90th FIGHTER SQUADRON PATCH COPIED FROM ART OF FLIGHT JACKET

[Anonymous]

I made this patch from page 116 the art of the flight jacket CBI theatre 90th fighter squadron ,not so often reproduced patch and one of my favourites .

Needs border ring final trim and highlighting and then sealed with 50/50 matt and gloss sealer ,then will be ready to mount .5" diameter o/d all leather original tanned color with painted flag and stars .What do you think ?.

This is the picture from the book the art of the flight jacket page 116 top right corner .


All the best
Jeff

 

[TankBuster]

Looks very good. Very close match to the original. Nice work!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff thanks for your input ,do you have any favourite patches leather layered type ,let me make you one for you no charge .Rgds Jeff

 

[TankBuster]

You really don't have to do that. I can say that my favorite multipiece
leather patch is that of the 22nd Bomb Squadron. The Bulldog version.
Jeff

Crappy pic of one I used to have............

 

[CBI]

from the photo it looks more incised that layered leather however it must be layered as its from the Pacific theater

 

[Anonymous]

You really don't have to do that. I can say that my favorite multipiece
leather patch is that of the 22nd Bomb Squadron. The Bulldog version.
Jeff

Crappy pic of one I used to have............

OK JEFF I am on it ,and CBI is right it is incised and painted .But I will make a layered version for you photo graph it post and send it on to you .

Best regards Jeff

 

[TankBuster]

Actually it was a multi piece leather patch. I owned the jacket for many years
before selling it to a friend. I found this pic which is a little better. It was made
of over 14 different pieces of leather. Definitely one of the most impressive
original patches I have seen. I just wish I would have had a better camera in
those days!

 

[CBI]

I see, with the clearer photo .... layered - cool

 

[Andrew]

Actually it was a multi piece leather patch. I owned the jacket for many years
before selling it to a friend. I found this pic which is a little better. It was made
of over 14 different pieces of leather. Definitely one of the most impressive
original patches I have seen. I just wish I would have had a better camera in
those days!

Hey Jeff K, that one is a work of art. I love the way it's burnished around the edges from wear and age.

Jeff W i'll look forward to seeing your version.

 

[Anonymous]

Actually it was a multi piece leather patch. I owned the jacket for many years
before selling it to a friend. I found this pic which is a little better. It was made
of over 14 different pieces of leather. Definitely one of the most impressive
original patches I have seen. I just wish I would have had a better camera in
those days!

Hi Jeff thanks for that second picture ,I was wrong about it being incised .I must say that is one beautifully made patch ,the stiching is so close and precise to the edge and the detail is so sharp just like it was stamped .I thank you for the shot this will give me a challenge ,Is your friend close and does he still have the jacket .I would love to see that patch shot with a digital camera .Jeff give me a few days I will make up a few of these and give you the best one ,I am looking forward to this and I have always liked this patch .This unit was called the battlin bulldogs if I am correct ,does any one know who originally designed this patch ?.
Rgds Jeff

 

[deeb7]

... does any one know who originally designed this patch ?

The earlier "Bombing Eagles" patch was designed by 22nd Squadron member Sgt. Charles F. Wright. The designer of "Battlin' Bulldogs" isn't recorded ...

"Battlin' Bulldogs" Insignia
(China, 1944-45)

Over and through a lemon yellow disc, border light brown, a caricatured, pugnacious, light brown B-25 aircraft in flight, toward dexter base, wearing a red brown derby and a red-and-white-striped turtle-neck sweater, having look of ferocity on caricatured face, machine gun barrels, proper, issuing from nostrils, and a large brown cigar fired, proper, with white band, held in mouth, leaving white seed lines and trailing smoke toward rear, proper. (Approved 19 Mar 1945.)

http://www.cbi-history.com/part_i.html

 

[TankBuster]

Jeff,
I thought you may like that one. Looking forward to seeing your Creation!

Andrew/Jeff,
I'll try and get my buddy to get me some shots of it. He still has it.

I got to know the vet very well. The squadron patch was a gift to
him. It was made by his Chinese Houseboys father.
2 Officers usually shared quarters. Each quarter had their own Chinese
houseboy that would clean for them, take their laundry, ect.....
He had some great combat stories!

Here's another shot I found of the whole jacket.

 

[TankBuster]

The version of the patch DEEB shows in his post is the standard patch.
The approved colors ect..
The patch I used to have is more of a variation. Or maybe it was just
left unpainted?

 

[Anonymous]

The version of the patch DEEB shows in his post is the standard patch.
The approved colors ect..
The patch I used to have is more of a variation. Or maybe it was just
left unpainted?

