Insignia patches on WW 2 Jackets

[2jakes]

Based on the photos of American Flight Jackets, by Jon A. Maguire &
John P. Conway, I noticed that on the original jackets, the A.A.F.
patch are located on the right & others on the left sleeve.
I write this because in the 1980's, while wearing my repo flight
leather jacket, at work (KWEX-TV Ch. 41), I was approached by a
veteran Flying Tigers pilot. I want to say Tex Hill, but not 100%
sure. Anyway he told me in a serious tone that the patches on my
jacket were not correct. I had put the C.B.I. patch on one side &
the A.A.F. on the other sleeve. I don't remember which side I placed
them other than according to him, wrong place, I didn't say much,
was too embarrassed. Now I wish I had stayed & talked to him
more about his time with the Flying Tigers & where he got his
jacket, or how it was being in China at that time.
So now,if somebody knows where is the correct locations for
the A.A.F insignia & the C.B.I. patch….or perhaps there never was
an official ruling back during WW2. Thanks.

 

[Anonymous]

If you are wearing the jacket, the CBI goes on your left, or name tag side, the AAF headquarters on the right.

 

[dmar836]

Welcome! I always thought the AAF branch insignia was, by default, on the left sleeve. On class As, your current unit was always on the left and you could wear your former unit patch, for a time, on the right sleeve.
I have seen patches on both sides but never one on the right only. All said, my vote is winged star on left and tiger on the right but that differs from what chitchat is saying so......
Dave

 

[2jakes]

Well guys, like the photos on the book I originally mentioned, there's
no set rule where the insignia belongs. I don't have the jacket & I
don't remember exactly what side the pilot told me they belong.
It appears there are different opinions as to where they should be
applied.

 

[Anonymous]

Based on the photos of American Flight Jackets, by Jon A. Maguire &
John P. Conway, I noticed that on the original jackets, the A.A.F.
patch are located on the right & others on the left sleeve.
I write this because in the 1980's, while wearing my repo flight
leather jacket, at work (KWEX-TV Ch. 41), I was approached by a
veteran Flying Tigers pilot. I want to say Tex Hill, but not 100%
sure. Anyway he told me in a serious tone that the patches on my
jacket were not correct. I had put the C.B.I. patch on one side &
the A.A.F. on the other sleeve. I don't remember which side I placed
them other than according to him, wrong place, I didn't say much,
was too embarrassed. Now I wish I had stayed & talked to him
more about his time with the Flying Tigers & where he got his
jacket, or how it was being in China at that time.
So now,if somebody knows where is the correct locations for
the A.A.F insignia & the C.B.I. patch….or perhaps there never was
an official ruling back during WW2. Thanks.

I had met Tex, talked to him on the phone, ended up making a Panda patch for his 80th Birthday. If he had a fifth of scotch in him, he might have been pulling your chain.

 

[Stony]

Dave is correct in that your current assignment is on your left and your former is on your right. If no former, then AAF HQ patch on the right.

However, if you were "in country", you got away with a lot more than if you were stateside.

 

[unclegrumpy]

The CBI is actually called the United States Army Forces, China, Burma, and India and is not an AAF specific command. Meaning that other non AAF Army units wore the patch as well. Uniforms and flight jackets that have both the CBI patch and the AAF winged star patch signify the person is in the USAAF attached to the Army Forces, CBI.

As far as the sleeve issue, the patch worn on the left sleeve is the current unit and on the right the former unit. Given that, it would make sense that you might see CBI patches on either sleeve, but I think most often during the war it would be on the left. However, I suspect that this dual patch combination was worn together most often to signify being attached to the AAF in the CBI, and not meant to represent a former unit. I am not sure when wearing ones former unit patch technically began, but it did not become common practice until after the end of WW II.

If you look at most WW II AAF uniforms, they usually wore one patch....8th AF, 9th AF, 10th AF, 15th AF and so on. You do see the winged star patch in combination with other none AAF specific units. For example, observation pilots attached to a division wear the Division's or the Army Command's patch on the left sleeve, and the AAF winged star on the right.

However, many postwar pre USAF uniforms often have the AAF winged star patch on the left sleeve as the persons current unit, with whatever their previous unit, 8th AF for example, on the right. I think this is the explanation of why we see uniforms with the CBI and AAF patch combination on either sleeve.

 

[a2jacketpatches]

The CBI is actually called the United States Army Forces, China, Burma, and India and is not an AAF specific command. Meaning that other non AAF Army units wore the patch as well. Uniforms and flight jackets that have both the CBI patch and the AAF winged star patch signify the person is in the USAAF attached to the Army Forces, CBI.

As far as the sleeve issue, the patch worn on the left sleeve is the current unit and on the right the former unit. Given that, it would make sense that you might see CBI patches on either sleeve, but I think most often during the war it would be on the left. However, I suspect that this dual patch combination was worn together most often to signify being attached to the AAF in the CBI, and not meant to represent a former unit. I am not sure when wearing ones former unit patch technically began, but it did not become common practice until after the end of WW II.

If you look at most WW II AAF uniforms, they usually wore one patch....8th AF, 9th AF, 10th AF, 15th AF and so on. You do see the winged star patch in combination with other none AAF specific units. For example, observation pilots attached to a division wear the Division's or the Army Command's patch on the left sleeve, and the AAF winged star on the right.

However, many postwar pre USAF uniforms often have the AAF winged star patch on the left sleeve as the persons current unit, with whatever their previous unit, 8th AF for example, on the right. I think this is the explanation of why we see uniforms with the CBI and AAF patch combination on either sleeve.

That's the way I understood it, was asked today but had no concrete answer. One patch on the left sleeve, HQ, or whatever, one exception for AAF in particular would be the Far East Patch, I've always seen on the right. In fact, my first WW2 uniform was a 13th on the left a lt blue felt Far East on the right.

 

[RCSignals]

Tex Hill's jacket is featured in the book 'The Pictorial History of the Flying Tigers'

He kept his US Navy type jacket from the Flying Tigers and continued to wear it with the AAF. (It appears to be a Gordon and Ferguson wide pocket jacket) Anyway in the photo of it the CBI patch is on the left sleeve.

 

[unclegrumpy]

That's the way I understood it, was asked today but had no concrete answer. One patch on the left sleeve, HQ, or whatever, one exception for AAF in particular would be the Far East Patch, I've always seen on the right. In fact, my first WW2 uniform was a 13th on the left a lt blue felt Far East on the right.

I had not really thought too much about all this before, but I think there is probably more variability and possible combinations with WW II AAF units versus most other wartime Army units. That is because many AAF units were placed within other Army command structures, but would need to retain their aviation related identity. Units from other branches generally did not have specific patches, so their identity would only be tied to the branch insignia worn versus an additional shoulder patch. After WWII, things became more interesting with the advent of unit specific pocket patches, but that leads to a different discussion.

Interesting topic!

 

[2jakes]

Based on the actual photos in the book, "Pictorial History of the
Flying Tigers" by Larry M. Pistole, which was submitted by RCSignals.
In the color portfolio, there is among others, Mr. David Lee "Tex" Hill,
and the C.B.I. patch on the left side of his leather jacket.
That's good enough for me ! On page 200 there is photos of the
"Hells Angels Squadron insignia which I also painted on my first
A-2 HH leather jacket.