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If You Like WW2 Squadron Patches - Better Be Sitting Down

CBI

CBI

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

there are a number of references I have used including Maurer (which IS great but has some incorrect ID's BTW). The Battle Colors books are very good, cbi unit histories online etc. They are all id'd minus the 14 I just listed that I need help with. Thanks! In my younger days I owned a squadron patch collection of about 2,500 patches. Sold them all to help pay to return to college!

Agree, reminds me of RKO's except these are MUCH nicer than the RKO patches and taken one at a time would be pretty hard to tell are not WW2 originals. Agree it will make a great display at the local airport.

Oh, I forgot to mention I will be "restoring" the museums small collection of original A-2's. In the process of asking the families right now if its OK.

Ian - The A-1 artwork in progress is the 8th Attack Squadron, Service Test Squadron, Aero Squadron, etc. A long history since WW1. Their unit insignia was approved in 1924:

breast:

IMG_8182.jpg


back in progress:

IMG_8181.jpg


I went with a wider/bolder stencil however in researching lettering and stencils from the 1930's, its all over the map with lots of homemade options even then.

heavy aging since its a "75 year old" jacket
 
unclegrumpy

unclegrumpy

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

CBI said:
there are a number of references I have used including Maurer (which IS great but has some incorrect ID's BTW).
Click to expand...

I am not sure I agree that Maurer & Maurer has incorrect id's, but it does have newer emblems replacing the wartime ones. It also has a number of WW II designs that by the 1950's unit designations had change so much that they are hard to track back to what they originally were. Plus, there are some new AF units that just took old designs as there own.

On top of that, it only shows the approved patches, and many units never wore approved designs. To complicate things further, some units depending on the time period, could actually have worn more than one approved design....but Maurer & Maurer will only show one. It can be a tough tool for sorting out what was going on in WW II, but I think it is accurate for it's publication date.
 
CBI

CBI

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

Grumpy - yes stuff along those lines and accurate for its publication. Without going into loads of detail, when researching other patch projects there seemed to be some real inconsistencies in regards unit histories and designations compared to some other references that seemed to have been researched more completely. However, its an excellent reference and nothing is perfect - can't live without it if one is into squadron patches for sure! Some of the units that it says had no patch, did have them but again as you say, the book deals with approved patches.
 
EMBLEMHUNTER

EMBLEMHUNTER

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

If you posted photos of all the patches, I didn't see a one that I don't have ID's to , please send me scans of the ones you need ID's to and I'm sure I can nail them down for you .
Thatis a great bunch of patches albiet repro's , they're still really nice to see !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnny
Emblemhunter
 
CBI

CBI

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

thanks again for your help. Yes, pretty cool even as repros
 
EMBLEMHUNTER

EMBLEMHUNTER

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

unclegrumpy said:
CBI said:
there are a number of references I have used including Maurer (which IS great but has some incorrect ID's BTW).
Click to expand...

I am not sure I agree that Maurer & Maurer has incorrect id's, but it does have newer emblems replacing the wartime ones. It also has a number of WW II designs that by the 1950's unit designations had change so much that they are hard to track back to what they originally were. Plus, there are some new AF units that just took old designs as there own.

On top of that, it only shows the approved patches, and many units never wore approved designs. To complicate things further, some units depending on the time period, could actually have worn more than one approved design....but Maurer & Maurer will only show one. It can be a tough tool for sorting out what was going on in WW II, but I think it is accurate for it's publication date.
Click to expand...

The Mauer & Mauer book really isn't all that bad , if you just pay attention to the "approval" dates of the emblems and follow the dates of the redesignations you can figure out if the emblem "shown" is of the WW-2 era or post war , there were as you mention a lot of "Unofficial" emblems from the various Squadrons and Groups that were used/worn but being of this nature and the AAF having the emblem "rules" they never made these books, so it's a matter of "searching " like have for the past 30 years into the backgrounds of the "Unofficial" "Unathorised" ones, and let me tell you there are a lot of them , not only in the AAF's but also the USN and USMC !

