Springfield Pistol and A2 flight jacket

[mholt]

I never pass up garage sales. I have a standing rule to always ask if they have any military items or firearms. Here are two recent finds, you never know what you will find. Also in the deal was a walther pp, his pistol belt with boyt 44 holster and magazine pouch that the vet brought back. I cannot imagine selling my fathers history, but on the other hand I will treasure this in my meager collection. I think that sometimes, like in this case, they were just waiting to get rid of it.
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/mholt_photo/IMG_8994.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/mholt_photo/IMG_8993.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/mholt_photo/IMG_8982.jpg
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee97/mholt_photo/IMG_8985.jpg

[rondawg]

OMG!!! At a garage sale?!?! What a score! I suppose you got it for a great deal too....

More photos please!

[mholt]

I actually paid them more than I wanted too, but never owned a springfield 1911. Only had one Colt 1911 from 1918 that I sold a few years ago. I checked the blue book and it appears that the springfields are somewhat collectible. Really not a 1911 collector, at least was not. I have only seen the jackets on television and in the museums, so I thought that was pretty cool.

[mholt]

The great thing is that the jacket fits like a glove, but I probably wont wear it. Would be sick if I tore it up, but it is fun to try on.

[Scott Gahimer]

Very nice find. I hope you elect to keep and preserve it. If not, you should make sure you find someone who will. Did you get any photos of him? Those fly boys often had photos of them and their rides.

[Barkoff]

What does the eagle emblem signify?

[RickB]

The gun is nice, but the jacket is truly outstanding. I inherited two A2s from my dad, one with an elaborate japanese dragon painting on the back, and even though they were well taken care of, they looked pretty ratty after fifty years. One thing I've noticed about most WWII-era military gear, is how small the sizes are. Pants with 30" waists and 30" inseams, and size 36 jackets; the children of the depression were not big people.

[loadtoad]

Capt Bailey is certainly researchable with his serial number from the jacket.
Any paperwork the family might have to include his date of birth and date of death will be helpful and of course you need his full name. SSN would help too.

This link is your key. Fill out the SF180, mail it in and wait. They will send you a packet of info on him free.

http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/standard-form-180.html

If you could get pictures from the family, especially with him wearing the jacket, that would be great from a collectors standpoint. Great group that will only be better and more valuable with more provenance....

Dave

[Hawkmoon]

What a great score!

The pistol is an M1911, not an A1. That makes me wonder about the vintage of the jacket. The label says property of Air Force, U.S. Army. When my father served in WW2, the official designation was U.S. Army Air Corps. I wonder if your jacket is earlier or later than WW2.

[Morrisey]

When my father served in WW2, the official designation was U.S. Army Air Corps. I wonder if your jacket is earlier or later than WW2.

1941-06-20 to 1947-09-17
The designation "Army Air Force" followed "Army Air Corps" as of June 20, 1941, and went out of use on September 18, 1947, when "United States Air Force" became the name of the separate service branch.

So your find dates back to a specific window during and just after WWII.

A nice piece of history!

Tom

[Hawkmoon]

1941-06-20 to 1947-09-17
The designation "Army Air Force" followed "Army Air Corps" as of June 20, 1941, and went out of use on September 18, 1947, when "United States Air Force" became the name of the separate service branch.

So your find dates back to a specific window during and just after WWII.

A nice piece of history!

Tom
Are you certain? My father entered the Army as a Lieutenant in December of 1942 and came home from China in 1945. All his uniforms and any paperwork I have seen (not much on the paperwork, but he was active in the MOWW until he died so he kept his Class A uniform cleaned and pressed in the closet, with all the original patches). I don't recall seeing anything other than Army Air Corps, and that's how both he and my mother always referred to it.

[Morrisey]

Are you certain? My father entered the Army as a Lieutenant in December of 1942 and came home from China in 1945. All his uniforms and any paperwork I have seen (not much on the paperwork, but he was active in the MOWW until he died so he kept his Class A uniform cleaned and pressed in the closet, with all the original patches). I don't recall seeing anything other than Army Air Corps, and that's how both he and my mother always referred to it.

Hawkmoon, my apologies. I shouldn't have said "separate service branch" -- I meant "separate branch of the Army." The AAC and the AAF both existed for a while at the same time, although Army Air Corps was a "paper branch" -- no personnel were actually in it, once the AAF had been created. Be that as it may, though, your dad was in the Army Air Force. This is from the Army Air Force Historical Association's website:
World War II Air Corps personnel had a strong sentimental attachment to their branch. The Air Corps had an aura about it that seemed to set it apart from other Army branches. Now, sixty years later, many WW II servicemen still proudly identify themselves as veterans of the Air Corps. However -- although the Air Corps was their branch -- they actually served and fought in the Army Air Forces!

That entire article can be found on this page of the AAFHA website. (http://www.aafha.org/aaf_or_aircorps.html) Even before Pearl Harbor, aviation personnel in the Army were officially members of the Army Air Force, although most persisted in using the old name. I guess that's like reminding a Marine that his official service school is the United States Naval Academy. :scared:

However, as Captain Bailey self-identified as being USAAF, rather than AAC, the sentiment above would probably place him after the end of the War -- 1945-1947... but that's just speculation.

Tom

[Hawkmoon]

Veeeerrrrry interesting.

Thank you for the history lesson.

[RickB]

My dad was in flight training in Hondo, TX, in 1953, and most of their flight gear was WWII vintage, with Army Air Force markings. He had originally enlisted in the army, and most of his "brown shoe army" uniforms were also of WWII spec, even though some items had been superceded during, or shortly after the war.