WWII 380TH BOMB GROUP B-15 FLIGHT JACKET5TH AIR FORCE\'S \"FLYING CIRCUS\"PAINTED \"KING OF THE HEAVIES\" INSIGNIAUNIT HISTORY, MAPS, PHOTOS, RESEARCH & MORE!SGT RICHARD \"DICK\" EBEL, USAAF RADIOMAN ABOARD THE B-24 \"LUCKY STRIKE\"
This sale is for an ORIGINAL WWII US Army Air Forces B-15 Flight Jacket painted with the \"King of the Heavies\" insignia of the Famous and Hard Fighting 380th Bomb Group, known as the \"Flying Circus.\" The Hand Painted Insignia to the back of this jacket is guaranteed to be original WWII and truly is a work of art! It was meticulously painted with a number of different colors is very impressive to view. This flight jacket was worn by Sergeant Richard Henry \"Dick\" Ebel of New Warren, Pennsylvania during the war and his handwritten nickname,\"Dick\" remains visible in large letters to the upper left chest. All artwork on the jacket was painted during the war and is completely original. Sergeant Ebel was a radioman with the 5th Air Force, 380th Bomb Group, 530th Bomb Squadron and flew aboard B-24 Number 876, nicknamed \"Lucky Strike.\" Included with the jacket is a collection of his items including an Original RARE, COLOR Wartime Photo of his B-24 Crew taken on 30 April 1945. This collection also includes a complete 190 page hard cover unit history, two large 1942 dated maps with hand plotted coordinances, large wartime seven section aerial photo of an air field in the Philippines, original wartime photo of the B-24 \"Lucky Strike\" with a notation on the back written by SGT Ebel, the Original Color wartime photo of the crew with names, date and other information on back, WWII 5th Air Force patch, 530th Bomb Squadron stationary with crew names and other information and 20 Pages of recent research regarding SGT Ebel and the B-24M aircraft \"Lucky Strike.\" The pilot of the plane was Captain Ben Kelly and the crew became known as \"Ben\'s Mens.\" This jacket has been examined using a number of methods to guarantee the authenticity of the paint and materials used in its manufacture. We Guarantee 100% that what we state in this description is correct and accurate to the best of our ability. This is a very well documented collection and this is the first time it has ever been available on the open collector\'s market. Please read the entire description for details. Some items, such as the aerial photos, are hard to see in the pictures we have provided here.
1. WWII USAAF 380th Bomb Group B-15 Flight Jacket - FAIR to GOOD CONDITION - This \"Flyin\' Circus\" B-15 is painted with a large, very elaborate 380th Bomb Group \"King of the Heavies\" insignia to the back with \"Flyin\' Circus\" painted boldly below it. The insignia features a Bold Lion pouncing on the top of the World with his right paw crushing Japan and the surrounding islands. A red explosion as if a bomb was dropped is coming from the area of his paw. Below the Lion and across the world is a scroll that reads \"King of the Heavies.\" The original owner\'s nickname \"Dick\" is alsovisible to the upper left chest, but has faded with time. The Hand Painted Insignia to this jacket is truly a Work of Art! It was very meticulously painted with a number of different colors, which remain bright and very visible. The insignia shows age and wear with minimal cracking and the Jacket Displays Very Well from the Back. There is some paint loss but the remainder of the paint is not fragile and displays extremely well. This Jacket shows moderate age, wear and use but is VERY SOLID and Many Aspects of it are in Excellent Condtion. The Jacket\'s Mutton Fur Color is in Excellent Condition as are the Waistband, Liner, Contract Tag and the Very old (possibly wartime) replacement cuffs. The collar only has one small spot of wear to the edge and no other readily apparent fur loss. The waistband shows some age and wear but has no tears or readily apparent damage and maintains much of its elasticity. The cuffs are WWII Cuffs of the design used on A-2 Flight Jackets and there is no visible sign of the sleeves being restitched or refitted with non-matching cuffs. None of the stitching to the jacket or cuffs glows under a black light. Leading us to believe that somehow this jacket was either made with non matching cuffs (highly unlikely) or the cuffs are very old, most likely wartime replacements. The OriginalCONMAR Zipper Functions and maintains its Original Leather Pull, but the Zipper Starting Tab to the left side at the base of the zipperis Missing (see photos) and the zipper requires a bit more effort to get started than it normally would. Once started, the zipper functions perfectly. The Jacket also has a number of spots of scattered White Paint to the Front and the Sleeves, this is visible in the photos. I do not know if the paint could be cleaned or