Painted WWII American A-2 Flight Jackets have realized unprecedented prices in the past year. For example jackets at Rock Island Auctions sold in 2022 for $32,000 and $23,000 respectively they can be found at this and this . When comparing the Rock Island Auction jackets with the one offered here, one can easily see that our offering is an exceptional value!
Original Item: One-of-a-kind set.
Staff Sergeant Robert "Bob" L. Allman (ASN 18192368), was assigned to the 8th Air Force, 388th Bombardment Group, 563rd Bomb Squadron as a waist gunner on a B-17 Boeing Flying Fortress affectionately named by the crew MY DEVOTION. S/Sgt Allman was shot down on November 5, 1943 on B-17 #42-30863 'My Devotion' returning from a mission to Gelsenkirchen, Germany, with 2 damaged engines, crew baled out over North Suffolk, Allman survived. A photo of the crew and the plane can be seen at this . "Bob" Allman is listed as the waist gunner.
Included in this set are the following items:
- Original WWII A-2 Flying Jacket manufactured by Spiewak & Sons with hand painted artwork on the back. One the reverse is MY DEVOTION with clusters of bombs. The left shoulder bears very early 8th AF insigna that is litterally hanging by a thread over thee Army Air Forces insignia. The jacket is size is not legibale on the data tag but is approximately a size 38 or 40 with original data label (hard to read), original cuffs, original waist band and functional Crown zipper. In the nape of the neck written in ink is RL ALLMAN "SNAKE" 7063. The front right chest below where the name tape would be in cursive yellow paint faintly reads "Snake". After close inspection of the crew photos it appears Allman is in the first row viewer's far right as soldier wearing that jacket also has a script name in the same location. The jacket is in overall fair condition, with the leather flaking in multiple areas.
- Original U.S. WWII Army Air Forces B-2 Gunner & Air Crew Shearling Leather Billed Cap with the name RL ALLMAN written in ink under the visor. The bill has been curled up and looks fantastic. Data tag is still present and it is a size 7 1/4.
History of
B-17 42-30863 / My Devotion
Delivered Cheyenne 11/8/43; Gr Isle 31/8/43; Assigned: 563BS/388BG Knettishall 6/9/43; battle damage Gelsenkirchen 5/11/43 Pilot: Bob Bohne, Co-Pilot: Major Bill Chamberlain, Navigator: Harry Belgium. er, Bombardier: Bill Bangum, Engineer / Top Turret Gunner: Bill Hannigan, Radio Operator: Lowell Southam, Ball Turret Gunner: Jim Auther, Waist Gunner: Bob Allman, Waist Gunner: Salvatore Cavallaro, Tail Gunner: Maurice Carlson (10RTD-all bailed over Suffolk); flak KO’d two engines, on return crashed College Farm, Elmham St Cross, Suffolk, UK; Salvaged. MY DEVOTION.
563rd Bomb Squadron During WWII:
The squadron assembled at RAF Knettishall, its combat station, and flew its first combat mission on 17 July, when it attacked an aircraft factory in Amsterdam. The squadron primarily engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking industrial sites, oil refineries and storage facilities, communications centers and naval targets on the European Continent.
The squadron was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for attacking an aircraft factory at Regensburg, Germany, on 17 August 1943, withstanding heavy resistance to reach the target. It was awarded a second DUC for three separate missions: an earlier attack on a tire and rubber factory in Hanover, Germany on 26 July 1943 and two missions in 1944, one against synthetic oil refineries near Brüx, Germany[note 4] on 12 May and at Ruhland, Germany on 21 June. This last attack was on a shuttle bombing mission from England to Germany to Poltava, USSR, to Foggia, Italy, and back to England.[4] Other strategic targets included aircraft factories at Brunswick, Kassel, and Reims; airfields at Paris, Berlin and in Bordeaux; naval installations at Emden, Kiel and La Pallice, chemical works in Ludwigshafen; ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt and rail marshalling yards in Bielefeld, Brussels, and Osnabruck.
The squadron was occasionally diverted from the strategic campaign to perform air support and air interdiction missions. It attacked military installations in France in early 1944 to help prepare the way for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, and on D Day hit coastal defenses, artillery batteries and transportation targets. It attacked troop concentrations and supply depots. In July 1944, it supported Operation Cobra at Saint Lo and the following month attacked targets in Caen. It struck military installations and airfields near Arnhem during Operation Market Garden, the unsuccessful attempt to secure a bridgehead across the Rhine in the Netherlands. It attacked transportation targets to support the final drive through Germany in early 1945.
