distinctive-and-fearsome shark mouth carried on, along with the use of their mascot - the Flying Tiger. The combat record of the 23rd goes down in history as being one of the most illustrious in the US Army Force, creating notable aces such as the great Don Lopez and David 'Tex' Hill.

Before returning to the United States in December 1945, the 23rd had flown 24,000 combat sorties requiring more than 53,000 flying hours, and at a cost of 110 aircraft lost in aerial combat, with 90 shot down by surface defenses, and 28 bombed while on the ground.  The 23^rd was credited with destroying many more than their number lost: - 621 enemy planes destroyed in air combat - 320 enemy planes destroyed on the ground - sinking more than 131,000 tons of enemy shipping and damaging 250,000 tons more - enemy troop losses of more than 20,000.

This representation of a 23rd Ftr. Grp. A-2 Jacket is based upon our Rough Wear Clothing Company 1401-P A-2 Flying Jacket. The RW 1401 is a suitable candidate for this unit, having been produced in the last quarter of 1941, thus being available from when the 23rd was first activated.  For more information and details of authenticity about this A-2 model, please refer to this specific product found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets.

This A-2 Jacket has been embellished with the appropriate insignia and markings of the unit in exquisitely hand-made, layered-leather patches to include the following: - 23rd Ftr. Grp. insignia applied to left breast - CBI shield to left shoulder - AAF roundel to right shoulder - 23rd Ftr. Grp. stencil to lining We cannot emphasize enough the degree of detailing and quality in these jaw-dropping patches. Each piece is hand-cut and then sewn using minute-but-accurate stitching - the 23rd insignia alone comprises no less than 40 pieces of leather in its construction! Finally, it's given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box. The final product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.  

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.   Imported from England

This A-2 Flight Jacket represents and example from the famous 303rd Bombardment Group.  The 303rd Bombardment Group was formed on 28 January 1942 and the official unit motto was “Might in Flight.”  Their wartime exploits would go down in history, relegating the 303rd as one of the most famous heavy bombardment units of WWII, where they achieved legendary status as the “Hell's Angels” group.

Arriving at Molesworth, England on 9 September 1942, the 303rd was assigned to the 8th Air Force, being one of the very first American heavy bombardment groups to arrive in England to join the British in the bombing campaign against Germany. The 303rd went on to fly more combat missions than any other bombardment group in the USAAF, 364 missions in total, and taking part in some of the bloodiest sorties of the war; targets that included:  The ball-bearing plants at Schweinfurt, shipbuilding yards at Bremen, synthetic-rubber plant at Huls, the aircraft engine factories of Hamburg, the industrial quarter of Frankfurt, and the marshaling yards at Le Mans.  These infamous names were among the destinations where they flew to hell and back, and which earned them a well-deserved Distinguished Unit Citation.

Proud of their group's reputation, some airmen had their jackets painted on the back with various motifs and slogans; in the case of the 303rd, if it wasn’t the plane’s name you flew on, chances are it was “Hell's Angels” that adorned the back of your A-2 Jacket.  Quite often the painting of “Hell’s Angels” would be accompanied by a series of bombs which depicted the number of missions flown.

We are extremely proud to offer an incredible recreation of an original “Hell's Angels” back-painted A-2 Jacket of the famous 303rd Bombardment Group. 1st Lt Constantine J. Duros was a Bombardier in the 360th Bombardment Squadron who completed a tour, flying 29 missions in total, and he had his Rough Wear Clothing Co. contract 27752 A-2 Jacket painted in such a way that typified many of the back-painted A-2 Jackets from the 303rd Group.

Utilizing their reproduction of this very same Rough Wear Clo. Co. 27752 A-2 Jacket (for more information and details of authenticity about this A-2 model, please refer to Rough Wear 27752 A-2 found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets), Eastman has recreated an exact replica of the Duros A-2 Jacket.  As you will see from the images in the photo gallery, the back painting is superbly executed, and it has been hand worked in order to capture the essence of a time-aged original. To the front left breast is sewn a superb hand-embroidered “Hell's Angels” insignia (360th B.Sqdn.), which is a perfect recreation of a theatre-made original example.

This A-2 Jacket is finally given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box.  And both the painting and the patch meld into the leather as though they have been seated there for decades, giving you the ultimate in a recreation of a true vintage icon.

Attached to the right collar clasp is a perfect reproduction of an Acme Thunderer Air Ministry whistle - a detail which is often found on original USAAF flight jackets which were used by airmen who were based in England.  These whistles are made of nickel-plated solid brass and then also TimeWorn® to convincingly match the patina of the jacket.

