the most significant OSS uniform grouping ever found?

[wawine]

I know that is a bold statement, but this might just be it. It came directly from the wife and son of the vet. John S Delphenich. He was in from 1943 through the end of the war, then back to the University of Wisconsin in the ROTC, then the Air Force and the Foreign Technology Division until it joined the Defense Intelligence Agency in 1983. I have every uniform from his OSS 4 pocket though his 1950's Airforce Ike, plus all his medals, dogtags, ribbons, insignia and every document one could want from his inductment through his retirement from FTD. Also photos in Theater, of the inside and outside of his radio office in Belgium and multiple letters documenting his service, including many on OSS letterhead. The only uniform not included was the 4 pocket USAF blues that he was buried in last winter. The family is still digging out more of his Air Force documents. He was involved with aerospace propulsion and the reverse engineering of such from foreign powers. He also had a rabid interest in UFO technology and considering what he did for the Air Force, I will let the Area 51 fans run with that if they like. The FTD was the controlling agency for Area 51 but Delphenich spent most of his time at Batelle and at Wright Patterson. Many photos to follow and before anybody asks, no this is not for sale. It was gifted to me by the family and is staying with me.

 

his OSS 4 pocket that he was discharged in from his days in SF detachment 10 and the Brussels ESPINETTE mission. Note the wings, even though he was not a Jed. Also note the 'detached enlisted' disk. His cap also has the 'detached' green piping.

[wawine]

a closeup of his wings. Note the lack of any punctuation

[wawine]

his cap

[wawine]

his tan garrison jacket from the summer of 1945. He wore this while stationed in DC doing airborne radio testing from B-24 special ops aircraft for Jed drops in SE Asia

[wawine]

his A-2 flight jacket from his days in DC

[wawine]

his ROTC unifiorm dated 1946. He notes that when he started in the ROTC it was the AAF and when he finished in 1948 he was now in the Air Force

[wawine]

his Air Force jacket from the 1950s while working with the Foreign Technology Division

[wawine]

just one of the many incredible documents

[USdog]

Looks like one incredible group!

[wawine]

Thanks. And yes, I do have all his dog tags as well!

[USdog]

Let's see 'em!

[Major Z]

Wow! Well done on the preservation of a very interesting person. Thanks for sharing and we all hope to see more.

[ssggates]

Very significant indeed! Would like to see more!

[Allan H.]

Is this a cool group? Undoubtedly. Is this the most significant OSS grouping ever found? I hope that is a joke because the resounding answer would be "not hardly." I would reserve "the most significant" for someone whose impact on the history of the OSS was profound. A grouping to Wild Bill Donovan, or Peter Ortiz would definitely be in the running, but, while cool and evidently expansive, I don't think that this one is in the running.

 

As an aside, without attribution and photographic evidence, you might have a tough time getting people to come out and support the SF wing on the jacket as being original.

 

I'm really not trying to throw stones here, and I am sure you're jazzed about finding this, but you'll find that there are several other members here on the forum who have OSS groupings. Mine include, SAARF, Jed and Chinese Para Commando. All I believe to be important, but none in the realm of "most significant ever found."

 

My two cents,

Allan

[wawine]

Seriously? I have yet to see an OSS group, even in a museum that is more complete. Every bit of paper from induction to retirement, 40 years later. Every uniform from ww2 to retirement except the one he was buried in, every medal and insignia he ever had, including his ROTC pins and it came from his wife and daughter in his duffle bag.

His complete movement through his various units, rosters, photos in the field, what more do you want?

Show me a complete grouping that is more iron clad than this. Not just a single uniform to a famous member, but a complete group.

 

To even suggest that these wings are bad is laughable.

 

This is why I rarely post here. I hate the "I have never seen one before and I know everything, so it must be fake crowd'

[David D]

Incredible grouping!!!

 

-Dave

[Bill Scott]

Gentlemen this is a forum of opinions so do not take offense at what others think.Do not stop posting because you get a negative reaction about anything.If we all did that it would be a very silent world and the hobby would be no fun at all.The group is great is it the best is not important you took the time and effort to show it to all of us and thats the key you participated for that I thank you.Scotty

[manayunkman]

I could be wrong but what I think Allen was saying is that it would be hard to prove that this man was entitled to wear a Jedburgh wing.

 

I don't think he was saying the wing was bad.

 

Interesting that he is wearing the wing.

