~ WW2 US Airforce Agressor Squadron Captain Flight Jacket El Alamein Veteran ~
An exceptional collector’s piece this jacket belonged to an US fighter pilot with the rank of captain of the American Middle East Force, part of the 9th Fighter Command. The squadron took part to the the Battle of El Alamein, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and conquest of Sicily, Corsica, Invasionof Southern France and Northern Italy campain.
The badge of the squadron is clearly visible on the chest and is dated 1942,
The original label is present as well inside.
~ Condition ~
There is wear and tear and some stitches became loose, as expected for a jacket of this age.
~ History of the ‘Agressor Squadron’ During WW2 ~
The squadron was first formed as a P-40 Warhawk pursuit squadron in January 1941 as part of the Army Air Corps Northeast Defense Sector (later I Fighter Command) at Mitchel Field, New York. It trained in New England and provided air defense of the northeast after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
It was reassigned to the U.S. Army Middle East Force in Egypt, July 1942, flying P-51 Mustangs and becoming part of IX Fighter Command. It took part in the British Western Desert Campaign, engaged in combat during the Battle of El Alamein[citation needed] and, as part of Ninth Air Force, supported the Commonwealth Eighth Army’s drive across Egypt and Libya, escorting bombers and flying strafing and dive-bombing missions against airfields, communications, and troop concentrations until Axis defeat in Tunisia in May 1943. The unit participated in the reduction of Pantelleria (May–June 1943) and the conquest of Sicily (July–August 1943).
Pilots of the 64th FS, 57th FG, in North Africa, April 1943.
The squadron supported the British Eighth Army’s landing at Termoli and subsequent operations in Italy, being reassigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943. It flew dive-bombing, strafing, patrol, and escort missions.
In 1944, the squadron converted to P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft and flew interdiction operations in Italy. It moved to Corsica on 30 March 1944 to operate as a separate task force, and flew interdiction missions against railroads, communication targets, and motor vehicles behind enemy lines, providing a minimum of 48 fighter-bomber sorties per day.
The squadron participated in the French campaign against Elba in June 1944 and in the invasion of Southern France in August. It engaged in interdiction and support operations in northern Italy from September 1944 to May 1945.
The 64th flew its last combat mission on 2 May 1945. It remained in northern Italy after the end of the European War, demobilizing throughout the summer of 1945. It was reassigned to the United States in August 1945 without personnel or equipment and was inactivated at the end of August.
JAQE00
