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327th Glider Infantry Regiment
- Thread starter JDAM
- Start date
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
The Glider pilots that took the 327th GIR in seem to have been from the 434th Troop Carrier Group, and some specifically the 74th TC Squadron. I think one would have to do a bit more digging than I did to sort out all of the potential Squadrons.
Below is a neat link that gives you an idea of what happened to some of these guys:
http://www.71stsos.com/normandygeobuckley.html
As for what patches they would have worn, that would take a bit more research as well. However, it would have been an AAF patch, most likely the Airborne Troop Carrier patch. I have also seen ETO Glider pilots wearing the 9th AAF patch.
Glider pilots also sometimes wore Squadron patches, but like the shoulder patches, knowing exactly what the guys who brought the 327th GIR in might have worn will take some more homework.
A bit depends on what you are after....completing a uniform or dressing up an A-2....and how historically accurate you want to be....meaning, there is possibly a TC Squadron or Group patch associated with this, but there is also a very good chance that the guys never actually wore it.
Below is a neat link that gives you an idea of what happened to some of these guys:
http://www.71stsos.com/normandygeobuckley.html
As for what patches they would have worn, that would take a bit more research as well. However, it would have been an AAF patch, most likely the Airborne Troop Carrier patch. I have also seen ETO Glider pilots wearing the 9th AAF patch.
Glider pilots also sometimes wore Squadron patches, but like the shoulder patches, knowing exactly what the guys who brought the 327th GIR in might have worn will take some more homework.
A bit depends on what you are after....completing a uniform or dressing up an A-2....and how historically accurate you want to be....meaning, there is possibly a TC Squadron or Group patch associated with this, but there is also a very good chance that the guys never actually wore it.
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
foster said:
Yes, and sometimes in Jump Jackets. However, a bit here is about what exactly he is after....a uniform....an A-2...or what they wore when they hit the ground....I mean "landed" :shock:
Thanks for all the feedback, very helpful. It would be an A-2. I have one that is attributed to a 327 pilot. It has a US flag on the upper right arm, 9th AF on the upper left, a set of wings on the breast, though is missing what used to be a 5 inch patch on the left breast. The stitch holes remain. Just wondered what might have originally been there. I thought perhaps the fairly common troop carrier patch, as pictured below, or maybe something specific to 327th... prhps 434 or 74 as you suggest.
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a neat jacket!
Since you know the fellows name, then you might be able to track down which Squadron he was in, and then see if you can find any photos of what the Squadron wore on their jackets. Otherwise, I think the Troop Carrier Command patch you pictured is probably a safe bet.
Since you know the fellows name, then you might be able to track down which Squadron he was in, and then see if you can find any photos of what the Squadron wore on their jackets. Otherwise, I think the Troop Carrier Command patch you pictured is probably a safe bet.
ausreenactor
Well-Known Member
The were not REAL pilots...
Only joking. I rate them highly. As they were Riflemen when they hit the deck. Look up Elbert Jella!!
Only joking. I rate them highly. As they were Riflemen when they hit the deck. Look up Elbert Jella!!
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
I am not surprised. You just don't see many A-2s with insignia relating to Glider Pilots. I know Couchy was joking about them not being "real" pilots, but there is some truth to that, or at least their lesser status in the USAAF pilot hierarchy.JDAM said:
Question....do you know the AAF units the guy you are researching served in?
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
For some reason I got the idea it was June 6th.JDAM said:
Another question...have you looked everywhere for a service number?
I have a tunic of a guy that flew crew chief on that mission in a C-47. It came with research that showed they dropped part of the 508th(IIRC). The info was sort of cryptic but was from a book that showed the chalk they were assigned to, etc. It would be a hunt but there are books that back into the info you need. The 327th unit history books should, at some point, go into what units dropped them into Holland.
Dave
Dave
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
In a quick look, I found that the 82nd TC Squadron brought at least some of 1/327 GIR into Holland. They were part of the 436th TC Group, which was part of the IX TC Command.
However, in trying to look at what was going on by Market Garden, it makes me wonder if the gliders were being assigned out of a large pool, rather being attached to specific TC Squadrons or Groups. This would have simplified a lot of things organizationally, but I am not sure if that is what they did or not, though when you think about it, a single C-47 could have flown multiple glider missions over the course of the Operation. They would basically be just grabbing another glider and going, and who was at the controls would not matter....especially given most of the glider piloting was done after it was released form the C-47.
If it turns out the gliders were not assigned to specific TC units (Squadrons or Groups), it would drastically cut down the possibilities for what could go on the jacket....basically to the TC Command patch that was pictured. This would also go a long way in explaining why we don't see many patched jackets to glider pilots.
To get an answer regarding how the gliders were assigned for Market garden, I would write the USAF Historical Agency at Maxwell AFB:
http://www.afhra.af.mil
However, in trying to look at what was going on by Market Garden, it makes me wonder if the gliders were being assigned out of a large pool, rather being attached to specific TC Squadrons or Groups. This would have simplified a lot of things organizationally, but I am not sure if that is what they did or not, though when you think about it, a single C-47 could have flown multiple glider missions over the course of the Operation. They would basically be just grabbing another glider and going, and who was at the controls would not matter....especially given most of the glider piloting was done after it was released form the C-47.
If it turns out the gliders were not assigned to specific TC units (Squadrons or Groups), it would drastically cut down the possibilities for what could go on the jacket....basically to the TC Command patch that was pictured. This would also go a long way in explaining why we don't see many patched jackets to glider pilots.
To get an answer regarding how the gliders were assigned for Market garden, I would write the USAF Historical Agency at Maxwell AFB:
http://www.afhra.af.mil
unclegrumpy
Well-Known Member
One thing that I just thought of....what if the A-2 jacket in question was reissued to your guy, and the holes are from the previous owners Squadron patch?
