Named and Painted B-17 A-2 Flight Jacket

The World War II A-2 leather flight jacket of Sergeant Jack Friedman, who was an air gunner and radio operator on a B-17 of the 544th Bomb Squadron, 384th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force. On a mission of September 13, 1944, Friedman’s B-17 was destroyed by anti-aircraft fire, killing several members of the crew. Friedman was blown out of the plane upon explosion and was badly injured. He became a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft 4 in Germany.

Friedman’s A-2 is a Rough Wear jacket, size 36. The front of the jacket has a leather name tag above the left pocket with the impressed name of “J.K. Friedman”. On the left breast is painted an Air Gunner wing and “384th Bomb Group 8th A.A.F.”. On the right side of the jacket is sewn the cloth wing (with a King’s crown) of a Navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force. The back of the jacket is impressively painted with a wonderfully detailed rendering of Friedman’s B-17G aircraft. The name on the nose of the plane is “Kanion’s Kids”, apparently a reference of co-pilot Bill Elmer Canion. The name “Suzy” is painted on the plane near a window. The tail number of “213” corresponds to the serial number of the plane which was 43-38213. Beneath the B-17 is painted an array of 13 bombs and one Balkan cross, presumably representing an aerial “kill” by Friedman as an air gunner. The jacket is in very fine condition. The leather is clean and supple. There are a few typical snags and small holes in the knit waistband, and the interior lining has separated from the leather at the collar, but the jacket remains very impressive; the collar and pocket snaps are in place and the Talon zipper works well. The full Rough Wear label is present, and below this Friedman wrote his laundry mark which is still quite clear.

The jacket is accompanied by a copy of the official Missing Air Crew report that was prepared after the plane went down on a bombing mission over Germany. The report was supplemented after the end of the war as the Army Air Force attempted to determine the exact fates of those members of the crew who had not become prisoners of war. The MACR states that this was the crew’s second combat mission. The 13 bombs on the back of the jacket presumably reflect combat missions that Friedman flew as a Navigator with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

A truly fine named and painted A-2 jacket that remains in splendid condition.