Timberwolf Posted October 22, 2017 Share #126 Posted October 22, 2017 Wing with star and oval to a 504th PIR "A" Co vet. This guy didn't make any combat jumps according to his discharge so it has be a little puzzled, but this did come direct from the family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfrost Posted October 23, 2017 Share #127 Posted October 23, 2017 maybe it was for Bastogne? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted October 23, 2017 Share #128 Posted October 23, 2017 It is actually not all that common to find WWII jump wings with the stars added. In fact, it was far more common to find the stars added in the occupation period, though wartime examples do indeed exist. My guess here is that your veteran picked these up and they were what was available, or perhaps he saw others with a star on the wing and felt that he shouldhave one on his wing also. It is all tough to say. As for Patrick's question about Bastogne- in a word, no. The stars were for combat jumps. The other issue that we have is that the soldier was in the 504th PIR, part of the 82nd A/B. They weren't at Bastogne. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timberwolf Posted October 23, 2017 Share #129 Posted October 23, 2017 It is actually not all that common to find WWII jump wings with the stars added. In fact, it was far more common to find the stars added in the occupation period, though wartime examples do indeed exist. My guess here is that your veteran picked these up and they were what was available, or perhaps he saw others with a star on the wing and felt that he shouldhave one on his wing also. It is all tough to say. As for Patrick's question about Bastogne- in a word, no. The stars were for combat jumps. The other issue that we have is that the soldier was in the 504th PIR, part of the 82nd A/B. They weren't at Bastogne. Allan Thanks Allan, I definitely agree with him adding them during the occupation period, he probably thought they stood out and they definitely look sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted October 23, 2017 Share #130 Posted October 23, 2017 I'm now going to change my answer based on the discharge certificate that you posted in the groups section. It looks like your guy was a replacement that hit the regiment in July 1944. He got campaign credit for the Rhineland campaign, so he was in the Netherlands. My assumption is that he jumped on Market Garden and that he simply didn't have an arrowhead device noted on the discharge, so he didn't have it on the ribbon. IF he was a replacement sent to the Netherlands after the jump, he may have simply assumed that the star was for Holland and so figured he should have one too since he was there Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timberwolf Posted October 23, 2017 Share #131 Posted October 23, 2017 I'm now going to change my answer based on the discharge certificate that you posted in the groups section. It looks like your guy was a replacement that hit the regiment in July 1944. He got campaign credit for the Rhineland campaign, so he was in the Netherlands. My assumption is that he jumped on Market Garden and that he simply didn't have an arrowhead device noted on the discharge, so he didn't have it on the ribbon. IF he was a replacement sent to the Netherlands after the jump, he may have simply assumed that the star was for Holland and so figured he should have one too since he was there Allan Interesting. My guy earned his wings on 28th October 44 which would put him much after Market Garden drop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 5, 2017 Share #132 Posted November 5, 2017 Three examples of 501st PIR ovals and wings: - Early style with embroidered wing - Early style without embroidered wing - Late war-early occupation era on twill with different color shades Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 5, 2017 Share #133 Posted November 5, 2017 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 5, 2017 Share #134 Posted November 5, 2017 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted November 5, 2017 Share #135 Posted November 5, 2017 Great uniforms and your first oval being sewn on is further proof that this was done during wartime as some have suggested in the past that this was only a post war practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 6, 2017 Share #136 Posted November 6, 2017 Sewn ovals are only post war?...I had never heard than one. Not by a long shot from my experience, although many are hand sewn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 25, 2017 Share #137 Posted November 25, 2017 Here are a variety of 508 ovals: Original 508th member that served in all of their campaigns Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 25, 2017 Share #138 Posted November 25, 2017 A late war replacement in the 101st, this trooper was transferred to the 82nd/508th for occupation duty. This oval is identified in the Keller book as being German made. This stands to reason given his service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 25, 2017 Share #139 Posted November 25, 2017 Another late war 101st replacement who served on occupation duty with the 508th. Although his ETO ribbon does not have a star, his record shows that he served in combat with the 101st during the last months of the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kadet Posted November 25, 2017 Share #140 Posted November 25, 2017 Finally, another trooper that served with both the 101st and 508th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon54 Posted March 17, 2019 Share #141 Posted March 17, 2019 Just bought this set. Anyone ever seen a set with the jeweled or diamonds in the wings? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wake1941 Posted March 17, 2019 Share #142 Posted March 17, 2019 These look like a set of sweetheart wings to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerdragon54 Posted March 17, 2019 Share #143 Posted March 17, 2019 Not sure but they were on this 508th oval Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wake1941 Posted March 17, 2019 Share #144 Posted March 17, 2019 They are sweetheart for sure, the oval is 40s-50s era Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMo Posted December 20, 2019 Share #145 Posted December 20, 2019 Don't think I've seen wings like these on here yet. Sew on, no hallmark. They belonged to a B Company, 1/505th PIR trooper (Sicily, Naples, Normandy, Market Garden, Ardennes, Rhineland and Germany) with 3 combat jumps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted December 20, 2019 Share #146 Posted December 20, 2019 I have one of these sew on wings in my collection that also came from a 505th PIR veteran. I believe them to be Italian made as that was my vet's recollection as to where he got them. As an aside, he said that he REALLY liked the sew on wing because it looked better on the oval and he said they never fell off! Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MightyMo Posted December 20, 2019 Share #147 Posted December 20, 2019 Great info, thanks Allan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 20, 2019 Share #148 Posted December 20, 2019 Don't think I've seen wings like these on here yet. Sew on, no hallmark. They belonged to a B Company, 1/505th PIR trooper (Sicily, Naples, Normandy, Market Garden, Ardennes, Rhineland and Germany) with 3 combat jumps. I have only ever come across this wing on a WW2 era 505th P.I.R. oval. They are mostly sewn on but there is also a scarcer variant that has an Italian style pin back assembly. Below is a picture of one from my collection which is sewn on and another pair of photos of the scarcer pin back variant. Sewn On Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonomachi Posted December 20, 2019 Share #149 Posted December 20, 2019 Pin Back Variant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allan H. Posted December 20, 2019 Share #150 Posted December 20, 2019 I've never seen that Tonomachi! I wonder if it was just converted by a jeweler or have you seen more than this one? Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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