This product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Due to the extremely specialist nature of this product only a very few pieces can be made on a yearly basis, so we ask for your kind understanding if delivery times are particularly extended when ordering this item.

Disclaimer:  “Hells Angels” is a registered trademark of the “Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.”  The use of the term “Hell's Angels” with regard to the product advertised here is used purely and entirely in historical context to describe that which it is a reproduction of - a jacket of the 303rd Bombardment Group known and historically documented as “Hell's Angels” of the U. S. Army Air Forces of World War II.  This product is not affiliated with or endorsed by the “Hells Angels Motorcycle Club.”

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England

This A-2 Flight Jacket comes complete with authentic back art copied from a vintage example that saw action with the Mighty 8th Air Force.  During WWII it was very common for bomber crews of the USAAF to nickname their aircraft and adorn the plane’s fuselage with a painting of the name. Other graphics, such as cartoon characters, pin-up girls, and bombs for missions flown, were also sometimes added to further embellish their plane with an identity.

One such aircraft was a B-24 Liberator bomber known as “UMBRIAGO” of the 489th Bombardment Group. “Umbriago” was a word of the early 1940s, having been made famous by comedian/entertainer Jimmy Durante, who had a hit song of the same name; Umbriago was Jimmy's jovial, fictitious side-kick.  It was from this good-luck character that inspiration was taken for the naming of this aircraft.

Assigned to the 8th Air Force in the Spring of 1944 and stationed at RAF Halesworth, England, the 489th arrived at the very height of the air offensive against Germany, and the “UMBRIAGO” was right there in the thick of it.

Taking part in a multitude of bombing missions throughout most of 1944 (which included several just prior to and during D-Day, and with one crewman collecting a Medal of Honor on the way), the 489th was finally relieved of assignment on the 29th of November 1944.  However, the “UMBRIAGO” was re-assigned to the 446th Bombardment Group, where she continued to deliver her payloads to the enemy until the 27th December 1944.  Misfortune befell her at this point when she crashed in fog while taking off at Bungay-Flixton airfield, bringing her remarkable wartime career to an end, which unfortunately included the pilot; fortuitously, the rest of the crew survived.

Just prior to leaving the 489th, the entire crew of the “UMBRIAGO” did what many crews of the USAAF did when completing a tour - they had the backs of their A-2 Flying Jackets decorated with a painting of the name of their aircraft to celebrate their achievement.  In this case, the design incorporated a yellow '8' (for 8th Air Force) centered within the U. S. white star that, in turn, is mounted upon a blue disc.  One bomb for each mission flown was painted in white and fanned around the disc in a symmetrical fashion with the word “UMBRIAGO” above.  That was nearly 70 years ago - incredibly, one of those eight jackets, that of Navigator Lt. Milton R. Johnson, has survived.  Johnson’s original Star Sportswear, back-painted A-2 Jacket has made it through the years to still tell the tale of the famous “UMBRIAGO.”

It is Lt. Johnson's back-painted A-2 Jacket that is illustrated and recreated here as part of the Elite Units series.  Utilizing Eastman’s original-maker Star Sportswear A-2 Jacket (the same maker as Johnson’s A-2 Jacket), the “UMBRIAGO” artwork is meticulously hand painted matching the dimensions, colors, and texture of the original artwork to absolute perfection.  This A-2 Jacket, in turn, has been hand worked to capture the essence of a time-aged original jacket, offering one of the most striking back-painted A-2s of that era. The painted Navigator wings, which were also a feature of Johnson’s   A-2 Jacket, are accurately depicted on the front left breast.

For more information and details of authenticity about this Star Sportswear A-2 model, please refer to this specific product found among Eastman’s Original-Maker A-2 Jackets.

This A-2 Jacket is finally given Eastman’s TimeWorn® process with even greater detailing than that of their regular finish, which renders the garment with a stunning vintage patina that is unbelievably uncontrived in appearance, making for a first-rate vintage look directly out of the box.

Attached to the right collar clasp is a perfect reproduction of an Acme Thunderer Air Ministry whistle - a detail which is often found on original USAAF flight jackets which were used by airmen who were based in England.  These whistles are made of nickel-plated solid brass and then also TimeWorn® to convincingly match the patina of the jacket.

This product is delivered to you in a custom-made, metal-edge, hard-card box to treasure forever, and eventually hand-down to your next generation - just like a vintage A-2 Jacket heirloom.

This A-2 Jacket is custom order only.  Due to the extremely specialist nature of this product only a very few pieces can be made on a yearly basis, so we ask for your kind understanding if delivery times are particularly extended when ordering this item.

Sizes available: 36-48 regular. Long and extra-long fittings available at no additional cost on special order only.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from England