Canada, Commonwealth. A Second War Royal Canadian Air Force Coastal Command Bomber Jacket

The exterior is in a cinnamon brown leather, with pronounced heavy stitching throughout along the seams. The front has a functioning zipper, with its pull tab marked with a crown above "AM" (Air Ministry) on the obverse and marked "DOT" (Department of Overseas Trade) within a circular border surrounded by the inscription "MADE IN ENGLAND" on the reverse. Also, there is a 20 mm full-length support strip stitched on the body of the jacket beside the zipper on both sides. Both sleeves house a three-quarter length zipper on the inseam, the one on the left sleeve missing its pull tab and remaining functional, the one on the right sleeve non-functioning, missing its slider with pull tab, with the teeth themselves sewn together with black threading in numerous locations to keep it closed, both sleeves with a support strip stitched in place on both sides of the zipper. Both armpits have a triangular patch stitched in place, each of which incorporates eight black metal eyelets for ventilation. There is a two-piece 32 mm wide leather belt at the waist emerging from the side seam on both sides and fed through loops on either side at the front, the right strap incorporating eight black metal eyelets, the left strap with a metal buckle bearing a single prong, and when joined together, ensured a snug fit at the waist. The exterior of the leather hood has been dyed in a yellow-coloured moisture-resistant material, with a wide strip at the opening, along with three vertical support strips giving definition to its domed shape, the two outer strips of which have integral tabs. The yellow dye was used so that in case of a water (sea) landing, the rescue team would be able to easily spot the survivor in the water. The interior is lined in sheepskin in both the body of the jacket itself, as well as the sleeves and the hood. The sheepskin lining is in view when the jacket is closed along the bottom edge opening, as well as on both cuffs and both outward-folding collars. The collar has a 105 mm long chain dual-riveted in place for hanging the jacket upon a hook. It measures 480 mm across the shoulders x 580 mm in length, exhibiting light crazing in the leather exterior, with wear patches visible on the upper portions on both sleeves, in addition to some of the black metal eyelets in the armpits with surface rust. As worn.

Footnote: RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). Founded in 1936, it was to act as the RAF maritime arm, after the Fleet Air Arm became part of the Royal Navy in 1937. Naval aviation was neglected in the inter-war period of 1919-1939, and as a consequence, the service did not receive the resources it needed to develop properly or efficiently. This continued until the outbreak of the Second World War, during which it came to prominence. Owing to the Air Ministry's concentration on RAF Fighter Command and RAF Bomber Command, Coastal Command was often referred to as the "Cinderella Service", a phrase first used by the First Lord of the Admiralty at the time, A.V. Alexander. Its primary task was to protect convoys from the German Kriegsmarine's U-boat force. It also protected Allied shipping from the aerial threat posed by the Luftwaffe. The main operations of Coastal Command were defensive, defending supply lines in the various theatres of war, most notably the Battle of the Atlantic. A limited number of detachments served in the Mediterranean, Middle East and African theatres under the Command from 1941, operating from a headquarters in Gibraltar. Coastal Command squadrons operated from bases in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Gibraltar, the Soviet Union, West Africa and North Africa. Coastal Command also served in an offensive capacity. In the Mediterranean and Baltic it carried out attacks on German shipping moving war materials from Italy to North Africa and from Scandinavia to Germany. By 1943, Coastal Command finally received the recognition it needed and its operations proved decisive in the victory over the U-boats. The service saw action from the first day of hostilities until the last day of the Second World War. It flew over one million flying hours in 240,000 operations, and destroyed 212 U-boats. Coastal Command's casualties amounted to 2,060 aircraft to all causes and some 5,866 personnel killed in action. During 1940-1945, Coastal Command sank 366 German transport vessels and damaged 134. The total tonnage sunk was 512,330 tons and another 513,454 tons damaged. A total of 10,663 persons were rescued by the Command, including 5,721 Allied crews, 277 enemy personnel, and 4,665 non-aircrews.