Rare Patches - Bring Out Some Photos

[Airborne-Hunter]

I getting kinda bored, so I have to ask if you guys could post pictures of your rarest patches to get my mind blown or something. I would post my own but can't seem to get a working camera.

[Nkomo]

This one is perhaps one of my rarest US patches. As you can tell, this patch is also my avatar. I bought this and two other patches from the daughter of a guy who was former NSA. He was one of the 100 original men who set up the Central American Joint Intelligence Team. The CAJIT is described as this:

 

 

"The Central America Joint Intelligence Team (CAJIT) was created in 1982 at DIA. Support came from the DIA director and the JCS chairman, who recognized the need for all-source, fused intelligence. This organization brought together close to 100 analysts from all of the services as well as CIA and NSA in the basement of the Pentagon. In part because of the lack of a theater-level JIC and problems spawned by compartmented programs and activities run at the national level, CAJIT provided tactical-level intelligence to Southern Command and US allies in Central America, particularly in El Salvador, from Washington."

 

 

Basically, these guys provided intel for the US military, the El Salvador military, and the Contras in Nicaragua. Along with this patch came a Defense Intellignece Agency patch and a CIA Special Operations Group patch. For what I collect, this is a Holy Grail item.

[Proud Kraut]

Don't know if they are rare but I like them and maybe you'll like them too. They remind me on the time when I was a young and unexperienced collector. I found them many years ago in Wiesbaden in a specimen book from the late 1950's. The book contained about 50-60 patches all of them Air Force except these two. I held these and gave away the complete book for peanuts...

 

Lars

[Teamski]

I posted this patch before, but it is about the rarest I have. VMF-514, a WWII Corsair squadron that tested Mighty Mouse rockets for planned attacks on V-2 rocket sites....

 

-Ski

[Garth Thompson]

Here are a few you might enjoy.

Garth

 

Pic #1

 

Pic #2

 

Pic #3

[Airborne-Hunter]

You guys should post nice unusual patches, not common bullion, but unusual. Use your own good judgement. They don't have to be super mega ultra heart stopping rare.

[camelgreen44]

937th Field Artillery Batt. All Hand made in Germany in 1945, All different materials. ( My Dads outfit ) Denny

[Manchu Warrior]

This is patch is so rare I don't remember what it is . I know it is a WWII squadron patch but I don't remember which one. I really need to start writing things down because my memory sure is slipping. I really need to start wri....did I already say that?

[Jim Baker]

May was an excellent month, but here is one I've had for a while.

 

A wool green back 2nd Armored Division. If anyone has a greenback wool patch, please post it.

 

[Proud Kraut]

Will add another one: Worn by Recon element of I/509th PIB when they were garrisoned in Mainz-Gonsenheim, Lee barraks from the early 1960's to the early 1970's as part of the 8th ID, "Pathfinders".

 

Lars

[Airborne-Hunter]

Here's a nice ww2 bullion 88th blue devils patch with tab/arch.

[bayonetman]

I don't know that these two are all that rare, but they are interesting to me.

 

The first is on the uniform, the 1637th Construction Engineer Battalion. I think it was made for them in Germany before the unit shipped out to the Philippines. This uniform belonged to an area soldier, I bought it from the family shortly after his death when they were cleaning out his home to sell it.

 

The other is on a black beret (looks blue in the photo but it is black), and was given to me by a local Navy man who served on Armored Troop Carrier 131-3 in River Assault Squadron 13. These were made I believe in Vietnam.

 

 

[Garth Thompson]

I don't know that these two are all that rare, but they are interesting to me.

 

The first is on the uniform, the 1637th Construction Engineer Battalion. I think it was made for them in Germany before the unit shipped out to the Philippines. This uniform belonged to an area soldier, I bought it from the family shortly after his death when they were cleaning out his home to sell it.

 

The other is on a black beret (looks blue in the photo but it is black), and was given to me by a local Navy man who served on Armored Troop Carrier 131-3 in River Assault Squadron 13. These were made I believe in Vietnam.

