Description:

(ZEMKE'S WOLF PACK) HAROLD GALLAGHER UNIFORM GROUPING
Lot of uniform items and other relics belonging to Lieutenant HAROLD GALLAGHER (1919-2004), a fighter pilot who flew P-47s out of England with the 62nd Fighter Squadron, 56th Fighter Group, nicknamed "Zemke's Wolf Pack" after its commander, Colonel Hubert Zemke. The lot includes: Gallagher's brown leather A-2 flight jacket, with a leather patch on the chest, hand-painted with the mascot of the 56th, a bulldog wearing a flier's cap and boxing gloves. . A metal emergency whistle is attached to the left lapel. The inner label identifies it as being made by Perry Sportswear, Inc., and marks it as property of the US Army Air Force. The leather is worn and flaking at the shoulders, and lining is beginning to tear at the neck, but altogether the jacket is in good condition. WITH: Gallagher's olive-drab Bancroft "Flighter" crusher cap. These caps were referred to as "crushers" because they lack the stiff internal supports of the dress caps they derived from, allowing them to be worn beneath headsets or stuffed into a pocket. The Bancroft markings inside are crisp and clear. The insignia on the front is slightly worn, and the crown shows some minor moth holes. The interior liner is worn, as one would expect from a cap that has seen use. Overall, the cap is in very good condition. WITH: Royal Air Force rubber oxygen mask with built-in radio microphone. Microphone cord and cloth straps are intact and in very good condition. Oxygen hose is slightly split along ribs from age; otherwise rubber is in very good condition. These masks were often issued to American aircrews stationed in England to supplement supplies of American equipment. The group includes a binder of photographs and documents, which provide provenance for the above listed items. These include several photos of Gallagher in his flight outfit, including the Type E oxygen mask and his A-2 flight jacket, although the patch is obscured by his "Mae West" life vest. Also included is an unsigned typewritten letter from Gallagher, dated Feb. 28, 1997, written to a collector, in which Gallagher enquires if his A-2 flight jacket has any value. He includes a photograph of himself with the jacket, with the distinctive patch readily visible. The collector has in turn added, in pen, directions to Gallagher's house, indicating that he went to visit the flier personally, and a list of other items he was interested in, including the crusher cap and the oxygen mask, incorrectly referred to as a "gas mask". The binder also includes several other photos of the jacket and its patch, other members of "Zemke's Wolf Pack", a biography of Gallagher, a 56th fighter group newsletter, dated Feb. 1997, and Gallagher's funeral program, which features a photograph of Gallagher in his flying gear. Also included is an assortment of US military-issue socks, undershirts, and drawers. Altogether a great collection belonging to an active member of a renowned American fighting unit.

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December 8, 2015 10:30 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000