some US airborne patches

[ILH]

here are 3 genuine airborne patches, and a repro:

Top left= genuine 501st APACHES patch given by a serving paratrooper to a boy in Lambourn, England, during ww2 (The boy grew up and left it to me shortly before he died - RIP Fred.)

bottom left: repro of the patch most of us would like to own. I believe it was the only Warner bros sanctioned patch in ww2, the artist had worked for Wb before the war and was in the unit. The origionals were made in Italy, i think two were issued, then the shoe box they were in was lost!

Top right: When is airborne not army? when it's Special Combined Army With Air Force - patch and flash worn by the 876th and 878th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalions in the ETO.

bottom right, post war patch for the 876th and 878th.

[rra227]

Nice patches. Rich A. in Pa.

[Phill Lockett]

Hi there

Would it be possible to see a close up of the front and back of the 501st PIR. This would be a rare British made Airborne patch.

Just a note on the Army Air Force patches. The red airborne tab was unofficial but authorized to wear in local theatre and was worn over the Army Air Force in honor of all Airborne Engineer Battalions.

The tab was also worn over the IX Engineer Command (Advanced) Headquarters. This command was used in D-Day operations.

The 3 Airborne Engineer Battalions (876,877,878th) assigned to the IX Engineers , were not Airborne as such ie "parachute qualified " but referred to the quick air portable movement they made to construct advance landing strips which included in some cases fighting to capture and control enemy airfields.

Phill

[ILH]

cheers Phil,

I''l try to get the photos at the weekend and post them next week (working away at the moment and my landlord dug up the internet/phone cable with a minidigger last week!).

I was aware of the regulations for the AEAB patch, but failed to mention the 877th. My bad, I've been investigating the camps and ranges of the 876th and 878th in west berkshire and got a bit blinkered.

I have no wish to denegrate the sterling work done by these units, but as far as i'm aware niether the 876th or 878th faced the germans directly (according to their unit histories) although they were often within sight and sound of them (particularly when A Co. 878th went to the Eindhoven area). Did the 877th?

I also didn't know there was an IX Enineer Command patch... what does it look like?

thanks again,
Jim.

[Phill Lockett]

Attachment 828920Attachment 828921


Gidday Jim

Here's some info.

Above is IX Engineer Command (Airborne) , the 3 white strips represent airstrips and Aviation Engineers is a pocket patch they would of worn on their Jackets , coveralls etc...both are US made and you would find these manufactured in Britain in various constructions.

The Airborne Tab was for 876/877/878th Airborne Aviation Battalions . Then to honour all Aviation units the tab was worn over the AAF SSI. (SSI of the US Armed Forces RW Smith)

I do want to correct my self here , there were 16 Aviation Battalions assigned to IX Engineer Command (Airborne).

The following landed on D-Day: (First US Army Reports of Operations)
Omaha: Utah
D I Co. 834th Engineer Aviation Battalion.....I Co. 819th EAV.
D+1 834th EAV. less I co.
820th EAV.
D+2 816th EAV.
D+3............................................... ..............819th EAV. less Co. I
D+5............................................... ..............826TH EAV.
D+12.............................................. .............850th EAV.

On D--Day, engineer aviation battalions stormed ashore alongside US Army
infantry battalions and headed toward preselected sites to build airfields .
Before the end of the day, an emergency landing strip was completed at
Poupeville and by 8 June a transport field was constructed at St Laurent sur
Mer (A-21), thus becoming the first wartime American airfield in the continental ETO..

There were approx 300 Airfields, air strips, storage facilities, air depots etc.. that IX Engineer Command built from D-Day to VE Day.

(U.S . ARMY AIR FORCES CONTINENTAL AIRFIELDS (ETO) D-DAY TO V-E DAY).

Hope that helps Jim

Phill

[Phill Lockett]

slight amendment

Having issue with Utah beach should read as follows:

D .................................................. .. I Co. 819th EAV.
D+1 834th EAV. less I co.3.........819th EAV. less Co. I
D+5.......................................... ..............826TH EAV.
D+12.......................................... .............850th EAV.

Phill

[ILH]

Thanks Phil,

Here are the pics of the patch.

[gel65]

Looks good maybe even Korean or Japanese Made

[Phill Lockett]

Hi Jim

Sorry for the late reply. The original pocket patches , did not have 501 Apaches emblazoned on the patch , those that I have seen were mostly US made and were different than the one pictured. Your patch looks like the ones that the 501st had made in the late 50's , 60's re below but is unfinished.
Phill
Attachment 831913Attachment 831914

[ILH]

Thanks Phil, I see what you mean and almost agree 100% so to be certain I will compare your pics against the patch when I get home again. I'll also try to get a better picture (hadn't realized the detail was so blurry - did it all in a hurry) as it isn't unfinished, but heavily worn.

Do the 50s/60s glow under UV?