Unidentified Squadron Patch

[nuts121944]

Hi Guys,

Can anyone help me to identify this patch? I recently purchased a World War 2 A-2 jacket (definitely pre-1947) and it has a patch on it that I'm having trouble with. The guy hand-wrote his name on the inside and dated it 1947, so I'm pretty sure that's probably when he bought the jacket. The right breast has a Korean War 310th Fighter Bomber Squadron patch (fully embroidered) with the guys name "Avery" embroidered under the patch. The left breast has the unidentified patch (embroidered on twill). I thought it might possibly be a 58th Fighter Bomber Group patch, as the 310th was contained within the 58th Fighter Bomber Group but no such luck. Can anyone help? Thanks guys!

 

The front of the A-2 jacket

 

 

The 310th Fighter Bomber Squadron patch with the man's name embroidered on it

 

The Unidentified patch (embroidered on twill)

 

Any help that you guys can offer will be SO appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

-Nick

[nuts121944]

I should also mention that I know that the 310th Fighter Bomber Squadron was not designated as such until 1952. So with the hand-written date inside with the man's name and rank, I'm assuming he went in in 1947, got the jacket, and then carried it through his military service in Korea with him since it has the Korean War-era 310th patch. World War 2-era A-2 jacket with hand-written date of 1947 inside and Korean war pocket patches. Looks like this jacket was in service for a little while... I don't know if the patch on the left breast pocket is pre-Korea or just another group that was over there around the time that the 310th was there. Thanks again for the help.

[ocsfollowme]

I think it is the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

[BlueBookGuy]

Hello Nick,

that other patch is from the 48th F.I.S. Fifteen-plus years ago I had in collection a orange K-2B flight suit from a F-106 pilot carrying this patch, and the Aerospace Defense Command's.

After the war this Squadron was re-activated in late 1946 but, I read somewhere in the '90s this patch belonged to the 48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron only when named this way (say, not the 48th Fighter Squadron) so if thinking to the establishment date - not before September 1952 - your is necessarily a post-1952 patch.

 

Assuming both are original to the A-2, it will be only speculation about why the two patches are together sewn to jacket. Maybe A-2's owner was member in 310th and subsequently in the 48th.

Or, was added to by some collector? A great jacket anyway!!

 

Franco.

[nuts121944]

Thanks so much for the input. I was able to find a photo of a pilot wearing his flight jacket with this 48th FIS patch on the left breast dated 1953. I'm guessing the patches on the jacket date to around that time. I've tried researching these 2 units, but haven't had much luck finding anything. Does anyone have any good references? Thanks again for your help.

Nick

[ocsfollowme]

http://48thsquadronassociation.com/

 

 

http://www.usafpatches.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=127&page=13

 

 

http://jetpilotoverseas.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/bob-lynn-48th-fighter-interceptor-squadron-f94c-starfire-pilot-1953/

 

 

http://www.columbus.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123103381

[BlueBookGuy]

Hello Nick,

here some great color shots of 310th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, F-84G pilots at Taegu AFB in Korea, winter 1952-53.

At least here, all their patches are different from your on the A-2: larger in disc's diameter, and lack the two addings above and below. No mention of the unit, nor crew's name.

 

[BlueBookGuy]

[BlueBookGuy]

[BlueBookGuy]

[BlueBookGuy]

the last one I found out, just the F-84 itself. hope the previous pics might somehow help.

Franco.

 

[juvatwad]

With the name embroidered on it, it's most likely not an official 310th patch.

[Johnny Signor]

There are photos here/there of various Squadron etc patches with the names of pilots/crew on them , they were special ordered but still used the unit's emblem , maybe not "Official" but still the unit's design and from that era ..............................

[Bebel]

Named patches were used at this time in USAF.

 

Great jacket.

 

Franck

[BlueBookGuy]

Some more pics about 310th F.B.S.'s insignia.

 

The original 310th Fighter Squadron (58th Fighter Group) emblem, approved October 1943:

 

 

 

 

 

The officially revised variation, approved July 1995:

[attachment=774207:3230.jp

[BlueBookGuy]

Something went wrong? try again.

 

The original 310th Fighter Squadron emblem, approved October 1943:

 

 

 

The officially revised variation, approved July 1995:

 

 

A later subvariation, 2011:

[nuts121944]

Thank you all so much for your input. Does anyone know if it would be common for a serviceman to buy a World War 2-made A-2 jacket in 1947 and carry it through to the Korean war? Or would others who were getting in right as the USAAF was making the transition to the USAF have had another, newer option for purchase that would be equivalent to the A-2 or WW2? Was the A-2 a common jacket during the Korean war as well? Or would there have been another jacket that would have taken the place of the A-2? Thanks again for any help that you can offer. You guys have been GREAT and I really appreciate it.

[BlueBookGuy]

Many a photo do exist of A-2s being worn by airmen in Korea, but it wasn't longer a really common item. You could pretty well see it on, say, P-51 pilots or similar during relatively warmer periods - will have great troubles in noticing A-2s being worn operationally by fighter jet pilots, or even not jet pilots.

Harsh Korean winter conditions gave distress to aircrews even during their ground living, by then the much warmer B-15B - B-15C (and other garments as well) were more than available.

 

That said the A-2 had previously been made well into 1944 with regular AAF contracts, even if the official date for it being "Limited Standard" was the late April 1943. In addition, many identical copies were made and purchased outside the official AAF channels (but in this case A-2's labels will be different).

It was more than possible for an aviator in 1947 to have access to a new-conditions A-2, in my opinion. On the other side I saw many pics of A-2s existing in already well-worn shape as early as 1950-51, comproving they had seen much service before the Korean War.

 

Greetings - Franco.

[BlueBookGuy]

A-2 being worn at left, by P-51 pilot, springtime 1951:

[nuts121944]

Thanks so much for the great response guys. Are there any good books or other websites that offer history on either the 310th FBS or the 48th FIS? Steve, I appreciate your links. The one photo that you linked to of the pilot in 1953 wearing the 48th FIS patch on his jacket was the one that I was also talking about. It gives me a good feeling for the placement of the date of the jacket and patches. Also, I am very much enjoying all the photos you have to offer Franco. Thank you so much for them. Have you got any others? Thank you all again, and if anyone has any more info, please feel free to chime in!

-Nick

[BlueBookGuy]

Glad to contribute, Nick.

Here, Lt. R. Howell of 310th F.B.S. in F-84G "Sweet Marjorie" at K-2 (Taegu A.B.) on 23rd May, 1953.

 

[BlueBookGuy]

Again pictured on 23rd May 1953 at K-2, T-33 of 310th F.B.S.

"Tophatted Skull" is evident here:

 

[nuts121944]

Does anybody have any info on any of the missions these groups might have participated in? I am still finding only very general information on their tenure in Korea. Thanks so much for the help!

-Nick

[juvatwad]

That middle patch shown by BlueBookGuy wasn't official. I was in the squadron in '96. The patch still looks ver similar to the symbol depicted on the signs in his previous post. Also the third patch is obviously one specially made for that particular deployment to Tyndall.

[nuts121944]

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