Pulling this old thread up for a query... Looking at repro Blood Chits online, the silk variant seem to be by far the more common. Presumably these are simply much cheaper to manufacture that leather. What I can't find good information on online, however, is where these tended to be placed. The photos I have seen of AVG M442 jackets seem to almost uniformly have them on the back; later 23rd A2s I've seen in photos seem to vary between having them stitched on the back or into any one of the body lining panels. On the back always seemed most practical to me, given the chance of an airman being found unconscious, but that's by the by. Where would the silk options tend to have been - did they get sewn on the jacket backs too, or where they exclusively a lining thing?
The Flying Tigers of the American Volunteer Group wore Blood Chits on the back of their flight jackets. They later found it best to sew them inside the jacket in case they were downed in a Communist area. The Nationalist Chinese flag was not appreciated in communist regions because of the civil war that had begun before World War II and continued afterwards. Cloth and silk Blood Chits were carried in pockets and as part of survival kits. When sewn inside the jacket on three sides with the top left open, Blood Chits made handy map pockets. The wearing of the Blood Chit was a permitted but unauthorized addition to the uniform, much like the painting of nose art on Army Air Force bombers. At the end of the war, the U.S. Army banned the wearing of Blood Chits on flight jackets, but also made their use part of standard issue flight gear.
Good eye treetop; it is indeed a training chit.They are still the ripstop tyvech material. They are only issued out prior to a sortie and they are a controlled item. Looks like the one Phantom has is a training chit since it is not serialized.
Leather Blood Chits on the outside, silk on the inside - generally - there are exceptions of course. eBay for sure. Right now there are some very nice repro ones by "a2jacketpatches" If he is out of them, he can make you one. The best repros out there. I have had some originals on both repro and original A-2's. That can get pricey.