Some repro patches from my collection

[Yardstick]

Thanks all for the nice comments. The 47th Air Depot Gp is a patch that has been sitting in my ‘unidentified’ folder for almost 20 years. Last week I was researching another CBI unit and stumbled across it. Using the positive ID, I found a pic of another multi-piece version as well as the original Disney artwork. Neither version of patch was a particularly good representation of the original design, so I decided to go back to that and use it as the reference for my version.

If you study enough of these patches, it becomes clear that some are copies, of copies, of copies of the original design etc... Sometimes it makes sense to return to the source material.

 

[Yardstick]

Thought I'd post the latest addition to my collection. 1328th Air Force Base Unit 'The Gas Haulers', a sub unit of India-China Division, Air Transport Command (ICDATC). This was a CBI unit tasked with moving fuel (I assume aviation gasoline), from India across 'The Hump' (The Himalayas) into China.

The patch is a fairly standard CBI multipiece leather construction and I have used 2 different types each of cow and goat hide in my version (on the left, with the original patch for reference on the right). This is a more subdued version of the patch, the alternative being a more leery design that uses mauve and purple leather in its construction (may do that as well sometime).

 

[ausreenactor]

Depending on the jacket wear, either patch would be a great addition.

 

[Yardstick]

I wasn't planning to post anything today but got the itch this afternoon to revisit a couple of my favourite patches. I made these about 15 years ago and they have been framed on the wall of my study for that time. However, the source material was pretty thin on the ground back in the day and all I had to go on were a couple of small pictures in one of the Maguire books. I have subsequently found much better and more numerous images, so decided this afternoon to revisit both patches to reflect the new information. The additions are fairly subtle but involved adding a number of coats of yellow wash to both patches and adding white to highlighting the eyes. It's always daunting re-visiting something that previously I considered finished, particularly when I'm adding pigment to virgin leather. Anyway, I'm pleased with the results and thought I would share.

First up is the 1st Combat Cargo Group (obviously the patch on the right is the original but not the version I used as a template).

The second is the 1st Combat Cargo Squadron (again the original is similar but not the exact patch I used for reference).

 

[Yardstick]

Here's a pair of 90th FS patches.

Update: The multi-piece leather version was approved in Jan '45, while the painted version was an alternative design. I completed the patch on the left today, while the one on the right I painted about 18 years ago.

 

[ausreenactor]

Is that a Disney inspired/drawn design from WWII?

 

[Yardstick]

If you mean the rabbit, then I'm not sure. I have always assumed it was Bugs Bunny which would make it copyright Leon Schlesinger (but may not have been official). As for the bear (I assume it is a bear), then I don't know. If it is a Disney character, then it is not one I am familiar with.

Update: After some research, it looks like the rabbit design (known as ‘Sluggo’) was used in the early part of the war and was replaced by the ‘boxing bear’ towards the later part of the conflict. I don’t think either design was officially produced by a Hollywood studio.

 

[Yardstick]

Thought I would post a couple of 8th AAF patches today, so it's off 50 miles north of where I am to Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire to the 91st Bomb Group. These are two versions of the 324th BS patch. The first painted and the second multi-piece felt and embroidery. The felt patch was particularly fiddly as the smaller pieces of felt are literally like belly button fluff and incredibly difficult to sew without them falling apart.

 

[s4rmark]

Any 323rd bombardment squadron , 91st Bomb group patches?

 

[Yardstick]

323rd BS & 91st BG.

 

[bseal]

Off east today, for a bit of CBI goodness.

First an Air Corp Ferry Command Patch. The full bling version using gold leather. You will see a lot of variation in these patches reflecting the changing name/structure of the command, different manufacturing techniques /materials and I suspect individual preference. I'm sure most of you will know that the red and blue section around the outer border is Morse code and in this case spells out ACFC but you will also see AFFC (Air Forces Ferry Command), AFATC (Air Forces Air Transport Command) and ATC (Air Transport Command) as well as the novelty version where the compass rose is replaced with a reclining nude. The later is on my 'to do list', if I can ever find an original where the nude is well executed - most are rather poorly painted.

