World War Two U.S. Army Air Force contract A-2 jacket. New York, New York: Bronco MFG Corp, [1942]. Size 36.

The reverse of this A-2 flight jacket is decorated with a striking hand-painted motif: a devilish figure grinning as he drives a pitchfork through a swastika. To the left of the figure are twenty-four golden bombs and one larger red bomb, carefully arranged in neat rows, denoting combat missions. Across the shoulders, in bold letters, appears the name “Satan’s Workshop.” The paint remains stable, with expected age wear and surface crazing.

The exterior leather is in very good condition overall, showing wear commensurate with active service use. A silver Crown zipper remains fully functional, with the slide and pull tab both stamped “Crown.” The cotton lining and cuffs have been replaced, but the original manufacturer’s label survives. This size 36 jacket was produced by the Bronco Manufacturing Corporation of New York City, under contract numbers “Drawing No. 30-1415” and “A.C.N.: W535002919.”

The jacket’s painted designation directly connects it to “Satan’s Workshop,” a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress that flew with the 303rd Bomb Group in the European theater during World War II. After an initial assignment with the 100th Bomb Group where it was called Jaybird, the aircraft was transferred in July 1943 and renamed. Operating from RAF Molesworth in England, the bomber often served as a lead aircraft on missions, sustaining considerable damage from enemy anti-aircraft fire and fighters. Of its 35 recorded missions, it led the group on 19 of them. 

The bomber's service came to an end on February 22, 1944, during a mission to Bernburg, Germany. It was struck by anti-aircraft flak, which knocked out its number two engine. While attempting to return to base, the aircraft ran out of fuel, forcing pilot George Underwood to ditch the plane in the English Channel. All 10 crew members, including Underwood, were killed in the crash.

[World War II, WWII, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Adolf Hitler, Allied, Axis, George S. Patton, Air Force]