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A sterling example from an
eminent long-time contractor,
Star
Sportswear of Lynn, Mass. This
CBI jacket is a virtual catalog of theater insignia: composite leather squadron and group
patches. Note "Eager Beaver Bombing Co"!
- Original 10th AF
theater-made composite leather sleeve patch in pocket (the
cotton thread having failed after fifty years, a common
occurrence).
- Replacement original CBI theater-made composite leather
sleeve patch in pocket. (Came with jacket.)
- Original composite leather and suede Blood Chit adorns the back.
- Leather rank
tabs on the epaulets.
A large parallelogram-shaped patch preceded the 7th Bomb
Group insignia on the right chest.
- Original leather name tag on left
chest. Faded, remaining letters appear to be B-R-A-U-N. Maybe
enough to reconstruct identity from group/squadron roster.
- Original 7th Bomb Group DI in pocket. Shows use.
Star Sportswear was a
premier manufacturer, paying closer attention to quality than most. This is
evident in the photo above: the collar symmetry is exemplary from a pattern
point of view, fully balanced in shape and dimension. Pocket flaps too are
graceful and uniform. Epaulets are beautifully sewn. Star Sportswear examples
are among the very finest of the Seal Brown Horsehide A-2s. Yet observe too how
the left chest panel hides are better than the right! Observe too, the rolled
seams -- no distressing or whitening due to incorrect tanning, merely a
lightening in the darker pigments exposing the russet in the dye mixture. Star remained a
prime contractor after WWII, making many G-1s until the end of the Vietnam War.
This A-2 is a size 44,
increasing its appeal, of course, as larger sized A-2s are scarcer and many
"collectors" will wear these often fragile historical treasures.
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