americankraut Posted September 22, 2014 Share #1 Posted September 22, 2014 I bought this to restore and to add to my collection since it is primarily Air Service / AAF / Airforce. The individual I bought it off of took the patch and insignia off... Is there any good books / websites for information on interwar items? I have a patch but it is the later version and the one taken off was felt on felt. I do not know how to date the correct brass / rank insignia for it. I could not make out the name of the owner well, and it had no rank. I imagine it is from Pottstown, PA since it is not too far from me. Thanks for the help -Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conway Posted September 22, 2014 Share #2 Posted September 22, 2014 The WW1 Air Service wore a variety of sleeve patches - most of them unofficial but the Army Air Corps / Air Force didn't have a shoulder patch until 1937. If you're depicting a uniform from that era you'll want to match the collar insignia to that time frame. you could always research a division that had aviation assets in that era and go that way too. 1937 was about the end of the lighter shade of drab worn by officers but there were old timers who continued to wear them for a time so you could probably make it work with a Pin Wheel patch that way. To my knowledge there isn't a lot of information on the interwar era but Duncan Campbell's fine book "Aviation Badges and Insignia of the United States Army 1913-1946" does a good job of explaining the changes in collar insignia from the periods mentioned in the title. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
americankraut Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share #3 Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks John, it had a pinwheel so that is what I intend on putting back on it. Would a embroidered pinwheel on felt have been made pre 1937? I will look that book up, thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted September 22, 2014 Share #4 Posted September 22, 2014 Hi Ben, That's a very nice coat, but why on earth did the seller take the patch off?. I have two named Air Corps officers coats with pinwheels, one dated 38 and the other 39, I will take some pictures later this week. I'd suggest waiting until you can get another felt on felt patch if you know that's what it had originally, and the collar insignia could have been either pib back, or early clutch back, are there any pin marks left behind to indicate which it had?. Can anyone discipher the name? bearing in mind how small the pre-war AAC was these early uniforms can, sometimes, be interesting to research. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
americankraut Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share #5 Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks Matt, the seller took of the patch and told me he wanted it for his patch collection.... He must have taken the other insignia off prior to me seeing it since they are really obvious marks. I think they were pinback not the clutch type. If we could find any record of the owner, and his rank that would be great so I could put the proper Insignia on. Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QED4 Posted September 22, 2014 Share #6 Posted September 22, 2014 This is a very unusual and very early coat probably made around 1925 or 26. The pockets are what set a it apart I have only seen these on the last of the standing collar and first of the lapel collar coats before the regulations were really finalized. The top pockets should have a scalloped flap and the skirt pockets should be inside hung. The proper Air Corps collar insignia should be bullion with the US and winged prop on the same piece of background material with whole thing sewn to the lapel and nothing on the collar. This arrangement was short lived so the insignias are hard to find. You could set it up with the later pin on insignia as I am sure he would not have thrown the uniform away later on when the insignia changed. Personally I would look for the standard inside hung pocket uniform which are fairly common and fairly cheep and set it up with the pin on insignia and patch and set this one aside until you can find the one piece bullion insignia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin B. Posted September 22, 2014 Share #7 Posted September 22, 2014 The last name sure looks like "Kraus." The first is tough, it looks like "Hos." There are some Krauses in the regular army registers in the '20s and '30s but no first name that looks like it fits. But he could be Reserve or NG. Thanks for the post, Justin B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
americankraut Posted September 22, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted September 22, 2014 Thanks for the help all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMI88 Posted September 23, 2014 Share #9 Posted September 23, 2014 I think the first name reads "Thos.", an abbreviation for Thomas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
americankraut Posted September 23, 2014 Author Share #10 Posted September 23, 2014 Thanks again guys, where would one find records from 1919-1941, NARA does not seem to have much? Ancestry? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conway Posted September 23, 2014 Share #11 Posted September 23, 2014 Thanks John, it had a pinwheel so that is what I intend on putting back on it. Would a embroidered pinwheel on felt have been made pre 1937? I will look that book up, thanks again! Felt on felt, as Matt suggests, would be the best way to go for the sleeve patch but to be honest I'm not sure how early the Pin Wheel patch existed in a fully embroidered version. A lot of good info for you to work with thanks to many who jumped in! Nicely done gentlemen! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product! as well as those Matt mentioned. How about it Matt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted September 23, 2014 Share #12 Posted September 23, 2014 Hey John, I'll get some pics of my Pinwheel uniform coast up as soon as I can, I only have four, two Officer and 2 Enlisted, all ID'd. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Conway Posted September 25, 2014 Share #13 Posted September 25, 2014 Hey John, I'll get some pics of my Pinwheel uniform coast up as soon as I can, I only have four, two Officer and 2 Enlisted, all ID'd. Matt. Looking forward to it Matt - have always liked the between the wars stuff - even though they were not firing shots in anger! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AAF_Collection Posted September 26, 2014 Share #14 Posted September 26, 2014 I hope to have some free time this weekend John, so I'll get some pictures up then. Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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