Unique Ike with English made 9th AAF patch

**RustyRelics** · 04-23-2022, 05:54 PM

I've had this Ike in my ebay watchlist for a good long while, but didn't purchase it. I found other Ikes that I wanted to spend my money on, and for a while it just sat, waiting for me to finally give it a home. I did.

It's an odd one, having a First Army patch on one arm, and a Ninth Airforce patch on the other. Everything looks original to the jacket, so I don't think anything was added or faked. It does make you wonder though. The 9th AAF patch is a neat looking English made example. The name, "Fitz" is written on the inside of the jacket, but I don't know who Fitz is, and neither did the seller. No other identifying characteristics were found written in the jacket. The jacket is dated June 8th, 1944. D-Day +2

I've been wanting a 9th AAF Ike for a while because of a relative served in that air force during the war. I should make a thread on him one of these days.

**Rakkasan187** · 04-23-2022, 10:58 PM

Rusty,

A good-looking Ike, no issues with the First Army Patch. Not uncommon to see someone assigned to an Army like the 1st Army and then transfer to an Army Air Force unit for rotation back to the states.

This individual assigned to the First Army may have had some background in Air Operations or some affiliation with the Air Corps while assigned to 1st Army and then was assigned to the 9th for the trip home..

A unique Ike jacket, especially with the 1st Army patch. Not a common "former wartime shoulder patch" seen on too many uniforms. Most of the Army patches on right sleeves indicating former wartime service (aka combat patch) would have been the more popular Patton's Third Army or 7th Army.. so this is nice to see

Smitty