WWII 101st Airborne Grouping

[Masonk]

Another update on this grouping. The estate has been sorted through, and these are the last of the military items beldonging to Charles and Walter. In any case, I thought I would share.

First up, items belonging to Charles:

Collar brass; 8 signifies 8th IR, 4th ID



4th Infantry Division SSI



101st AB SSI







82nd AB SSI



Airborne Command



Paratrooper Patch for the Ocverseas Cap



Ovals for 101st AB, HQ Co



Rank chevrons from Corporal to Master Sargent









I believe this is the pipe Charles may have used overseas. There were about 10 pipes in total found during the clean-out. This matches closest to the ones in the photos of Wahler overseas (see comparison to the right).

[Masonk]

Charles continued...

Additional photo negatives, some are stateside, some overseas



Photo of Charles and his wife, which was included in the article written about him.



Pamphlet given out by the local Jewish Welfare Board to departing enlistees.



Roster of EM's at the time from Company G (8th IR, 4th ID)



Roster of officer's at the time from the 8th IR





The Officer's Guide book



Sex, Hygiene and VD!



Letter Charles wrote to Readers Digest relating an anecdote about General (then Colonel) Van Fleet.



Some bring-backs:

Cavalry Signals Trade patch



Großdeutschland Shoulder Strap



Calling Card for a German Officer

[Masonk]

Lastly, some additional military manuals

[Masonk]

Next is Walter's items.

Several name tapes





Ribbon bar - AF Good Conduct, National Defense Service, Vietnam Service w/2 Campaign Stars, AF Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, missing ribbon is likely the Vietnam Campaign ribbon.



2852nd Air Base Group



Several rank insignia



Unsure what these two patches represent. Not even sure if they are military. ADTU could possibly be foreign made.





Several ID cards



Several cheat sheets





In case anyone wants to know what to do in the event of an accident involving a nuclear warhead.



Traffic violation ticket book

[Masonk]

Here are the previously developed negatives. I'll update that thread once I have the most recent transferred to digital.

WWII 101st Airborne - Developed Negatives

[Phill Lockett]

Gidday yuengling

Would like to echo the sentiments of the forum members and say what an exceptional grouping.

Note the M42 Jump Jacket being worn with Brit made patch shown in the first page. Very rare to see a documented M42 Jump Jacket in use.

Also the 4th ID patches are the early version where it was worn square and as the picture shows the corners folded in.

The ovals that are shown are for the 11th Airborne Div. HQ c 1950's. Not to sure how they came about? Veterans grouped all and sundry together and didn't worry about small little things.

The WWII 501st Ovals were sky blue on red felt, the 101st Abn Hq did not adopt ovals until the 1950's.

Again a superb story to be told of one mans war.

Phill

Attachment 846611

[Masonk]

Thanks for the kind words, Phil!

Yes, easily distinguishable, the British made 101st SSI. No doubt that it's the same in the photos of the vet, especially with oddly shaped AB tab. To me, you couldn't ask for any better provenance.

The ovals are still a bit of a mystery to me. In the photo of Wahler with his wife, from the newspaper article on his service, he is wearing only his jump wings; no oval. Article dates to November 1945, so a month after his discharge. Obviously the oval was added post-war, as to when, I'm unsure. When doing so, he also removed the ribbon bar, and placed the ribbons back on in the wrong order; should be GCM, American Defense, EAME. The PUC currently on the uniform differs from the one in the photo; the current PUC has a smaller OLC. However, the second part of the haul (post #29) has the PUC worn in the photo (larger OLC).

In the book Heroes in our Mist, there was an oval with embroidered wings with a black background that was used by AB Command (center oval in my photo above). The other's indeed would be for the 11th AB (blue background).

My guess is the vet thought these were correct, and either ordered them or acquired them at a reunion, then proceeded to sew one on his Ike, and keep the others. The example on his uniform has a the blue background, which would match the 50's era 11th AB.

With all of the above said, it just goes to show you, sometimes the vet got it wrong, and you shouldn't be quick to dismiss a uniform because of a few errors or anachronisms.

[Phill Lockett]

Gidday yuengling

I'm glad you have HIOM series , can't wait for V3.

As you know soldiers coming back from the war really didn't care about the nuances that we collectors do today, they wore ribbons upside down , had unauthorized patches worn , went to reunions and picked up insignia , 70 years later if asked the same question "did you where those ovals" he could of said yes but with that said , the ovals are not wrong he had them in his possession for that fact it enhances the accumulation of his wartime service and all this adds up to an excellent memorial to a citizen soldier.

Well done

Phill