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Real or Fake AAF?


dhm1951
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Teamski: They may be fine but we still do not know what they are. Can you supply littlebuddy and I with anything else? There is marked difference between the PFC and Corporal stripes we have posted: color (and it is not a camera problem), weave and the Wing and Prop insignia on the two show dissimilarities. The overall design of the top one that littlebuddy posted looks very similar to French styles. Thanks!

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Johnny Signor

Probably just a different manufacturer made them, like any of the other AAF rank/command/numbered AAF's out there .............................

 

I had some of both types many years ago when I first started collecting patches and they were both of the two types in the postings ............................

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That top Corporal one and the Private First Class is like Mister Signor (get it Mister Signor=Mister Mister :lol:) inferred to, a maker varient.

With this type, the OD embroidered on Khaki twill, there will be two types so far that I, and I,m sure others have seen, the top one with a border, and the bottom PFC one, a uncut edged with it's edge folded under and sewn.

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Here is the embroidered on Black Twill verisions examples Technican 3, Staff Sergeant.

 

With Border.

post-34986-0-01876100-1381459703.jpg

 

Uncut Edge with Edge folded under and sewn.

post-34986-0-96830700-1381459724.jpg

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Here's the deal patches: As for moving this to the ranks forum if that's what's needed then by all means move it - it was put here because they were unknown to me. As fr the Technician stripes you can find references and manuals showing these and describing exactly who used them ( the Techinician rating was a forerunner of the current Army Specialist grade) I have found no similar reference anywhere to the ones that I and littelbuddy posted. My father served in the AAF from 1943 - 1946 and one of his grades was corporal - he had never seen anything like these. So the question remains unanswered but thanks for the efforts.

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Here's the deal patches: As for moving this to the ranks forum if that's what's needed then by all means move it - it was put here because they were unknown to me. As fr the Technician stripes you can find references and manuals showing these and describing exactly who used them ( the Techinician rating was a forerunner of the current Army Specialist grade) I have found no similar reference anywhere to the ones that I and littelbuddy posted. My father served in the AAF from 1943 - 1946 and one of his grades was corporal - he had never seen anything like these. So the question remains unanswered but thanks for the efforts.

These Ranks with the Air Corps Wing and Prop are nothing more than a stylish Air Corps affection, just done this way to show Branch affiliation, they were not worn by any special or particular Airman because of a technical job.

 

Here's a topic showing more of this type for more grades, Corporal, Sergeant, Technical Sergeant, Master Sergeant.

http://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/87161-wwii-army-air-corp-chevrons/

 

There is also a few actual uniforms held by members with the type sewn on.

 

I'll look around for images of this type actually worn on a Airman, they were believe it or not all that rare, rare to a degree surely, but not totaly obsure.

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Here are but two examples I found of this type. In both cases what stands out apart from the Wing & Prop Chevrons is the continued wear of the old AAF pinwheel patch

 

Either a Technical Sergeant or a Master Sergeant, circa 1944post-34986-0-26134300-1381539893.jpg

 

 

A Corporal, early war period circa 1942

post-34986-0-92142000-1381539913.jpg

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Correction! That last coat with the Corporal stripes would be circa 1943, early 1943 at the earliest as the Asiatic Pacific ribbon we're seeing was autherized in November 1942.

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Correction! That last coat with the Corporal stripes would be circa 1943, early 1943 at the earliest as the Asiatic Pacific ribbon we're seeing was autherized in November 1942.

The ribbon could have been added later, it does not by itself date the coat.

These Air Corps "branch-of-service ", chevrons were used from the 1930's thru WWII. Air Corps being the most common, but some other branches had chevrons with their branch insignia below. These were purchased at the PX by troops who wanted a little more flair to their uniforms, but were never "official". However, they were tolerated in many cases. For a complete history of these, see "Chevrons", by LTC Bill Emerson. (I know the book is out of print, but copies are around and it's supposed to be updated and re-published soon.)

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The ribbon could have been added later, it does not by itself date the coat.

These Air Corps "branch-of-service ", chevrons were used from the 1930's thru WWII. Air Corps being the most common, but some other branches had chevrons with their branch insignia below. These were purchased at the PX by troops who wanted a little more flair to their uniforms, but were never "official". However, they were tolerated in many cases. For a complete history of these, see "Chevrons", by LTC Bill Emerson. (I know the book is out of print, but copies are around and it's supposed to be updated and re-published soon.)

Yes thank you Lee correct. My date of this particular coat I gave was to give us a good general idea of when it might of been worn, seeing that it lacks the ubiquitous Ruptured Duck.

 

The more interesting thing apart even for the Air Corps Wing Prop stripes is the wear of the Pinwheel patch, like on the T/Sgt or M/Sgt, he looks as he is wearing a Bronze Star right, BSM as we know didn't come out till the Summer of 1944, plus the already wear of mulitlpe oak leaf clusters on the DUC or as it was later to be called PUC, and three Campaign stars on the A&P ribbon, it might of be even later than circa 1944, maybe sometime in 1945, but then there's long superceded AAF pinwheel shoulder patch. An all around interesting portrait I'd say, note too he wears an OD Tie, an officers type, the so called Chocolate tie.

 

That Emerson book, love to have that one, I seen the prices on them, wwwaaaaa, if I was a rich man Yubby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dibby dum.

 

Guess we'll all have to wait for the rerelease.

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