Ralph "Kidd" Hofer

[BFOOT1]

Saw this on Ebay, what do you guys think? Supposed to be Kidd's jacket from WWII, very interesting if it really is.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lt-Ralph-K-Kid-Hofer-Flight-Jacket-Lot-625-/263196025434?hash=item3d47b4a25a:g:pL8AAOSw~gxZs0fl

[Nypsy]

Looks to be in great shape for a 70+ year old jacket.

[Delirium]

It has been restored, I'm guessing the entire interior was replaced during a recent restoration. I'm still not certain it is the original jacket.

That said, it is still worth more than $100, but it belongs in a museum.  /indianajonesrant off

[Puma44]

Looks more like new, modern manufacture.  The painted figure on the back looks very new and recent vs from 70ish years ago.  Would expect figure and it’s color to have faded over the years.  It does look very good though.

[Bizman]

The description says the painting has been restored and even tells the name of the restoring artist.

[Mister Fork]

Does it mention how they acquired this item?

[BFOOT1]

Does it mention how they acquired this item?

According to the seller, it is supposed to come with a letter written in 1993 detailing how the jacket came to be and etc.

[Guppy35]

Not a snowball's chance in hell that it's Hofer's

[Puma44]

The description says the painting has been restored and even tells the name of the restoring artist.

I read that part also. Anyone could write up the description, a letter, etc.  The jacket is in suspiciously good condition for its age. 

Buyer beware.

[Bizman]

Yepp. The knit cuffs and hem look surprisingly good for that age. They even seem to feature some pilling which AFAIK is a feature of modern (semi)synthetic fibres. What I saw might also be an artifact left from poor image processing, though.

As for the lining having been replaced or not, or the leather being softened, I don't know. Nothing has been told about if the jacket has been used after Hofer's death. If it was put into naphthalene in '44 and stored in a dry place, only the leather would have suffered from getting too dry. As the description said, it was terribly stiff. As a reference, I bought a M39 Swedish Army Backpack, the latest of which were made in the '60s. Brand new, but the leather parts were very hard and brittle and the rivets were oxidized. Also, the canvas had a smell of mildew. A machine wash and a couple of treatments with leather balm fixed all issues.

[Vraciu]

Not a snowball's chance in hell that it's Hofer's

+1

[Hajo]

Hofer was listed as missing in action IIRC.  I have a deep feeling this is nothing but an attempt to get a few quick bucks on someones' part.  As I recall no one that I remember actually saw him go down.

My memory is failing somewhat as I get older but that is what I recall reading.  Kid Hofer would at times go sight seeing on his own.  So being shot down is a very good possibility.  But as I recall no one saw him go down.

Please correct me if I am mistaken.

[BFOOT1]

His book is on the way to me as we speak, but I believe he was last seen strafing over Budapest, and never returned home.

[Vraciu]

Hofer was listed as missing in action IIRC.  I have a deep feeling this is nothing but an attempt to get a few quick bucks on someones' part.  As I recall no one that I remember actually saw him go down.

My memory is failing somewhat as I get older but that is what I recall reading.  Kid Hofer would at times go sight seeing on his own.  So being shot down is a very good possibility.  But as I recall no one saw him go down.

Please correct me if I am mistaken.

He could have had multiple jackets, but this looks like a fake. 

[Puma44]

Was that typical, to have multiple jackets?