View attachment 48174

I originally bought the gold leather for a version of the 23rd FG patch but am waiting on some indigo dye for the suede that I need to use for the base. Thought I would knock up the ACFC patch in the meantime. Both the reflections off the gold and the stitching are highlighted by the camera much more than they are in reality.

Next is another multipiece leather patch, sticking with the transport theme - 14th CCS, 4th CCG.

View attachment 48175

I have a novelty nude for you to replicate.

 

[B-Man2]

323rd BS & 91st BG.

View attachment 49191

Yardstick
Are you going to be listing any of your painted patches for sale at some point ?

 

[Yardstick]

I have a novelty nude for you to replicate.

Please post a pic.

 

[ausreenactor]

I have a novelty nude for you to replicate.

Thought I told Tianna to stop sending you all nudes years ago?

 

[ausreenactor]

That's one of my favourite designs - wasn't easy to replicate because there are very few good pictures of originals available. Here's my version - it was fairly early in on my learning curve and I could probably do the lettering better now.

View attachment 47816

Still keen on a couple of these if you have the time.

 

[Yardstick]

Are you going to be listing any of your painted patches for sale at some point ?

To be honest, no plans in the foreseeable future. I'm lucky enough to have a well paid job and patch making is one of a number of hobbies. I don't want to risk what is currently fun becoming an obligation when I have no real need for the comparatively modest financial compensation it would bring. I have a history of hitting hobbies very hard for a few years then burning out - I went 15 years without making a single patch before returning to it.

The other issue is pricing my time, the painted stuff doesn't take too long but the embroidered stuff and multi-piece leather (which I basically do while watching a few hours of TV in the evening) would really add up if I priced a patch by the hour.

However, I have a collection of c. 400 patches with maybe another 300+ that I still want to do (not including USN and USMC), so if I do stick with it, there will come a time when I run out of examples to add to my collection - so who knows.

I certainly ran out of wall space to display them all a while ago

 

[ausreenactor]

I don't want to risk what is currently fun becoming an obligation when I have no real need for the comparatively modest financial compensation it would bring.

Very valid point. When it becomes more about the income it changes a man.

 

[bseal]

Please post a pic.

 

[bseal]

Since you won’t do it for money, I am willing to offer you my left nut for a reproduction of the 71st:

71st Liaison Squadron | 1st Liaison Group | 10th AAF CBI | Disney designed insignia

71st Liaison Squadron | 1st Liaison Group | 10th AAF CBI | Disney designed insignia Lineage: Constituted 71st Liaison Squadron on 17 Jun 1943. Activated on 15 Jul 1943. Inactivated on 8 Dec 1945.Assignments: Tenth Air Force, 15 Jul 1943; US Army Forces, CBI, 19 Aug 1943 (attached to the 5303d Com...

www.usmilitariaforum.com

Thank you for your consideration.

 

[Yardstick]

Since you won’t do it for money, I am willing to offer you my left nut for a reproduction of the 71st:

Thanks for the generous offer but thankfully I'm fully provisioned in that department

However, it will probably come as scant comfort to find that the 71st Liaison patch is on my to do list. From a technical perspective, It looks more complicated than I think it will be. There are comparatively few pieces of leather in the construction 6 plus the 2 backing disks. It then becomes more about getting the painted detail correct. I'm also waiting on some indigo dye for the backing disk (the bottle I originally ordered got lost in the post).

Thanks also for the pic of the ATC nude. Is that yours or a just an image you have? I ask because I would like to find out what material is used for the gold section - it looks woven to me but I'm unsure what it is exactly. Also the ATC Morse lettering looks to be wound thread or cord but it's not clear to me whether it is made specifically for the patch or re-purposed from something else.