Marine Night Fighter Group 53

[disneydave]

Hank Porter created this design for the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Night Fighter Group 53, in January 1944.

 

 

I absolutely love all of the various design elements, which seem so appropriate - the gnarly, beat-up, old alley cat with his bandaged tail, cigarette hanging from his mouth, patch over his eye, carbine at the ready and pistols slouched over his hips. The cat is perched atop a fence looking for trouble on this, or any other night.

 

As with many of his designs, Porter has indicated the unit's designation with the use of the three clouds in the sky, which represent the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.

 

Marine Night Fighting Group 53 was formed on April 1, 1943. The unit was the first night fighter group in the Marine Corps and was tasked with training all of the Corps' night fighting squadrons. The Group initially trained at Vero Beach, Florida.

 

In November 1944 the unit moved to Marine Corps Air Station Eagle Mountain Lake, Texas and in April 1945 the unit was re-designated Marine Night Fighter Group 53. During the course of the war the unit trained a total of eight night fighting squadrons, of which seven saw actual combat. The group was deactivated in May 1947.

[doyler]

Gotta like that patch design.Do you or have you seen one actually made in cloth??

Thanks for posting.

 

RON

[disneydave]

No I haven't. I doubt many of the Disney designs ever made it onto a patch - some of the designs were just too elaborate. I also think that many of the designs never received the proper authorization to even become "official."

[River Patrol]

I love this design. I wish there was a book describing these "not often seen" type of unauthorized insignia.

 

Cheers,

Steve

[disneydave]

I have a database that has info on approx. 1,100 of the estimated 1,200 designs created at the Disney Studio during the war. I keep losing track but I think I have images for between 700 and 800 of those designs. I have also researched the unit biographies for around 400 - 500 of the designs.

 

In almost all of the designs I have documented, I know the month and year the design was created, as well as the name of the artist.

 

In some instances I have interviewed veterans who served in units with Disney insignia. I have quite a few related collectibles in my collection: original art (examples of both the finished art and the pencil art), decals, stationary, matchbooks, patches, etc. that feature the design.

 

Part of my collection will be on display at the new Walt Disney Museum, located on the grounds of the Presidio in San Francisco, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

[River Patrol]

It's nice to see some of your collection here!

 

Thanks for sharing it!