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AS PICTURED AND DESCRIBED IN THE BOOK AMERICAN FLIGHT JACKETS BY MACGUIRE & CONWAY
According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force: “From January 1944 to May 1945, [Carpetbaggers] completed 1,860 sorties and delivered 20,495 containers and 11,174 packages of vital supplies to the resistance forces in western and northwestern Europe. More than 1,000 parachutists dropped through the B-24 Joe Holes into enemy territory. Twenty-five B-24s were lost and eight more were so badly damaged by enemy action and other causes that they were no longer fit for combat. Personnel losses initially totaled 208 missing and killed and one slightly wounded. Fortunately, many of those listed as missing had parachuted to safety and returned to Harrington with the help of the
same resistance forces they had been sent to resupply.”
Craver’s name is hand marked in ink on the lining of the jacket. The back of the jacket serves as the leather canvas for a fantastic painted artwork depicting Carver’s B-24 in darkened colors and flying through a moonlit sky. Above the B-24 is an impressive tally of 50 missions. As noted in the aforementioned book, 50 is “an astonishing number of missions for heavy bomber crewmen, even though most of the missions were dedicated
to the supply of the resistance and partisans.”The small burnt spot on the left sleeve is referenced in the publication as the spot “where hot flak had embedded itself, shows that such missions could be extremely dangerous.” As noted, the front of the jacket shows evidence of insignia Craver was instructed by his superiors to remove.
Also includes a service shirt, tie, belt, web belt with double magazine pouch, garrison cap, U.S. Army sewing kit (incomplete), and the period booklet “Hup! Hoop! Heep! Haw!” by Private S.D. Babbitt, Jr. Babbitt’s booklet is a collection of comics depicting life in aerial gunnery school. The cover is hand marked with Craver’s name and many of the pages have signed well wishes from Craver’s classmates.
CONDITION: Very good displaying honest use and wear. The noted small burn on the sleeve caused by flak is an authentic hallmark proving this A-2 flight jacket saw actual combat! The fantastic artwork associated with top secret OSS missions of the Carpetbaggers retains most of the strong original paint. This identified Carpetbagger A-2 flight jacket is worthy of the most
advanced public or private aviation collections.
Provenance: The Putnam Green/ Sycamore Collection.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500
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