The Real McCoy’s A-2 “Zemke’s Wolfpack” Horsehide Flight Jacket, Painted Back, Red Silk Lining, Size 44

Few American fighter units of WWII carried a fiercer reputation than Zemke’s Wolfpack, and this Real McCoy’s A-2 wears it on a painted back of winged bomb, aircraft and tally-like bomb grid. A non-standard red silk lining hides inside, and the horsehide, lightly worn and still strong, invites wearing as much as collecting.

The Piece

A horsehide A-2 by The Real McCoy’s, size 44, executed in the classic WWII silhouette and built around the Zemke’s Wolfpack theme, with a Zemke’s Wolfpack sub-label accompanying the contract label. It stays grounded in historical structure and lets personality show through a bold but controlled back painting, squadron iconography anchored in WWII aviation history, and a quietly luxurious red silk interior that contrasts with the military exterior.

Zemke’s Wolfpack, the 56th Fighter Group, was one of the most formidable American fighter units of WWII, flying P-47 Thunderbolts; its identity is tied to aggression in aerial combat, escort missions and strong squadron camaraderie. The jacket draws on that history as curated memory rather than costume.

The rear panel is a layered narrative: a stylized winged bomb motif symbolizing aerial power, an aircraft overlay that gives mission context, and a bomb-drop grid with a visual rhythm close to tally marks. The artwork feels designed rather than experimental, aligned with historical nose-art language and respectful of the A-2: discipline wearing personality. Squadron-style patches are applied to the front.

The construction shows the brand’s standards clearly: high-grade horsehide with natural sheen, a structured A-2 silhouette with correct pocket geometry, ribbed cuffs and waistband in olive, and clean, period-accurate stitching. The red silk lining, a non-standard premium variant, adds hidden drama when the jacket is opened. It will appeal to Real McCoy’s collectors, to WWII aviation enthusiasts drawn by the Zemke’s Wolfpack reference, and to collectors who intend to wear their jackets.

Details

• Maker: The Real McCoy’s
• Model: Zemke’s Wolfpack A-2 flight jacket; back-painted custom with red silk interior
• Label: Type A-2, Drawing No. 30-1415, Contract No. 41-6330 P, Real McCoy Clothing Co., Middletown, PA
• Sub-label: Zemke’s Wolfpack
• Theme: Zemke’s Wolfpack squadron theme (56th Fighter Group, WWII)
• Material: Horsehide leather (McCoy’s standard high-grade reproduction spec); red silk lining (non-standard premium variant)
• Color: Brown horsehide; olive ribbed cuffs and waistband
• Size: 44 (XL)
• Measurements: Shoulder 47 cm · Chest 55.5 cm · Length 71 cm · Sleeve 64 cm
• Artwork: Stylized winged bomb, aircraft and bomb-drop motif on the back; applied squadron-style patches on the front

Condition

• Light wear and minimal aging with a strong leather body; a wearable collector piece, not only a display piece.
• Leather: minimal wear, healthy surface, strong life remaining.
• Paint: intact with mild aging; no major degradation visible.
• Lining: clean, vibrant red silk.
• Knits: solid, with no major damage.

Painting Attribution

The base jacket carries the significance of the piece; the painting is an addition to it rather than its foundation. If the back art proves factory-made or artist-linked, it adds considerably to the jacket’s standing; if it is a later custom, it still holds strong aesthetic value.

Authenticity & Care

An authentic Real McCoy’s A-2 base with contract label (Drawing No. 30-1415, Contract No. 41-6330 P) and Zemke’s Wolfpack sub-label; the patches appear original, with no visible internal stitching disruption, while the origin of the back painting, factory or later addition, is uncertain. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.

Every figure above is taken by hand with the garment laid flat, in centimetres. Lay a shirt or jacket you already love beside them and allow a centimetre or two of margin, the quiet safeguard on a final sale. Our size guide to tops and jackets turns pit-to-pit figures into US, UK, EU and Japanese sizes, and for anything it leaves open the curator team replies within one Tokyo business day.

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