If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Down

[CBI]

One of the many nice things about living in a smaller community is one gets some excellent opportunities. The local air museum asked me if I would not mind identifying these WW2 squadron patches given to them by a relative of a Vet who collected them during WW2. All hand painted, every single one would pass inspection as ORIGINAL and go for top dollar on eBay! Taken as a total unit, looks like the same artist and some consistent things with many of them verses the variety of what was produced by different units. So, maybe not 100% legit but painted correctly MANY years ago. Anyway, here was my dinning room table earlier today:

More later and I am sure I will be calling on some of your patch identification services.


Enjoy

 

[CBI]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

more when I can

 

[Anonymous]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

CBI, how much to single shoot each one, I will pay for the effort, and I am sure EMBLEMHUNTER has a stiff one after seeing these. Would be a great reference for the site. I have had a hand full of this artists patches that pop up on ebay now and then. Fantastic work, usually on a very stiff leather, and for whatever reason sew wholes done as if they were used. To me the greatest patch painter, Wish I could track the artist down to find out who.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

This is one of the patches I bought on ebay. CBI thanks so much for the post

 

[jack aranda]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

My eyes are bleeding! Oh, man what a collection!

 

[CBI]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

Moderators. If I take a straight on photo of them all separately, can it be posted as a patch reference page/list instead of just a regular thread (so it can be referenced easily if someone is looking for patch photos?

 

[unclegrumpy]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

I hate to be a party pooper, but I don't think any of those patches are wartime originals or were painted even close to WW II. In the very late 1980's or early 1990's yes, but not WW II. These patches were around and for sale back then....either one or in bulk. I bought a few because the artwork was so nice....in some cases better than the same designs actually painted in WW II. One guy was the source of them all, but I believe there was more than one artist.

Sorry about that guys, :cry:

 

[RCSignals]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

It's staggering.

I must say though I've seen some work of patch artists of this forum that is just as good and maybe better.

WW2 originals or not it is a great collection and it would be great to see individual photos of each

 

[bfrench]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

Moderators. If I take a straight on photo of them all separately, can it be posted as a patch reference page/list instead of just a regular thread (so it can be referenced easily if someone is looking for patch photos?

Absolutely - We'll make it a sticky for this section of the forum.

Cheers,
Bill French

 

[CBI]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

I am most certain these are not original WW2 since they do seem to be by one or a few artist. They do however looks older than 1980's but one never knows. I sort of broke it to the museum guys that they were probably not originals but want to slide into it instead of bumming them out. I do think any of these could sell on eBay or even to many established collectors as originals. The artwork is outstanding.

 

[Anonymous]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

Interesting in that more than one of the insignias was replicated. Wonder who did these?

 

[Anonymous]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

NOTICED THIS IN THE BATCH, I PURHASED ON THE BAY SEVERAL YEARS AGO

 

[unclegrumpy]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

Interesting in that more than one of the insignias was replicated. Wonder who did these?

When I picked out the patches I bought, there were hundreds of designs to pick from, and more than one of each.....pretty much everything that was in the Maurer & Maurer Combat Squadrons of the Air Force book, plus a few more....and some Navy & USMC squadrons too.

I believe Gary Eastman sold these as well.....right around 1990....something tells me I have an old catalog of his that shows them....am not sure where/if I have it though. :shock:

 

[dujardin]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

i don't take part to the discussion because i'm not an expert; but no importance they were reproduce in 60's or 80's, or ????
it's simply splendid, i imagine all those well done repro on my wall

thanks for sharing

 

[CBI]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

OK, I have identified all but 20 which I will post on a "please help with ID thread" tomorrow. I will take individual shots of each one in the entire collection tomorrow and then find out if its OK to post the lot on here (OK with the museum). These are a GREAT resource. Its been fun "playing" with them today. I took time to place each one on one of my jackets to get some ideas on which patch would look good on a jacket (if I had say, 15 extra jackets lying around!) Its been a crash refresher course on my unit histories today. On the back of each patch I put a post it with squadron number, group it was attached to, numbered Air Force, Theater of Ops and aircraft flown. Not sure I will have time to post more than the squadron when adding all the pics for VLJ. Its interesting as many of these patches are early war years and some patches like units in the Philippines that have no operational history after that invasion, etc. There's ONE Navy patch VT-10 and ONE Marine Corps patch.

On Photobucket, is there a way to hit copy for a group of photos and then paste the lot on a thread? Even a few at a time would help.......

Trying to do all of this as I paint my Good Wear Cape A-1. Still going to be a little while with that one.

 

[Dr H]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

'... (if I had say, 15 extra jackets lying around!)...'

By my count you must be almost there John with your extensive stable of quality apparel
Which design did you opt for finally for the A-1?
Cheers
Ian

 

[deeb7]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

On Photobucket, is there a way to hit copy for a group of photos and then paste the lot on a thread? Even a few at a time would help.......

Note the titles (or numbers) of the photos you upload to Photobucket, copy the link for the first photo, and paste that same link multiple times, then edit the links, substituting the other titles.

I may not have explained it well, but it's easy to do, and saves going back, and forth.

 

[CHECK6]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

:shock: outstanding collection ,most of them are certainly originals,wow !!!!!!!!!!
Fab

 

[TankBuster]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

I am most certain these are not original WW2 since they do seem to be by one or a few artist. They do however looks older than 1980's but one never knows. I sort of broke it to the museum guys that they were probably not originals but want to slide into it instead of bumming them out. I do think any of these could sell on eBay or even to many established collectors as originals. The artwork is outstanding.

I 100% agree with all the comments that these are definitely no wartime patches. All it takes is for someone to get the wrong idea on some of these, and there will be some inexperienced guys getting burned. These kind of remind me of the RKO patches but done a little better. At least they are on leather vs canvas. Someone took alot of time making them for sure. Fun to play with!

 

[unclegrumpy]

Re: If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Dow

Besides using the Maurer & Maurer Combat Squadrons of the Air Force book, I would suggest looking in the expanded WW II National Geographic Insignia Issue....the one from 1944 with the blue cover. These were the two main references around when these patches were made.

One reason you are seeing a lot of pre & early war units, and units that did not do much, is both of these references only show patches that were approved by the Army. I am sure there are a few "unapproved" patches in the bunch, but given the volume, it is going to be a very small percentage.

I think that this is going to be a great collection for the Museum to display. Most people will never know the difference, and they will do an excellent job of representing the units and their histories. However, they do illustrate how tough squadron patches are to collect.