GREAT RECENT "OUT OF THE WOODWORK" FIND, AN ORIGINAL AND RARE WW1 U.S. ARMY SERVICMEN'S AERO CORPS PATCHED OD WOOL OVERCOAT, 1917 DATED.  

OF NOTE: THIS OVERCOAT IS NOT NAMED BUT COMES FROM THE ESTATE OF WW1 U.S. ARMY VETERAN "BUTLER G. TAYLOR" WHO WAS FROM THE PENFIELD, NEW YORK (ROCHESTER, NY AREA) AND SERVED IN FRANCE DURING THE GREAT WAR FIRST WITH THE U.S. ARMY INFANTRY AND LATER THE U.S. ARMY AERO (AVIATION) CORPS. THIS OVERCOAT WAS STORED IN A LOCKED WOOD CHEST. THE CHEST AND ITS CONTENTS ARE NOT INCLUDED WITH THIS LISTING ALTHOUGH THESE OTHER ITEMS FROM MR. TAYLOR'S SERVICE ARE LISTED IN OUR EBAY STORE, SO PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EBAY LISTINGS.) THE WOOD CHEST THAT THIS OVERCOAT WAS STORED ALSO CONTAINED OTHER OF MR. TAYLOR'S U.S. ARMY UNIFORMS, HATS, INSIGNIA AND PERSONAL EFFECTS AND HAD TO BE BROKEN INTO AS THE LOCK'S KEY WAS LONG LOST. THIS CHEST (REALLY A TIME CAPSULE) REPORTEDLY HAS BEEN LOCKED FOR OVER 100 YEARS AND WAS STORED IN THE ATTIC OF THE FAMILY HOME UNTIL THIS PAST WEEKEND WHEN IT WAS OPENED BY US AT WRM COLLECTIBLES. 

THIS OVERCOAT FEATURES A TWO POCKET FRONT AND RETAINS ALL OF ITS METAL U.S. ARMY BUTTONS WITH TOP METAL HOOK CLOSURE TO FRONT COLLAR. THE OVERCOAT'S LEFT SHOULDER FEATURES A SEWN ON MULTI PIECE (WHITE, RED AND BLUE) COLORED WOOL U.S. ARMY AERO CORPS ROUNDEL PATCH. (RARE EARLY U.S. ARMY AERO CORPS PATCH) AND A SEWN-ON WOOL SERVICE STRIPE TO LEFT SLEEVE CUFF. THE BACK SIDE OF THE OVERCOAT RETAINS ITS WOOL WAIST STRAP WITH BOTH METAL U.S. ARMY BUTTONS. INTERIOR LINING OF THE COAT FEATURES ONE POCKET AND THE BACK SIDE OF THE LINING RETAINS ITS 1917 DATED MAKER'S/QM TAG. THIS OVERCOAT IS IN GOOD OVERALL CONDITION, THERE IS ONE WEAR SPOT/HOLE TO THE FRONT CENTER OF THE COAT AND ONE HOLE TO THE LEFT SLEEVE CUFF THAT LINES UP WITH THREE HOLES/TEARS TO ITS BACK SIDE THAT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN FROM WAR SHARPNEL AS ALL THE HOLES KINDA LINE UP. ALSO, THIS OVERCOAT WAS STORED IN A LOCKED CHEST FOR 100 YEARS AND EVERY OTHER ITEM IN THE CHEST, ITS UNIFORMS, HATS AND ALL OTHER ITEMS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, HAVING NO MOTH OR RODENT DAMAGE, SO IT IS MOST LIKELY THAT THESE HOLES/TEARS TO THE OVERCOAT'S BACK SIDE WERE FROM WAR RELATED CAUSES AND NOT MOTH OR RODENTS DURING ITS CENTURY OF STORAGE. OVERCOAT'S APPROX. MEASUREMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS, 19'' FROM SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, 21" FROM ARMPIT TO ARMPIT, SLEEVES MEASURE 24-1/2" IN LENGTH AND THE OVERCOAT MEASURES 41" IN HEIGHT FROM IT'S TOP TO IT'S BOTTOM.  SEE THE ABOVE LISTING PHOTOS FOR FURTHER CONDITION DETAILS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE ASK US BEFORE YOU BUY. NEW YORK STATE BUYERS TO PAY 8.75% SALES TAX. THANK YOU.