316th Bombardment Squadron

[shedonwanna]

This image of a vintage 316th Squadron patch was taken during our recent 388th BG reunion. The veteran couldn't recall why he was wearing it instead of one of the 388th squadron patches. The 316th was a transitional training squadron based in the US and some of the first 561st squadron crews of the 388th may have trained with the 316th. Something I was not aware of but now that I've seen the patch I'll do some research. Even when our veteran's memories are fading we get little clues for us to follow.

 

[unclegrumpy]

It is neat to see that patch on a jacket. This type of patch often gets attributed as being theater made, but it is not, as proven by the linage of this Squadron.

It took me many years to sort out where these came from, because many patches in this style of manufacture are from units that did deploy. Turns out they were made at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla at the prison workshop early in the war....between 1942 and 1943....and maybe into very early 1944.

Here is what the patch looked like when it was new:

*** As an FYI, I have never seen any of the 388th BG's Squadrons patches made in this style.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

Very cool, how'd you track that info down?

 

[dujardin]

thanks gents

very interesting

 

[unclegrumpy]

Very cool, how'd you track that info down?

About twenty plus years ago, I bought some patches out of a large scrap book of wartime clippings that had a number of different squadron patches in it, including the one pictured above. It was put together by a teenager during the war who lived somewhere in the general Eastern Washington, Idaho, or Eastern Oregon area....exactly where was a mystery. I did not get the album, because the guy who had it was a paper dealer and valued that part of it very highly.

Over the years I found a few more similar patches, but was always skeptical of their theater made attribution, because I knew from the patches I already had or had seen, that some of the units never went overseas or disbanded before the war ended. I also was able to sort out that the common link between them all was they trained in the Northwest.....which made sense given where the album had come from.

However, I could never pin down the exact details of where they were made until I was looking at two similar patches amongst many other different ones in a large collection a few years ago, and started to talk about this "mystery" to the owner. I promptly was told they were not a mystery at all, because he had gotten his patches directly from the vet, and the vet had written the details of where and when he got them on the backs. In flipping them over, the story was there, all written at the time the vet got them during the war and sent them home.

Interestingly, like many things, once you know the answer it can be confirmed. Walla Walla was one of the places that nearly every one of the units passed through or touch downed at, so it all came together. I have also seen wartime articles about the Prison that mentioned some of the things that they made, including "insignia". However, I would have never known to look in that direction without having seen the attributed patches first.

Once you get a feel for these patches, they are reasonably easy to spot. Most of the ink and some of the paint used on them was water soluble, so if on a jacket, a lot of it washes/wears away over time....these two 316th BS patches are good "before and after" examples.

 

[shedonwanna]

Well, glad I posted the image here. I know the 388th first activated at Gowan Field, Idaho. They then went to Wendover (Utah) and Sioux City, South Dakota before being sent to England. Later aircrews formed and trained all over the US before being sent overseas. My dad's crew formed and trained in El Paso, Texas and eventually went by ship to England. Some of the crews that trained in Florida were chosen to ferry aircraft overseas. This veteran's stateside made 316th patch definitely made it to the air campaign over Germany.

Interesting to hear the history of the design and manufacture of the 316th patch. Like the 316th patches the 388th patches were block printed on leather, not embossed, and colored with a water soluble ink/dye. The 388th patches were probably made on base but the technique was the same.

 

[EMBLEMHUNTER]

I'm somewhat confused as to this posting , help clarify it please, I have the 316th Bombardment Squadron as part of he 88th Bombardment Group as it's assignment , I am "assuming" via your post that the 388th Bombardment Group's 561st "Squadron" people were sent to the 88th Group for training via the 316th Sqd ???????



Johnny

 

[shedonwanna]

I'm somewhat confused as to this posting , help clarify it please, I have the 316th Bombardment Squadron as part of he 88th Bombardment Group as it's assignment , I am "assuming" via your post that the 388th Bombardment Group's 561st "Squadron" people were sent to the 88th Group for training via the 316th Sqd ???????

Johnny

The 88th began training B-17 crews in early 1942 before many of the other units had been activated. As new groups were formed the 88th BG trained crews were transferred to combat units and sent overseas. The 388th BG received some of these trained crews to form the initial 388th squadrons. Eventually, more training bases opened across the US to supply the need for combat aircrews. The 388th was not associated with the 88th. Hope this clears thing up.

David

 

[dujardin]

that was confusing me 388 or 88th BG
because when putting this ''new'' patch in file, i remember i already saw it somewhere
searching in my file, i have this pic that i identified as 88BG 316BS

 

[dujardin]

see also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/316th_Bombardment_Squadron

 

[EMBLEMHUNTER]

O.K. , that's what I thought , they were just being trained via the 88th BG/316th Squadron then "assigned" to a combat "Group , thanks !
Marcel I also have the B-17 image with 316th emblem on tail .

 

[shedonwanna]

see also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/316th_Bombardment_Squadron

Sorry if this is causing confusion. The 316th was part of the 88th BG which was a training group. A 388th veteran that attends our 388th reunions has a 316th patch on his jacket. He had likely trained in the 88th/316th before being assigned to the 388th BG. Several of the early crews of the 388th may have trained in the 88th. Also, many veterans that had completed their combat mission requirements were often assigned to stateside training units. Roger Freeman's book, B-17 Flying Fortress at War, has a several page description of the first 10 B-17's and crews assigned to the 388th BG/562nd Sq as well as the early formation and training of the 388th. There is no mention of the 88th but my veteran obviously had been through training with the 88th. That does not mean all of the early aircrews of the 388th had been trained in the 88th. So, to be clear, there was no organizational connection between the 388th BG and the 88th BG. The patch in question on the veteran's jacket just indicates (to me) that at least one of the 388th veterans had trained with the 88th.

When I talked to my 388th veteran he was confused about the source of the patch and did not know why he had not tried to replace it with one of the 388th BG's squadron patches. Rather than continue the conversation I decided to wait and contact his daughter to see if she had any of his paperwork. The artwork on the back of the jacket appeared post war and recent (acrylic). Wartime jackets would not have included group/squadron information.

 

[dujardin]

thanksssssssssss