Some New CIB Additions

[waltusma]

I wanted to share a few of the nicer additions that I've picked up over the past few months. I just moved so some things are finally coming out of boxes. I'm always on the hunt for new variations but for the past two years I've really been searching for a marked British made, a J.Balme, and a Gemsco one with the acorns. I've been lucky enough over the past two months to acquire all three types as well as several others.

 

I'll start out with the British made. It's made by Saunders & Shepard Limited of Birmingham and was a Christmas gift from my girlfriend. Needless to say I was very happy and surprised when I unwrapped this.

[waltusma]

Next is the J. Balme given to me by a good friend who wore this on his blues in the 90's before he received his second award badge for OEF/OIF. It's currently on my blues.

[waltusma]

Up next is a Gemsco variant with the acorns in the wreath. I have one other full size CIB with the acorns that was identified to the Soldier but was not marked on the back and has damage to the enamel. I have seen these going for high prices on eBay when the rarely show up. This one came off of eBay for $15 on a khaki short sleeve uniform shirt complete with SFC stripes, WWII and Guard/Reserve ribbons, medical collar disks, and 108th medical BN crests. The Soldier must have been reclassed to medical after the war and stayed in the Guard. Unfortunately there is no ID to the uniform.

[waltusma]

Another interesting CIB came with a jacket that I recently bought from a friend since he knew I was interested in named CIB groups. The badge is engraved on the back with the Soldier's name in the center, serial number on the bottom of the wreath, and 13th Inf Reg on the top left and 8th Inf Div on the top right. When I looked up the name I learned that SSG Smith was KIA on 05 Dec 1944. The uniform that it was on does not have any ID, but almost certainly did not belong to him. There is no rank on the uniform, but it is complete with 13th IR insignia and 8th ID patch and does have a victory medal which to me implies that the owner of the jacket made it through the war. There's no way of knowing if the jacket may have been put together by a collector years ago around the info on the back of the badge, or if the badge was simply picked up and worn by another Soldier. My guess would be that a private in his squad decided to wear the badge in memory of his squad leader, but that is just a guess. Regardless it is a great badge which is a true reminder of the sacrifice it represents.

[waltusma]

Here is another interesting one that I picked up off of eBay. It appears to be an incomplete badge.

[waltusma]

I'm very drawn to badges that have modifications done to them by Soldiers. This is one of several examples that I have where a pinback ribbon bar has been attached to the back. I have not attempted to remove the bar to check for a mark, but the thickness of the badge and style of the rifle is consistent with a few other badges that I have, which I have yet to identify. Of the 5 that I have in this style, this one and another are clutch back while the other three are pinback.

[waltusma]

I do not have a maker ID for this one. It is unmarked on the back but the shade of the enamel matches almost exact to the British made that I posted above. My guess would be that it is also of British origin.

[waltusma]

One more for now is one of the unauthorized ones that has been floating around eBay lately with an M24 in place of the 1795 Springfield. It's actually a well made badge. There are no markings on the back.