 

Do you have any other documentation or photographs that would support this ?

 

Does anyone know if non Jedburgh School personel were authorised to wear the wing ?

[CNY Militaria]

I used to possess most of Wild Bill Donovan's uniforms from his time as the OSS Commander. It was very complete and rather significant.

[wawine]

Where is it now? (Donovan's group)

[oss.capt]

Nice grouping! Can you tell us more about his time with the OSS, based on the documents you have?

 

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Clive B. about the Special Force Wing;

 

Strictly speaking, the SF Wing cannot be entitled as being qualified or operational as Administration Staff at SFHQ and Milton Hall also wore it and many of them did not participate in Missions or Operations. The qualification to wear the SF Wing was therefore not necessarily through having participated in the extensive training scheme, or having attended an approved course, but to be a part of the Jedburgh Special Force programme. The Special Force Wing can clearly be identified as the “Jedburgh Wing”, however it soon traveled to other units and to organizations also connected with Special Force activities.

[David D]

Wow CYN, you had "Wild bills" uniform! what happened to it?

 

-Dave

[CNY Militaria]

Long story short, it is all back with the family now.

[wawine]

In a nutshell, here is a summary of his OSS service:

July 1, 42 is a civilian assigned to the 6th Service Command Signal Corps branch

Oct 42 signal school

Dec 2 42 given draft deferral

Dec 9 42 enlisted in the civil service

Jan 15 43 sent to radar school in Chicago

Feb 2 43 made enlisted reservist

March 29 43 designated active duty and asked to report on April 2nd to Ft Sheridan

April 1st, previous order revoked and designated for special assignment on April 19

June 21, 43 earns Pistol Sharpshooter badge as member of OSS HQ detachment C

June 24 43 ordered to HQ OSS in DC and made a Tech 5

June 29 43 Rifle Marksman OSS HQ Det C

May 3 44 OSS Signal Detachment 1st Army moved from attachment to 17th Signal Ops to 14th Chemical Maint Co for D-Day

June 9 44 Lands at Normandy with 1st Army as member of SF Detachment 10

November 9 44 asks for reasignment to Far East while a member of OSS Special Force Mission Brussels (Espinette)

March 2 45, while still in Brussels, granted battle stars for 1st Army OSS Detachment as member of OSS HQ, HQ Detachment

June 4 45 sent to Paris as part of OSS HQ, HQ Det

June 12 45 sent to report to Director of the OSS in Washington DC

Oct 1 45 Discharged from OSS

Nov 9 Discharged from Army HQ HQ Det War Dept Special Services Unit

 

Regardless of the naysayers, Delphenich wore this SF wing on his uniform, with British made ribbons. He worked with the Jed teams relaying communication from the field to London and was also was involved with recovering teams and getting them from the continent to the UK. Looking at the tiny SF force in Brussels, it doesn't surprise me that they were allowed to wear the wing. After all, the SF on the wing stands for 'Special Forces' and he was a member of SF Detachment 10 in the field.

 

When he returned stateside, he did not wear the wing on his summer uniform, and never wore it again on any of his other uniforms.

 

the significance of this grouping is not because he was famous or heavily decorated, but rather that is sheds a whole new light on who wore one of the most elusive and difficult insignia to confirm from WW2. To those that hint that it is somehow not legit because he was not a Jed, I will beg to differ. His widow and daughter took the uniform that he wore out of storage and GIFTED it to me. To imply that there needs to be more evidence to support that it is 'real' is insulting to not only the vet who wore it, but also to his family.

[Dave]

Seriously? I have yet to see an OSS group, even in a museum that is more complete.

 

>>>>>

 

This is why I rarely post here. I hate the "I have never seen one before and I know everything, so it must be fake crowd'

 

If I may make a comment from the peanut gallery...there are a good number of people on this forum who have seen and owned (and currently own) some absolutely incredible stuff. I would very definitely not classify them as "junior varsity" when it comes to what they are familiar with and lump them into a "know everything, so it must be a fake crowd."

 

So, titling your thread as "the most significant OSS uniform grouping ever found" makes it sound either like 1) you are uninformed or 2) you titled it to make it "clickbate". From what I know, neither of these is true.

 

Thus, it may cause less heartburn in the future to just title something like this as "Extremely complete OSS uniform group" or something like that...as it is one heck of a group that's absolutely beautiful. And I appreciate you posting it up here.

 

Thanks-

 

Dave