Item Description
Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is a tremendous example of a U.S. Army painted leather jacket to a Corporal serving in the 191st Tank Battalion as well as the 80th Infantry Division during World War II. The jacket’s insignia is all painted on, and the entire jacket has a gorgeous patina that has developed over several decades. The jacket is marked Size 36R on the interior, and there is no name we could find. Interestingly, in the pocket, there is a small pack of matches with an advertisement for TOPPS Gum. The matchbook is dated September 12th, 1945.
The left sleeve of the jacket is painted with the triangular insignia of the 191st Tank Battalion, with a set of Corporal chevrons below that. The right sleeve has the 80th Infantry Division insignia painted, with Corporal chevrons below that. This indicates he was with the 80th ID first, before joining the 191st Tank Battalion. The zipper of the jacket is marked TALON and is in good functional condition.
The 191st Tank Battalion was one of the earliest-formed of the non-divisional independent tank battalions of WWII. The 191st landed in North Africa in 1943, but didn't see any action until the Salerno landings in September 1943. The battalion landed later at Anzio in January 1944 and was heavily engaged in Italy and the fight up to Rome, but was then detached for service with the 7th Army, landing in Southern France in August 1944. They were attached to several divisions including the 45th, and 36th.
This is a tremendous service-worn Army leather jacket worn by a combat-torn tanker, perfect for any WWII display. It’s very difficult to find any painted leather jacket that didn’t belong to a pilot or aviator. This one has phenomenal period paint and a gorgeous patina. Comes ready for further research and display!
Approximate Measurements: 36R
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