USO Fifth Army Airborne Training Center Sicily Bullion Patches!Italian Made

[501stGeronimo]

Picked these up from the family of a Accordion player for the USO during WW2.She brought back alot of insignia and this is some of what she brought back. Fifth Army Airborne Training Center Sicily bullion officer Chest patches. First of this kind that I have ever seen in my 40 years of collecting. Enjoy!

[irish]

You struck gold my friend. Very scarce patches. I want to say that the AB training center was in Sicily, but likely migrated to Italy as the troops advanced. There was an article in an old ASMIC Trading Post on these patches. congrats.

[vintageproductions]

I had one of these in bullion years ago and they are a piece of art

[firefighter]

Nice grouping.The insignia to the right of 'TC' look's like the British Physical Fitness Instructor insignia.

[36-tex]

Very rare and VERY NICE!!!

[Bill Scott]

Absolutely stunning great score a fantastic group.Scotty

[J_Andrews]

The three-legged thing is a triskelion and is an heraldic symbol for Sicily. The pentacle stands for Morroco (Google for a Morrocan flag). The AF Abn TC began an Oujda, Morroco, in early 1943, then it moved to Trapani, located at the western tip of Sicily. In the run-up for the invasion of Southwern France (Aug 44), it moved to more than one airfiled in the Rome area. IIRC it went out of existence in Sep 44.

 

One vet told me the earlier patch's glider was removed, in the Sicily period, because it no longer controlled glider qual -- the USAAF Troop Carriers took over any glider-related tng.

[firefighter]

The three-legged thing is a triskelion and is an heraldic symbol for Sicily. The pentacle stands for Morroco (Google for a Morrocan flag). The AF Abn TC began an Oujda, Morroco, in early 1943, then it moved to Trapani, located at the western tip of Sicily. In the run-up for the invasion of Southwern France (Aug 44), it moved to more than one airfiled in the Rome area. IIRC it went out of existence in Sep 44.

 

One vet told me the earlier patch's glider was removed, in the Sicily period, because it no longer controlled glider qual -- the USAAF Troop Carriers took over any glider-related tng.

 

 

Interesting.Cool to see the two different variations.

[firefighter]

Forgot to ask.Anway we can see the back of the patches?

[501stGeronimo]

I prefer not to show the backs of the patches. I don't want fakers to see what the backs of original bullion specimens of this caliber look like.

[88thcollector]

Incredible. The use of the Triskelion isan interesting addition.

[plick27]

Those are beauties. Congrats!

[Old Marine]

Beatyufil and rare patches, great find.

[Sabrejet]

Killer grouping...exceedingly rare!

[88thcollector]

actually, I just looked at some photos and see that the 3 leg symbol is normal, I always thought it was just for the Isle of Man. Best patches I have seen in a long time.

[camelgreen44]

I'm in AWE ! Simply Beautiful,Great Find.

[501stGeronimo]

Restoring the photos of the grouping:

[501stGeronimo]

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[501stGeronimo]

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[irish]

Thanks for restoring these. Missed this the first time around. Those patches are knockout