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WW2 U.S. Army Air Force Patches and Cloth Insignia, Numbered Army Air Force Patches, Bullion Air Force Patches, Theatre Made Army Air Force Patches and Variation Army Air Force Patches |
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| Please Note: The patches and cloth insignia listed here as "WW2 Theatre Made," or "Handmade," refer to vintage, WW2 period, patches that are not like the mass-produced patches that we are familiar with today. These highly collected patches were produced individually by hand sewing in small shops, throughout the Asiatic and/or European Theatres of Operations Some patches have a very professional manufactured appearance, some are crudely made using whatever materials were at hand. The collector interest and value of these patches lies in the individual, artistic, handmade rendering and/or the crude quality of these types of patches. | |
| Bullion Army Air Force Senior Pilot Wing - On Green Wool Whipcord Material - Theatre Made | |
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5AFP-54. The wing is approximately 3-inch long, it’s very nicely hand embroidered using various types of silver wire, on 3-1/2-inch wide, forest green, wool whipcord material. The wing has a star embroidered above the shield signifying a senior pilot rank. The wings exhibit moderate age and they have tarnished to a dark silver patina. The backside is covered with off-white, close weave, cotton material. The threads are sewn through the backing showing the amount of handwork that went into the production of this wing. The bullion is completely intact; there is no mothing. Theatre made senior pilot wings are not often encountered and doubly difficult to acquire one on a “forest green” background. VERY SCARCE. The wing appears to be unused. Vg+. $110.00 |
| Bullion Army Air Force Bombardier Wing - On Dark Brown Wool - Theatre Made | |
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5AFP-54b. The wing is approximately 3-inch long, it’s heavily hand embroidered on a piece of dark brown woven wool material, (sort of Elastique in appearance), depicting a downward pointed, bomb. The wing exhibits heavy age and tarnish. The backside has off-white, tight weave cotton backing; the threads are sewn through the backing showing the amount of handwork that went into the production of this wing. The bullion is loose in some spots and the backing material is showing through, here and there, between the bullion wires but it seems to be all there. A worthy representative example of a theatre made Bombardier wing. SCARCE. Used. Vg-. $65.00 SOLD |
| Bullion Army Air Force Air Gunner Wing - On Light Brown Wool - Theatre Made | |
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5AFP-54c. The wing is approximately 3-1/4-inch long, it’s heavily, and crudely, hand embroidered on a, slightly larger, piece of light brown woven wool material, (sort of Elastique in appearance), depicting a downward pointed, winged cartridge. The wing exhibits heavy signs of age, use and tarnish. The backside exhibits a multitude of threads showing the amount of handwork that went into the production of this wing. There are a few small pieces of the bullion missing at the top inside of the left wing; no mothing. A worthy representative example of a theatre made Air Gunner wing. SCARCE. Used. Good+. $59.00 SOLD |
| Bullion Army Air Force Pilot Wing, Hand Embroidered On Blue/Black Wool - Theatre Made | |
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5AFP-54d. The wing is approximately 3-inch long depicting a thick, slightly crude, hand embroidered, silver wire design of an Army Air Force Pilot Wing, on a blue/black wool background. The wing exhibits moderate signs of age and tarnish, as well as, moderate to heavy signs of use. The un-backed reverse side exhibits a multitude of threads indicating the amount of handwork that went into the production of this patch. The bullion has come apart on the tips of each wing, (more on the right side than the left). The wing is somewhat out of shape and slightly out of proportion; it appears to have been originally made that way, which is sometimes the case with theatre made insignia. The black wool backing is mostly intact and somewhat delicate. A sound representative example. Very “Salty,” Used. About good. $49.00 SOLD |
| Bullion Army Airways Communication System – Theater Made | |
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5AFP-55. Army Airways Communication System personnel worked in Army radio stations, aircraft control towers, cryptographic rooms, weather stations and in the field where aircraft radio communications were necessary. For security reasons, it was against War Department policy to approve new insignia during certain periods of WW2 and the Army Airways Communication System was denied approval of a patch during most of WW2; although, the patch had been manufactured in a several variations, as well as being handmade and worn, under local authority, in some theatres of operations. This specimen is approximately 2-5/8-inch wide x 2-1/4-inch high blue velvet patch heavily hand embroidered using silver and gold bullion, as well as heavy thread, depicting an intricate design of an airplane orbiting the world with gold bullion radio waves emitting from an antenna at the North Pole; the world is constructed from a heavily grained white fabric and its is superimposed on a, wide, yellow/gold, silk lightning bolt. The border around patch is constructed with a double one row of thin, tight, spring like silver wire, which is also used to outline all of the features within the patch. The bullion wire hand embroidered construction is consistent with patches that were made locally in the CBI Theater of Operations during WW2. The patch is used and has been removed from a uniform; signs of machine stitch marks remain on the backside. The bullion is approximately 98% intact, the tight, spring like silver wire on the border is broken in a few places but there does not appear to be any pieces missing. The bullion exhibits moderate, to heavy signs of age, as well as moderate to heavy tarnish, in some spots. The wire on the border is corroded and exhibits a bluish-green deterioration; the most obvious is at along the top and right-hand border edge; one of the radio waves and some of the interior bullion have also picked up some moderate corrosion, as well. The red orbit has bled onto the white world in one spot and the yellow/gold lightning bolt has picked up some of the tarnish from the bullion. The blue velvet is moderately aged and has light and insignificant wear to the nap in some places, (nothing serious). There is no mothing. The backside is covered with a tan fabric. Unfortunately, my detailed description may tend to make the patch seem worse than it actually is. This patch has honest age and character; it’s quite scarce to be found in this style bullion construction. A very UNIQUE, worthy and sound example of a theatre made, Army Airways Communication System patch. VERY SCARCE. Vg- $145.00 SOLD |
| Army Airways Communication System | |
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5AFP-55a. 2-3/4-inch wide x 3-5/8-inch high, same description as above, except, this example patch depicts a nicely detailed and fully embroidered rendition of the Army Airways Communication System logo design with semi-distinct vertical lines of embroidery and a lightly sculptured bottom edge. There are many manufacturing variations and subtle differences in the embroidery of Army Airways Communication System patches. This example is in excellent overall condition. The backside has some paper residue from being in a scrapbook. Not often encountered. Unused. Excellent. $35.00 SOLD |
| Army Airways Communication System | |
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5AFP-55b. 3-inch wide x 3-5/8-inch high, same description as above, except, this example patch depicts a nicely detailed and fully embroidered rendition of the Army Airways Communication System logo design with a white border and a deeply sculptured bottom edge. There are many manufacturing variations and subtle differences in the embroidery of Army Airways Communication System patches. This example exhibits light signs of age, as well as some lightly frayed areas along the white border edge, which is a normal occurrence with this type border edge, (nothing of a serious nature). Not often encountered. Unused. Near excellent. $35.00 SOLD |
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