This World War II USAAF A-2 flight jacket was manufactured by Rough Wear Clothing Co., is a size 42, has a Talon zipper, and was worn by a crewmember of the B-24 “The Bull Snooker” of the 864th Bomb Squadron, 494th Bombardment Group, 7th Air Force. According to our consignor, the jacket was worn by bombardier Second Lieutenant Joseph T. Gough. His daughter Mimi wrote the book “From Fledgling to Flyer: A Daughter Rediscovers Her Late Father through His WWII Letters” that shares Gough’s wartime experiences. “The Bull Snooker” flew 34 combat missions in the Pacific Theater from late 1944 until the end of the war in 1945. The 494th BG was the last B-24 bombardment group deployed from the U.S. during World War II. Late in the war a main target for the 494th BG was Japanese airfields. The nose art from “The Bull Snooker” is painted on the right chest. This striking work of wartime art is the product of highly talented artist. Stephen P. Kiselick is known to have painted several works of nose art associated with the 494th BG, including “The Bull Snooker.” Kiselick was deployed in the Pacific Theater as a B-24 navigator and flew 28 missions. He received a Master’s Degree in fine arts from Carnegie Melon in 1949 and was a design engineer for American Standard in New York City. The left chest carries a rare 864th BS “Kelly’s Kobras” patch. The left sleeve has a 7th AF patch.

Exceptionally fine with a stitched repair on the waist band, otherwise very scattered wear and supple leather. The painted nose art is very fine, retaining most of the original paint. The 864th BS patch is also very fine with vibrant colors. A well cared for World War II Pacific Theater identified B-24 crewman A-2 flight jacket worthy of the finest public or private collection.