 

 

I'd put these in the rare catagory especially the ike with thw engineer patch.

Garth

[doyler]

Here are a few I could lay my hands on while digging through the tombs.

 

 

 

Force stuff

 

 

All this was from one vet.  Only man I ever met who was on two POW raids.  The one at Cabanatuan and SON TAY.

 

 

Misc. theatre made

 

 

Misc. squadrons.  The wings are hand embroidered Glider Pilot on leather.

 

 

AAF Squadron patches  .Left one is theatre made.

 

 

A couple more.

 

 

A couple more theatre pieces.

 

 

Korea pieces.  The bronze star is named.

 

 

A couple 158th RCTs

 

 

A couple more AAF pieces.

 

 

One on a uniform.  Hope I didnt bore you.  Not all are real rare but I dont find a lot of patches.

 

 

3rd Ranger.  From an earlier post.  Theatre made

 

[Proud Kraut]

A postwar German made 5th AAA "BeVo".

 

Lars

 

...and that's where I want to be now:

[Jim Baker]

Great patches guys!!

 

Some armor....

 

 

Some TD....

 

[pconrad02]

Ok it's a "movie" patch, but is a "real" one, from the 1940's, direct from the guy that found them!

 

[vintageproductions]

Here are a couple that are sitting on my desk right, that came off of Ebay in the last couple of weeks. Proof there are still bargains to be found there.

 

 

[Jeeper704]

My very rare camouflage expert patch ------->

 

No seriously, these are very nice patches.

Keep 'em coming.

 

Although not so rare as those depicted here, but still difficult to find;

 

Erwin

[Proud Kraut]

Erwin, cool! Obviously a TD ammo carrier.

My last one for tonight.

Gute Nacht!

Lars

[TBMflyer]

I know this one is rare, only 10 were made for the crew shown. This is a 'nose-art' patch painted on canvas. The a/c and crew were from the 453rd BG, 8th AF. The original owner is standing on the left-

 

 

Here are a couple more, the first is a round, bullion version of the 12th AF, it came from a B-26 bombardier, the second is from a B-24 pilot, it is Italian-made and features both the 827th BS-484th BG, 15th AF-Mark.

 

Last two for now, the first is a US-made 71st Air Commando Squadron. Why is this rare? They were only designated such for 3 weeks before becoming the 71st Special Operations Squadron. The second is a decal on leather of VB-103, they flew PB4Y's(Navy B-24's) out of England in 1943-45. Enjoy, Mark.

[jurgo]

ok i see you have unbelivable patches let me see what i can dig out in my photos

the others i must make new pics ok first

[Bill K]

Id'ed too!

[KASTAUFFER]

WWII vintage VT-15 ( Torpedo Squadron 15 ) patch

 

 

WWII Vintage USN VT-87 patch ( ship board made stencilled on canvas )

 

 

714th Bomb Squadron, 448th Bomb Group , 8th AAF. Decal on Leather.

 

[88thcollector]

Hi,

 

I sold off all my bullion except this Manhattan Project.

It is the only one I have owned that is not bullion over a standard patch.

 

 

All of this has probably been posted before so sorry if you have seen it.

 

The Army Physical Training Unit. Probably one of both the rarest and least desirable WW 2 patches. English made. I generally never keep a patch with mothing but I probably won't see many of these. You can read all about it on Mark Bandos fine site:

 

http://www.101airborneww2.com/insignia2.html

 

a blue Ranger scroll. Probably English made.

 

unusual 8th with a silk front and blue wool back.

 

The other photos are of named patches and armbands. None are particularly rare but I find a patch with a provenance more interesting than a surplus example, especially the invasion armbands. I remember when they were in every surplus store for nothing.

I am looking for a Normandy used flag with a name or some definite attribution. I had one years ago when I wasn't collecting and wish I could track it down.

 

Steve