But that is the fun of this research , finding those "Gems" and nailing down what unit they were from, dates etc , i find it a very fascinating and on going hobby I'll never tire of !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just got 2- CD Rom discs the other day from a US Navy source in Calif , TONS of GREAT color WW-2 emblems of various types, VF,VBF,VC,VT etc etc , the man that sent them made my "YEAR" in patch emblem scores !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Johnny
 
Andrew

Andrew

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

CBI said:
Oh, I forgot to mention I will be "restoring" the museums small collection of original A-2's. In the process of asking the families right now if its OK.
Click to expand...
What's that going to entail John- you're a talented artist but not touching up artwork I hope?
 
Dr H

Dr H

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

CBI said:
there are a number of references I have used including Maurer (which IS great but has some incorrect ID's BTW). The Battle Colors books are very good, cbi unit histories online etc. They are all id'd minus the 14 I just listed that I need help with. Thanks! In my younger days I owned a squadron patch collection of about 2,500 patches. Sold them all to help pay to return to college!

Agree, reminds me of RKO's except these are MUCH nicer than the RKO patches and taken one at a time would be pretty hard to tell are not WW2 originals. Agree it will make a great display at the local airport.

Oh, I forgot to mention I will be "restoring" the museums small collection of original A-2's. In the process of asking the families right now if its OK.

Ian - The A-1 artwork in progress is the 8th Attack Squadron, Service Test Squadron, Aero Squadron, etc. A long history since WW1. Their unit insignia was approved in 1924:

breast:

IMG_8182.jpg


back in progress:

IMG_8181.jpg


I went with a wider/bolder stencil however in researching lettering and stencils from the 1930's, its all over the map with lots of homemade options even then.

heavy aging since its a "75 year old" jacket
Click to expand...


Lovely piece of work John, you're an artist to be sure.

Might even let you loose on my cherished GW A-1 at this rate - do you take commissions?

Can't wait to see the end result.

Cheers

Ian
 
CBI

CBI

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

Andrew - nothing drastic in regards refurbishing. In fact, I know have one of the jackets from a 20th AF pilot. I am waiting to hear from the family who have a few questions about the jacket. I will post pics and ask you all what you think. The leather is pretty dry and I would believe a careful coat of Picards is in order at least.

Ian - not sure if I am able to take any painting work at this time as I am swamped. The word is out that I did a tiny bit of work on Red Tails and I am getting a number of emails a week for painting which I am unable to do.
 
EMBLEMHUNTER

EMBLEMHUNTER

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

chitchat said:
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.
Click to expand...

Hey Chit Chat , yeah Stiff and them some after seeing these :D
They are nice to see in larger format , the Nat Geo issues had many if not all of these years ago , I found a couple of the issues , but these here are Beeeee U teee Fulllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! even if they are "repros" .
Emblemhunter/Johnny
 
CBI

CBI

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

here's one close up - 5th Troop Carrier Squadron:


IMG_8393.jpg
 
CBI

CBI

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

sorry - no 23rd bs
 
CBI

CBI

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

Gents - I am afraid I don't see this happening to post them all online. I am dealing with Vets, Vet families, etc. and its kind of complicated. I DID find out today that according to the person who passed the collection on to the air museum...........the collection was given to him by an uncle who says her purchased tehm in the 1950's by someone known as "the patch king" or "the patch maker". The artist's business card was displayed on a wall with a load of patches but he can't remember the name. So, we have forum guys pretty sure these were made in the 1980's and the owner saying 1950's.

??????????????????????????
 
a2jacketpatches

a2jacketpatches

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

"The Patch King" was it for sure. They made repros for the collector market back then just after the war. Embroidered as far as I knew til now, I've had a few. There's a catalog out there and I think they even supplied Bannermanns in New York.
 
R

RCSignals

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

It could that they were made in the 50s, and the artist made them throught the 80s, or what was for sale in the 80s was old stock.
 
A

Anonymous

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

I have heard those names mentioned before. They look more fifties to me, but I'm no expert. Wonder what leather was used? it seams to all be very thin, and stiff.
 
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