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LOT 1308
Fine Framed Medal Set for a Flying Tigers Ground Crewman Turned European Theater Fighter Pilot - Minus the Bronze Star,
all the medals in the lot are inscribed on the back to Henry L. Olson, with an included plaque marked “MEDAL GROUP OF/HENRY L.
OLSON/RECEIVED DURING THE/AVG AND LATER AS AN/ARMY AIR CORPS PILOT/AFTER THE AVG/1941-1944”. Available records confirm
that Henry L. “Little” Olson was a member of the American Volunteer Group (aka the Flying Tigers of China-Burma-India fame) as an
enlisted man as well as later an officer with the Army Air Corps. Dubbed “Little Olson” or “Little Olie” to distinguish him from another
(larger) man by the same name, Olson served as a crew chief with the 3rd Squadron of the AVG, where he was reportedly trained to fly
the P-40 in order to act as a ferry pilot. During this time, he distinguished himself at least twice: during a massive Japanese air raid on
the AVG’s base in Magwe during the invasion of Burma, Olson and another crew chief broke cover and ran to the aid of a downed RAF
Hurricane pilot, freeing them from the wreckage of their plane while being actively strafed by Japanese fighters (the other crew chief
was fatally injured during the rescue). Later, when Magwe was abandoned and the Tigers retreated into China, Olson was responsible
for escorting Olga Greenlaw, spouse of one of the Tigers whose war diary would be published as “The Lady and the Tigers”, out of the
danger zone. Returning to the U.S., he was then involved in an odd scenario where he was tapped to run as a Democratic candidate for
Congress in his home state of Minnesota, where the PR flaks made a lot of hay of his Flying Tiger service... but also made him sound like
one of the combat pilots instead of the ground crew. The attempt didn’t pan out, and instead he signed up with the Army as a flight
cadet, where he was reportedly much more straightforward about what he did with the Tigers. Redubbed “Little” because he was yet
again in a group with a larger guy named Olson, he joined the 396th Fighter Squadron piloting a P-47 Thunderbolt reportedly named for
the fellow crew chief who didn’t make it during the incident in the Magwe Raid. Online records credited him with one kill and one assist in
air combat, both in the summer of 1944 against FW-190s, as well as a Distinguished Service Cross issued for “unquestionable valor in aerial
combat” in October of 1944 (this date
also corresponds to the inscription on
the included Purple Heart). The framed
set includes the Distinguished Service
Cross (inscribed), the Distinguished
Flying Cross (inscribed), the Air Medal
(decorated with 3 silver and 1 bronze
oak leaf clusters for 16 awards, inscribed
and dated “GERMANY/1944-45), the
Bronze Star (unmarked), and the Purple
Heart (inscribed, “BONN-KOBLENZ/
GERMANY/20 OCT. 1944”; this location
and date put Olson at the Battle of
Aachen, a major move by the Western
Allies on the Siegfried Line). Also present
in the frame is an embroidered patch for
the 9th Air Force, overall parent unit for
the 396th Squadron.
CONDITION: Very good to excellent
overall. Except for the Bronze Star, the
medals have come unglued from
the backing.
Provenance: The Putnam Green/
Sycamore Collection.
Estimate: 3,500 - 5,500
LOT 1307
Rare World War II Chinese Air Force A-2 Flight Jacket - Offered here is an exceptionally rare U.S.
manufactured A-2 flight jacket displaying Chinese Air Force insignia. The left chest has an embroidered
Chinese Air Force pilot badge displaying gold wings and the Kuomintang star above the Roman numeral
“XVII” in a shield. Based on the wings, this jacket belonged to a pilot in the Chinese Air Force 17th Pursuit
Squadron which was equipped with U.S. made Boeing P-26 Peashooters, French made Dewoitine D.500s,
and Russian made Polikarpov I-15s. Unfortunately, the name tag and the emblem on the right chest have
been removed. Painted U.S. style 2nd Lieutenant bars on leather are sewn on the shoulder straps. The
removal of insignia and the presence of American rank suggests the jacket originally belonged to a U.S.
serviceman and later found its way into the hands of a Chinese airman. The stories it could tell! The size
42 jacket was made by Star Sportswear Manufacturing Co. (contract no. 42-18245-P) and features a Talon
zipper. To help the struggling Chinese Air Force in its fight against the Japanese, the U.S. sent China some
1,400 aircraft through the Lend-Lease program and would again send at least that number of aircraft after
officially entering the war. The USAAF also built a number of airfields in China and trained Chinese airmen.
Despite these efforts, the Chinese Air Force never achieve operational efficiency. Nevertheless, China mounted a strong defense that slowed
the advances of the vastly superior Japanese forces.
CONDITION: Very good. The cuffs and waist band show minimal wear. The lining has scattered small tears. The leather is supple. A rarely
encountered Chinese Air Force A-2 flight jacket missing from even the most advanced World War II aviation collections. Flight jackets
sporting U.S. ally insignia are nearly impossible to find.
Provenance: The Putnam Green/Sycamore Collection.
Estimate: 4,500 - 7,000