John J. Wilson – Painted WWII A-2 Flight Jacket, Thomas’ Crew “PUG” 531st Bomb Squadron

Wilson, John J., 20258845 | Flight Crew, Gunner (612) | /, / (/) | Thomas’ Crew (34), PUG | Initial Deployment, May 43, Sgt | PR Feb 44, RM, S/Sgt |

Vanek, Emil F., 17030755 | Flight Crew, Gunner (612) | /, / (/) | Payne’s Crew (33), CARE LESS | Initial Deployment, Apr 43, S/Sgt | KIA (with Dienelt), 11 Jun 43, S/Sgt |

http://380th.org/HISTORY/531/531-roster.html#W

531st Bomb Squadron, 380th Bomb Group, 5th Air Force, “Col. Miller’s Flying Circus”, Staff Sgt. James J. “Johnny” Wilson. 1942. Tag: “TYPE A-2, DWG. NO. 30-1415, A.C. CONTRACT, NO.W 535 ac-23382, CABLE RAINCOAT CO, BOSTON, MASS”. Size: 38. Very heavily adorned. Below jacket tag is name “E.F. Vanek.” Right breast: painted name “PUG”, Left breast: winged bullet of Aerial Gunner with “JOHNNY” below. Below that is brown name tag with silver air crew wings “J. J. Wilson”. The front also features several paintings of Japanese flags, planes and a tally of missions along with a large 5th Air Force Patch by Jacob Rohner of Melbourne. On the back is “Col. Miller’s Flying Circus” along with “380th B.G.P.” and “531st B.SQ”. Also are the remnants of “CELEVES” and “BALIKPAPAN”, in addition to paintings of a seal, a clown, 5 flags (U.S., Chinese, Australian, British and Dutch), with Donald Duck dressed in a blue jacket and wearing a blue, navy cap, standing on a cloud carrying a lit, round black bomb and a finned, aerial bomb. The jacket belonged to Staff Sgt. James J. “Johnny” Wilson, a top gunner on the 531st Bomb Squadron B-25 J Liberator. In the left front pocket is the lucky rabbit’s foot that was carried by Johnny on his missions.

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