removed and we have not tried.The gentleman we obtained it from stated that SGT Ebel used it as a \"work jacket\" after he returned home from the war. Fortunately the rear only has a small area with very light white paint, also visible in the photos. The nylon portion of the sleeves around the cuffs show some wear and there are a few small splits in the material that are extremely hard to see unless under very close examination. There are no rips or tears to the body of the jacket and all stitching remains very solid. The \"Army Air Forces\" Painted on Insignia to the left shoulder has faded considerably, but is still visible. It is hard to see in the photos and more visible in person. The interior liner is Excellent with virtually no signs of age, wear or use. The Contract Tag is in Excellent Condition as well and remains as firmly stitched to the jacket as the day it was sewn there. The Contract Tag lists the Manufacturer of the jacket as W & C Clothing Company and as a Size 36, but by the measurements it is larger. The Jackets Measurements Are: CHEST = 21 1/2 Inches from Armpit to Armpit Across the Chest when Zipped and Laying Flat; SLEEVES = 24 1/2 Inches from Top Shoulder Seem to Cuff; BACK = 18 Inches from Shoulder Seam to Shoulder Seam Across the Upper Back Just Below the Collar.2. Hard Cover Unit History of the 380th Bomb Group, ORIGINAL 1946 Publication - GOOD CONDITION - This 190 Page Book documents virtually every aspect of the 380th\'s History from the first days of training until its return home after the war. It tells their story in great detail by using original documents, first hand accounts, wartime letters and NUMEROUS photographs. SGT Ebel obtained this book shortly after it was published and a list of \"Ben\'s Mens\" (Captain Ben Kelly\'s Crew) which include SGT Ebel, can be seen in his own handwriting to the first page of the book. The cover of the book maintains very good color but does show age and wear with some splitting to the seam at the spine. All pages are present and all writing, photographs and other images remain VERY clear and bright. There is some separation to the interior at the spine as well but the book remains solid. It is not fragile, but must be handled with care. SGT Ebel\'s Name Appears in the rear of the book as an enlisted member of the 380th and he marked certain pages with slips of paper, one of which is dated 1958. There is also a very old, possibly wartime, letter/poem to his sweetheart pressed within the pages of the book. This is a great history and a wonderful complement to this collection. 3. Original WWII Photograph of Captain Ben Kelly\'s Crew and the B-24M \"Lucky Strike\" - GOOD to VERY GOOD CONDITION - VERY RARE ORIGINAL WWII COLOR PHOTO of Captain Ben Kelly\'s B-24 Crew. This 5 1/2 Inch by 3 1/4 Inch Color Photo shows the men of Captain Ben Kelly\'s B-24 Crew known as \"Ben\'s Mens.\" To the rear of the photo SGT Ebel lists the date the photo was taken as \"Apr 30, 1945.\" He also lists the names of the crew, but leaves himself out! There are ten men in the photo and only nine are listed. We do not know which man is SGT Ebel. He does not list his own name on the back. The names also do not appear to be in any particular order from what we can tell. Stamped to the rear of the photo is \"Kodacolor Print, Made By Eastman Kodak Company.\" This is a very rare find as we almost never see actual WWII photos in color, the film and process it took to expose the film was very time consuming and expensive. While the photo has faded a bit, it maintains excellent detail and good color. NOTICE the B-15 Flight Jacket being worn by a crewman and the one laying in front of another crew member, perhaps one of those B-15s is this one! The second is an Original WWII Photo of the nose art on the B-24M Number 876 Nicknamed \"Lucky Strike.\" The photo is in good condition with some slight damage to one corner. SGT Ebel\'s Notation to the back of the photo is Priceless! He wrote, \"This is the plane we flew over Shinchiku, Formosa when \"Ack Ack Jack\" shot us full of holes. She\'s a good girl even tho\' she may not look it and I\'m grateful to her for bringing me home.\" 4. Two 1942 Dated US Army Air Corps Maps - VERY GOOD CONDITION - Each map measures 47 x 33 Inches and is stamped \"Restricted.