Interesting Patch On Air Force Jacket

[Luftwaffe 1941]

I’ve had this jacket sitting in my eBay watch list for a few weeks now, and I finally decided a few days ago to officially add it to the collection.

Overall I’d rate this example to be in a fair condition. It has a good amount of moth holes scattered around, and the piece itself is just salty in general. What catches my interest the most on this jacket is the unique 'Rocker' above the standard Air Force patch. I’ve seen these types of patches before in the past, but never one from this specific group. Most of the ones I’ve encountered before were from the Air Transport Command, but this is the very first time I’ve seen a jacket patched to the "Personnel Distribution Command".

I was wondering if anyone here could possibly explain to me what exactly the personnel distribution command did during WW2? I’ve tried searching online, but I wasn’t able to dig up much. Not even my reference books mention this command.

I was able to find a few names written inside this jacket, and I even found an old pencil inside the right breast pocket. The laundry number K-2181 is written behind the collar section. The collar discs are very nice screw back examples, and interestingly the U.S. disc has the number "4" below it. There’s a nice radio specialist patch on the right sleeve, but no overseas service bars or three year stripe to the left.

[MAP]

The only reference I found was related to Flight Cadets.

Army Air Forces Training Command - Wikipedia

By mid-October 1945 Training Command reassigned all people and equipment in Western Flying Training Command to the jurisdiction of its central counterpart, which on 1 November 1945, became known as Western Flying Training Command. Then on 15 December the enlarged western command absorbed Eastern Flying Training Command. The single entity became Flying Training Command on 1 January 1946, with its headquarters at Randolph Field, Texas.[1]

In June 1945 the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center transferred to the Personnel Distribution Command. In preparation for that event, also in June, the Officer Candidate School transferred from the aviation cadet center to Maxwell Field, Alabama.[1]

Many pilot training installations discontinued training in 1945. The last contract primary pilot schools ended their operations in October. By that time, only Goodfellow Field, Texas, and Tuskegee Field, Alabama, continued to offer primary pilot training. The last class of black pilots graduated from primary training at Tuskegee on 20 November. Goodfellow's last primary class transferred to Randolph Field to finish training. Randolph began primary training on 26 December.[1]

[AZPhil]

Nice job Michael,

That collar US insignia is a unique one. It my first time seeing one with a number under the US.

Semper Fi
Phil

[Luftwaffe 1941]

The only reference I found was related to Flight Cadets.

Army Air Forces Training Command - Wikipedia

By mid-October 1945 Training Command reassigned all people and equipment in Western Flying Training Command to the jurisdiction of its central counterpart, which on 1 November 1945, became known as Western Flying Training Command. Then on 15 December the enlarged western command absorbed Eastern Flying Training Command. The single entity became Flying Training Command on 1 January 1946, with its headquarters at Randolph Field, Texas.[1]

In June 1945 the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center transferred to the Personnel Distribution Command. In preparation for that event, also in June, the Officer Candidate School transferred from the aviation cadet center to Maxwell Field, Alabama.[1]

Many pilot training installations discontinued training in 1945. The last contract primary pilot schools ended their operations in October. By that time, only Goodfellow Field, Texas, and Tuskegee Field, Alabama, continued to offer primary pilot training. The last class of black pilots graduated from primary training at Tuskegee on 20 November. Goodfellow's last primary class transferred to Randolph Field to finish training. Randolph began primary training on 26 December.[1]

Thank you so much for sharing that info Michael! I greatly appreciate it.

It seems to me this patch is a fairly uncommon one to encounter. I'm certainly not a seasoned U.S. uniform collector yet, but this is the very first time I've encountered a jacket patched to the Personnel Distribution Command.

Best regards- Jarret

[reneblacky]

Nice job Michael,

That collar US insignia is a unique one. It my first time seeing one with a number under the US.

Semper Fi
Phil

Hey Phil, here's a good link for ya!

Dating Metallic Insignia: Collar Disks

[AZPhil]

Thanks Rene',
I'll have to look at that when I get home. Its blocked on my Guberment PC.
I did run across another insignia for sale on FB with a 34 under the US and it said it was for the 34th regiment. So I'm guessing this has to do with the 4th Regimnet??? But not sure how that would work on a USAAF type uniform. 4th Air Force????


Semper Fi
Phil

[MAP]

Thank you so much for sharing that info Michael! I greatly appreciate it.

It seems to me this patch is a fairly uncommon one to encounter. I'm certainly not a seasoned U.S. uniform collector yet, but this is the very first time I've encountered a jacket patched to the Personnel Distribution Command.

Best regards- Jarret

It sounds as if it was "Pooling" center. So when you finished your training, you were then sent there and waited for your assignment. This guy looked like he was not one of the people being transferred there for assignment, but more like we was part of the permanent staff.

But all conjecture on my part.

[huntssurplus]

Interesting he has the radio qualification and ended up staffing personnel distribution.

To answer your question about the patch, I would say yes it is uncommon.

Hunt