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VMF-322 Fighting Gamecocks Patch


Wedgehead30
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Wedgehead30

From Sgt. Beny Fienga, a member of USMC Fighter Squadron 322. The scrapbook pages were done by his wife. Presumably while her husband was in the service during the war. But I have no way of knowing for sure. The squadron patch looks nice almost too nice. It doesn't emit a glow under a UV light source. And it matches other examples I've found online. But I don't have an example in hand. I'd be interested in the opinions of those more knowledgeable as to whether it's of WWII vintage.

 

post-124172-0-57157600-1460067360.jpgpost-124172-0-78898300-1460067361.jpg

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Is it glued down? from the little I can see of the back and the rest of it, it looks okay to me.

That's a small but nice group!

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Wedgehead30

Is it glued down? from the little I can see of the back and the rest of it, it looks okay to me.

That's a small but nice group!

 

 

Yes, everything on the two pages is glued down. I lifted a small part of the patch to see the back. The glue is so old and dry that it wouldn't be difficult to lift everything off without damage but I won't be doing that.

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Patchcollector

Your patch could very well be from the WW2 era.I've seen other older patches that have been in scrapbooks for years that are in mint condition.From seeing the small portion of the back that you lifted up I would say that it is authentic.Nice patch!

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Patchcollector

I just did a quick Google search and found this example from the Flying Tiger Antiques Online Store.

 

post-13386-0-38238700-1460072614.jpg

post-13386-0-49769300-1460072621.jpg

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Wedgehead30

It's WW2. Any idea where the photo was taken? That hardened hanger seems a bit unusual for the SWPA.

 

 

Thanks for the info......I do not know when & where the photo was taken. Perhaps stateside before heading to the pacific theater (?) I believe that it's an enlargement of a smaller photo. It's on photo paper and there is some loss of detail.

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Wedgehead30

I just did a quick Google search and found this example from the Flying Tiger Antiques Online Store.

 

 

 

I looked at that one too and a couple others. I'm comfortable with it being WW2. Thank you for the help.

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Patchcollector

I have seen these also ,

 

 

Hi Johnny,

I thought that I had read somewhere where the WW2 era patches did'nt have the unit names and/or numbers on them.Is this true?

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The first design no numbers on it at all, the second design 322 over the bird the VMF below his talons left side and fighting Cocks to the right lower section also the Bird is in a straight across horizontal flight pattern, third pattern just like the one Johnny posted with the ruler page 72 Millsteins book.

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Patchcollector

The first design no numbers on it at all, the second design 322 over the bird the VMF below his talons left side and fighting Cocks to the right lower section also the Bird is in a straight across horizontal flight pattern, third pattern just like the one Johnny posted with the ruler page 72 Millsteins book.

 

 

Thanks Scotty for the info

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I forgot to tell everyone the one in the scrapbook is a text book first pattern US made embroidered.The second pattern was painted on aircraft fabric and the third was full embroidered on wool.Scotty

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Hi Johnny,

I thought that I had read somewhere where the WW2 era patches did'nt have the unit names and/or numbers on them.Is this true?

Some WW2 Marine squadrons did indeed have their numbers on them. VMF-311 for example, VMF314, VMSB141 are a few examples but there were more.

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Johnny Signor

Late to the party here , but as previously mentioned , some of the unit's did carry their name and or numbers on them ...........

What was more usually frowned upon by 'Officials" were specific aircraft types or indication of base/carrier ...........

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Patchcollector

Late to the party here , but as previously mentioned , some of the unit's did carry their name and or numbers on them ...........

What was more usually frowned upon by 'Officials" were specific aircraft types or indication of base/carrier ...........

 

Yeah I figured it had something to do with secrecy issues.Thanks for the info Johnny!

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  • 10 months later...

Late to the party on this one. Illustrating what my friend Scotty has described about this classic Disney design, here are four examples from my collection. Using Millstein's numbering, from the top these are designs 1, 2, 3 and a spare Type-1 at the bottom which I wonder its vintage but is included to contrast from known Type-1. Note that Millstein describes Type-1 as American fully embroidered. I wonder if that is an editor's error, as all the vintage ones I have seen are on twill. Type #2, left, is on aircraft fabric.

VMF-322-1-700.jpg

 

Some photos:

VMF-322-2-700.jpg

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