Large Identified WWII 8th Air Force Bomber Pilot Group with A-2 Flight Jacket, Tunic, “Crusher” Cap, Photograph Album, and Documents

The group is comprised of the tunic, flight jacket, Bancroft “Flighter” visor cap, photograph album, and memorabilia of Lieutenant Harry J. Mech, who flew 35 combat missions as the pilot of the B-24 Bomber “Sweetest Rose of Texas” in the 701st Bomb Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, of the 8th Air Force. Items in the group include:

– Leather A-2 flight jacket, size 38, manufactured by the Aero Leather Company. Sewn to the left breast is the large wool squadron patch of the 701st Bombardment Squadron. A name tag was removed from above the squadron patch, and there are two vertical cuts in the leather above the patch. Stitching has been lost in the upper seam of the left arm. There is a separation of the stitching of the lining at the interior collar. The”male” snaps beneath the collar are missing. The leather is somewhat stiff with age, and the jacket shows typical scuffs, scratches, and surface cracking, and there are a few small holes in the sleeves, but the leather jacket is generally pliable and it retains a working zipper on the front.  There are photographs in the group of Mech wearing this jacket.

– An Officer “Ike” Jacket style tunic, with a wool 8th Air Force shoulder patch. The collar has “U.S.” and Army Air Force officer insignia. On the left breast is a sterling silver, clutch back, pilot wing. Below the wing is a two place ribbon bar with the ribbon for the Air Medal with four oak leaf clusters and the European Campaign Medal ribbon with three campaign stars. On the right breast is the Presidential Unit Citation ribbon. The tunic shows scattered “picks” in the material and small holes. There is a portrait photograph in the photograph album of Lieutenant Mech wearing this tunic and the Bancroft visor cap that is a part of the group.

– A Bancroft “Flighter” visor cap, being a true “crusher” style with a thin leather visor and without a stiffener in the crown. The stitching on one of the two leather slides on the chin strap has disintegrated, leaving that slide able to move off of the chin strap.

– A cased Air Medal on a full wrap brooch suspension, unnamed as awarded in the theater of operations. The medal is within the titled black leather case together with the enamel lapel badge and the ribbon bar.

– A photograph album, which is approximately 9-7/8 inches by 13-1/2 inches. The album contains approximately 116 photographs, together with greeting cards, newspaper clippings, and postcards. The photographs cover the period from Mech’s training as an aviation cadet through his service as a bomber pilot in the 8th Air Force. The album includes photographs of Mech and his crew as well as the “Sweetest Rose of Texas” bomber. The photographs show B-24 bombers in flight as well as several target photographs from bombing missions.

– The group includes two officer overseas cap, one in olive drab and on in “pink” gabardine, both with First Lieutenant bars on the caps. The group also includes a pair of olive drab wool socks and a khaki necktie.

– The group includes the unit history of the 445th Bombardment Group, hardcover, published in 1947, as well as a supplemental history of the group, soft cover, published in 1950. Both volumes identify Mech as a member of the group.

– The group also includes a variety of insignia, with leather rank insignia for a flight jacket; a War Department photographic identification card; metal rank insignia; ribbon bars; collar insignia; and two pair of dog tags, one set being the “next of kin” style dog tags.

– The group further includes a large stack of  extensive documentation. These documents include everything from wartime orders to deposit slips for British money during the war. The documents also include a period list of Mech’s 35 bombing missions; an Army Air Force “Certificate of Appreciation”; and Mech’s commission as an officer. The group also includes multiple publications, such as “Mech’s “Restricted” copy of the “Pilot’s File”, containing information for wartime aviators on matters such as flight equipment. Also present are early war publications on aircraft identification.

Overall the group is a massive an exceptionally impressive assemblage of the militaria and documentation of an 8th Air Force bomber pilot who flew 35 combat missions in the European Theater during World War II.