\" One map is entitled \"Ilha De Marajo\" (an island at the mouth of the Amazon river) and hand plots an aerial course to Belem, Brazil. The other is entitled \"Devil\'s Island\" (Island off the coast of French Guiana) with hand plotted courses for aerial flight to and around it as well. The maps show light age with some discoloration but have excellent color and all hand drawn lines and plots are excellent as well. The Ilha De Marajo map has some small places of separation or splits to some of the folds and the Devil\'s Island map does as well. However, they are small and hard to see. The maps are VERY SOLID and NOT FRAGILE they can easily be handled and have no drying or rot. Even so, I would still recommend handling them with great care. 5. WWII 5th Air Force Patch -VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENTCONDITION - This stitched edge patch maintainsexcellent color with only very light soiling and nostaining or apparent fading. It shows no signs of ever being stitched to any uniform item and shows only very light age wear. There is no mothing or damage of any sort.6. Early 380th Bomb Group, 530th Bomb Squadron \"Ben\'s Mens\" Stationary - GOOD CONDITION - This piece of early, possibly wartime, stationary lists the handwritten names, ranks, addresses and other information of some of Captain Ben Kelly\'s crew, including Captain Kelly. The paper is the thin \"onion skin\" type but is still solid and all writing is very clear and readable. 7. Extensive Research Regarding SGT Ebel and the B-24 \"Lucky Strike\" - NEW - This research includes extensive information on SGT Ebel, his life and his service during WWII. Included are copies of his detailed obituary as well as a copy of his Pennsylvania Application for WWII Compensation that lists the dates of his service and his time in combat. The document lists his time in the Pacific as being from 29 April 1945 to 18 January 1946. Other information lists him as a member of Captain Kelly\'s Crew and as a radioman. Numerous other documents include the complete combat history of the B-24 \"Lucky Strike\" and notes a strike by Captain Kelly\'s Crew on Formosa on 08 July1945. Also includes photocopies of numerous photos of the plane and a copy of its data card. Truly a \"treasure trove\" of information on SGT Ebel, his service and a B-24 that saw extensive combat in the Pacific with the famous \"Flying Circus.\"8. Original WWII Large Seven Section Aerial Photo of an Airfield in the Philippines - GOOD to VERY GOOD CONDITION - This seven piece aerial photo shows a US Army Air Forces Air Field and gives EXCELLENT DETAIL. Each Section Measures 18 x 9 Inches. In the photo you can see the complete operations layout of the air field and numerous aircraft as well as how and where it was constructed. You can easily see B-24 \"Liberators,\" P-38 \"Lightnings,\" B-25 \"Mitchells,\" C-47 \"Sky Trains,\" PBY \"Catalinas,\" as well as a number of other fighters and bombers. You can also see a \"Bone Yard\" with a number of damaged and scrapped aircraft. Buildings, roads, the air strips, the jungles and other details are VERY Clear as well. There are some scattered minor flaws and each photo Is Folded. This is a wonderful, original piece that gives us a rare look at a US Air Field in combat during WWII. It may be unpublished and never before seen, but we certainly cannot guarantee that. I am not sure which air field this is or where exactly it was located, with some research I am sure it could be determined. To the back of one section, handwritten in pencil is a single word, \"PHILIPPINES.\"Overall, this is a truly historic collection that includes a number of WWII Artifacts rarely seen even by advanced collectors. The collection is very well documented and comes to us from an airman who served in one of the most historic units in Army Aviation History. While the B-15 Flight Jacket is by no means in excellent condition, it is 100% Original WWII and a very rare find. Even in this condition, given the historic value and documentation,this collectionisMuseum Quality.In nearly 20 years of actively buying and selling military antiques, this is the first collection we have offered from the 380th and the first Flying Circus Insignia Painted Jacket we have ever even seen in person. The Jacket Displays Very Well From the The Back. If you display it to where the front is not obvious, it will show as a very prominent and eye catching piece with no obvious detractors. We obtained this jacket from an older gentleman in a very hurried manner and we were unable to take notes as we normally would. We cannot remember if the gentleman stated that he obtained the collection from SGT Dick Ebel himself or from SGT Ebel\'s family after his passing. The gentleman spoke as though he knew SGT Ebel, who passed away in 2012 and from what we understand, remained quite active until near his death. The jacket and other original items are new to the collector\'s market, are true pieces of history and will make an excellent addition to your collection! We are very confident you will be pleased with the items when you see them. PLEASE examine all photos closely and ask any questions that you may have. Thank you for looking and good luck offerding!!!
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