Hi Jeff thanks for that photo and the history of the owner and the maker ,this is the part of+ patches that I find so interesting more so than the making of the patches .Looking at your photo of the whole jacket leaves me thinking 2 things (1) the patch is bigger in diameter than the standard 5" may be 5 1/2" to 6"(2) regarding was it painted or not only inspection near the seam of the layering would answer this question .The outlining would last for ever as they would of used indian ink with a dip pen with a nib.The CBI shoulder shield is in full color and is in excellent condition may be the squadron patch was un painted version or may be it had many application of leather dressing and wore off .The CBI shield would of been constructed of colored leather but the squadron patch would be difficult to do this way as the detail would not lend itself to small pieces of leather and would have to be part layered and part painted .This unit had 2 official patches and the previous one was a hawk in flight or hovering, as deeb posted the battlin bulldogs patch came in late 1944 .I have done research on your patch and it the only one with the smoke coming from the cigar. Thank Jeff for taking the time to dig up this photo ,most impressive character in the leather graining ;If your friend would be so kind I would like to see the other shoulder patch and the name tag with the 2 languages also+ get a diameter on the patch.While I am getting guys to photograph patches ,CBI any chance of seeing some of your patches ?.

Talk to you soon
Rgds Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

... does any one know who originally designed this patch ?

The earlier "Bombing Eagles" patch was designed by 22nd Squadron member Sgt. Charles F. Wright. The designer of "Battlin' Bulldogs" isn't recorded ...

"Battlin' Bulldogs" Insignia
(China, 1944-45)

Over and through a lemon yellow disc, border light brown, a caricatured, pugnacious, light brown B-25 aircraft in flight, toward dexter base, wearing a red brown derby and a red-and-white-striped turtle-neck sweater, having look of ferocity on caricatured face, machine gun barrels, proper, issuing from nostrils, and a large brown cigar fired, proper, with white band, held in mouth, leaving white seed lines and trailing smoke toward rear, proper. (Approved 19 Mar 1945.)

http://www.cbi-history.com/part_i.html

Thank deeb for the links ,your most kind .

All the best jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff found a good patch to work from an original off a jacket .I can now see the artwork as it should be and from this I will make the the one for Jeff .The colors are of course muted because of the age and I now must decide if it should be muted like an original or made like it was when it was new .The book Squadrons of the USAAF by Maurer & Maurer will be my guide for the colors used .My main challenge will be to make the patch as neat as the one Jeff offered ,I must say I have never seen such neat work on any patch before ,which has always been to my advantage .I will do my best ,and here are the pictures .

Its a cool patch and screams WW2 ,hat propellors and machine guns with alittle Walt Disney type design unmistakable 1940s period patch .

Give me three or four days

All the best Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Jeff,
I thought you may like that one. Looking forward to seeing your Creation!

Andrew/Jeff,
I'll try and get my buddy to get me some shots of it. He still has it.

I got to know the vet very well. The squadron patch was a gift to
him. It was made by his Chinese Houseboys father.
2 Officers usually shared quarters. Each quarter had their own Chinese
houseboy that would clean for them, take their laundry, ect.....
He had some great combat stories!

Here's another shot I found of the whole jacket.

Jeff this jacket chest panel and pocket flap is a wrinkled as a hobo's neck and the pocket and sleeve are so free of wrinkles .You got to love these vintage jacket charateristics ,this must happen when the jacket moves to a different work station to be sewn and the sewer pulls cut pieces from a cart at random same hide different horse or part of the horse .May be John Chapman will get round to doing this or may be he is doing this already .

All the best Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff here is phase one of the patch ,after serious thought I decided to make in sections on one level rather than keep layering over as it would be come to thick Next comes the detailing with paints and then fit a border 3/16" wide and stopping at the wings like your patch .I will also put in the puffs of smoke in leather and the lines above the aircraft .I have tried to be as neat as I can with the stiching another couple of days should see me done .

It will look better once it is painted and some of the stich holes are filled .From wing tip to wing tip is 5" and that tip is not bent its just the way its laying on the jacket .You can get an idea of the stich length by comparing the stiches on the jacket which are 8 to an inch mine are about 18 to an inch . I alway thought that the dog was wearing a scarf but the book tells me it is a turtle neck sweater ,I guess you live and learn


All the best Jeff .

 

[TankBuster]

Jeff,
It looks very cool! Of course I will be paying you for this, so make sure
to send me a paypal address. I think I know what jacket I will be putting
it on.
I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product!
Later,
Jeff

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff here is a semi finished patch ,the patch dia is way to big and is way to big at 6 1/2" as shown,way out of scale to the jacket .I will reduce the diameter by making the border 5",placing the border inside the cigar, machine guns and left wing tip like the originals.I may end up making another patch similar to your jacket type but first I must source the leather .The finish coating is too glossy also and will have to go with matt .The jury is out wether I like like this or not,am I am happy with this one ?.I only send out patches that I can can say thats it !,I cannot do any better .But I will tinker with it and see if I can move it into that catagory .I have to add seed lines and smoke from the cigar after border is placed and affixed .The patch on the jacket you had must be 6 1/2" dia across thats what I was shooting for a color version of that ,but I do not like it this size in color to much like a billboard .When things are original and aged they just look right in the larger size,and of course have provenance to back it up. When you repro it you it has to be within specs ie 5" to carry it off .Otherwise it begs the question why did you do it like that that does not seem right !.

All the Best Jeff