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WW2 VMF-South Pacific "IBF's" patch


cbuehler
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Still cant figure out what this embroidered on wool patch is for or what IBF is.

Thanks again folks,

 

CB

post-643-0-54909300-1406131955.jpg

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According to Millstien's book....

This patch was from group of pilots who came to Espiritu Santo in 1944 from the USS Savo Island and while waiting assignments they were being used to check out newly repaired aircraft and apparently many were no longer really airworthy. Hence the nickname they came up with for themselves, "I've been F.....'s"

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Hahaha! Thanks, and now that you mentioned this, it does look like Daffy Duck is flipping the finger. I dont know how long this group was in existence, so I wonder just when or how they got around to obtaining this patch?

 

CB

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The IBF information is correct, but the patch is a reproduction...

 

Please explain how so? It shows age and I cant see anything wrong with it.

Thanks,

CB

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CB,

 

The patch is typical of a spate of reproductions of different WW2 USMC squadron patches frequently for sale on ebay. All of these reproductions are generally made in the same way with a single layer of woven material and embroidery attempting to emulate the insignia design, but of far less quality than any WW2 patch. They all look similar in construction which in and of itself is a red flag.

Whether an American embroidered, or Australian embroidered patch, the construction was complex and relied on embroidery fundamentals with a foundation fabric (cotton twill, wool felt) and stabilizer (cheesecloth of different grades, muslin, burlap). The embroidery itself was complex, often with layering of thread of various colors building up the design.

Specifically, the few samples of original "VMF Pacific IBF's" observed are of Australian workmanship. The above patch is not Australian nor comes close. The Australian patch has wool felt for the base fabric, not a woven material. Because the design is floated on the white wool felt and not fully embroidered, it required a muslin backing or stabilizer. Even so, fully embroidered Aussie patches will have a muslin backing, making for a thick patch! But I digress. The Aussie embroidery had heavier thread and the design and lettering were bold. The American patches followed the same fundamentals, albeit, with their own set of nuances. The devil is in the details and understanding the design process of each squadron patch.

The above patch is simply not original...

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Patchcollector

I agree that it does'nt look like an Aussie made patch.

 

The back view of the embroidery of the plane and the duck looks very similar to some WW2 era American made pieces I've seen.It almost looks computer generated with the "dots",but is'nt.

It amazes me that someone is copying this weave.Does anyone know when these were made,and by who?

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Thanks much guys, very enlightening explanation! One thing though ... I know where this patch has been for at least 15 years, so some of these fakes are definitely older. It guess its another one for the garbage bin :(

 

CB

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There is one misconception that we see regularly on the forum in regards to time, time means almost nothing. When you say 15 years that's only the year 2000 still if you said 30 years it has zero relevance considering patches like these were being made in the 60's, 70's, 80's etc.. by many sources. I am more speaking from "fakes" in general not just patches its always interesting following threads in how many establishments are producing things like this for a very long time. A huge red flag is when an item can only be attributed to the last 15-20 years in any category it immediately has to be questioned. Squadron type patches can even be a bit worse coming from vets as they often have reunion pieces same with painted jackets and such.

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I have been buying Squadron insignia for 40 years and still make mistakes.As a dealer going through a show you are moving fast trying to hit as many tables as possible, problem number one.You then see a rare piece of insignia at a bargain price your brain goes into ultimate greed factor Defcon-1 problem number two.You then realize 3-4 days later you bought a repro and are out good money feeling Dumb Dumb factor all over your body you have a tall cool one and forget about it.As long as there are collectibles that people spend money on there will be repro artist to try to fool us all and take our money.There are no such animals as EXPERTS only people who know a little more by having bought fakes themselves.There are so many knowledgable people on this forum that if it had been around 35-40 years ago I would be a wealthy man.Before I was rarepatchman I collected WW2 German for 30 years now there is a real minefield to dance through.Scotty

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  • 2 years later...

For comparison, here is an original 1BF's patch from my collection. Australian embroidered on wool, 5-inches. Millstein writes:

 

This insignia was designed and worn by a group of fighter pilots who arrived on Espiritu Santo in April 1944 aboard the CVE Savo Island. While they sat and sat awaiting assignment to a permanent squadron, the pilots in the pilot pool were used to check out recently repaired battle damaged aircraft. A lot of the airframes could never be made to fly correctly again and were dangerous in the air, causing more than a few bailouts.

 

1BFs-600.jpg

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