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A Tiger Zoo--Flying Tigers AVG, CBI, & 23rd Fighter Grouping + Other PTO ETO Heroes


josesharontraders
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josesharontraders

Hola Caballeros flytiger & Jumpin'Jack,

 

Buenos dias.

 

You are very welcome. I shall shrink and post a recently unboxed CBI CATF tiger patches and OSS CBI patches later in the weekend. Also, a collection of pictures of the Flying Tigers AVG back in America, but in the prime of their lives. Three more gruelling work days until España shuts down for their Semana Santa. So, will drive to Portugal and post from there.

 

Again, you are very welcome, gentlemen--gran placer.

 

 

Saludos cordiales,

José

 

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Jose,

You have an amazing collection. Here is my tiny collection of AVG items that belonged to John and Emma Jean Petach.

Dick

post-9487-0-63709400-1458143985.jpg

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josesharontraders

Jose,

You have an amazing collection. Here is my tiny collection of AVG items that belonged to John and Emma Jean Petach.

Dick

Hola Dick,

 

Buenas noches from Spain. Woo...I'm so pooped from work. I know about your collection...sometime two years ago I successfully pulled away my fat finger from sending you a message about your fantastic find.

 

When this country shuts down this weekend for its Semana Santa, will be in next door Portugal so I could comment more on your wonderful set. I have contemplated on your AVG collection--and story behind it backed up by the super expert Señor Burkey--for a long time where or what category that should be viewed for a proper AVG collection. And, pues/thus, will share my thoughts on Sunday or Monday, Señor.

 

Thank you for sharing this once again--Vaya! Vaya!! (Big Wow!)

 

Goodnight, tio.

 

Saludos,

 

José

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josesharontraders

Amazing group! It is just amazing! You have done well Sir and I salute you for keeping a group such as this together. I am a older dude now but in my "better"day's "I was lucky enough to fly as a pilot with the Flying Tiger Line and flew some long trans-pac flights with a number of former AVG guy's and also CNAC. They were all just plain good Captains and a pleasure to fly with. I once asked one of them over a cool one in Hong Kong if he had any spare items from the AVG day's and he said he had all his stuff in a trunk at home and one day he would sort it out and send me a few things. Never happened, maybe one two many cool one's talk, but he was a super person and I never asked again.This was the "Duke" and his nick name fit him to a T, great guy.

Again, wonderful collection!

Hi flytiger,

 

Just a quick note on your flying tigers line buddy: I think you should know that anyone having drinks in British Hong Kong's Suzie Wong district with all the hot chicks running around will be prone to forget their promises next day. I used to do liaison work as a young man in Hong Kong in the late 80s and know what you mean. In the late 60s, I remember seeing those Flying Tigers planes with my Dad unload from the nose their cargo before heading to NAS Cubi Point and back to Majuro Island thence to Honolulu and SFO. You guys were basically the MAC flights of the 7th and 3rd fleets.

 

I have a thick book written by the British rep--a lady--who visited the AVGrs in Kunming and filed it as updating intelligence, of how wild the parties of the AVGrs used to be after dinner. Anyway being more serious, anyone coming out of WW2 upfront, in their later years became the old school gentlemen in the way you commented of your Flying Tigers Line Captain friends. Just the drinks made them forget their promise to send you some artefact--hahahah.

 

Anyway, just my sleepy comments, Señor.

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josesharontraders
On 3/15/2016 at 1:21 PM, flytiger said:

Amazing group! It is just amazing! You have done well Sir and I salute you for keeping a group such as this together. I am a older dude now but in my "better"day's "I was lucky enough to fly as a pilot with the Flying Tiger Line and flew some long trans-pac flights with a number of former AVG guy's and also CNAC. They were all just plain good Captains and a pleasure to fly with. I once asked one of them over a cool one in Hong Kong if he had any spare items from the AVG day's and he said he had all his stuff in a trunk at home and one day he would sort it out and send me a few things. Never happened, maybe one two many cool one's talk, but he was a super person and I never asked again.This was the "Duke" and his nick name fit him to a T, great guy.

Again, wonderful collection!

Dear flytiger,

 

Some Flying Tiger Lines (Cargo) promotion pins. I don't have many artefacts for this Cold War era airline, which shut when the U.S. scaled back from Europe and Asia following the Soviet Empire implosion.

post-160067-0-17731700-1458649972.jpg

 

The back:

post-160067-0-90917200-1458650154.jpg

 

Last:

post-160067-0-70593200-1458650201.jpg

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josesharontraders

Here are some Post and Transitional AVG Flying Tigers Era cum CBI artefacts:

 

Part 1--Very Rare US OSS China Patch, CBI Patches & Bullions. As more of an exonumist, I tend to concentrate on pins and insignia which have less worry in preserving than scrip, documents, clothing or patches. But for the meagre set presented here, hope you enjoy:

 

Rare OSS Commando China Jump Patch worn by US & KMT infiltrators through Japanese Kwangtung Army-controlled areas:

 

w/ flash

 

 

post-160067-0-22103800-1458650649.jpg

 

w/o flash:

 

 

post-160067-0-82392100-1458650689.jpg

 

Back of OSS patch w flash:

 

 

post-160067-0-47119400-1458650748.jpg

 

Back w/o flash:

 

 

post-160067-0-00279600-1458650819.jpg

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josesharontraders

Here are also some happy-looking CATF (China Air Task Force, hastily set up by the USAAF to supplant the outgoing AVG Flying Tigers in July 1942, which then was subsumed by the 23rd Fighter Group). The USAAF 14th Air Force eventually incorporated CATF and 23rd Fighter Group.

 

Tiger Facing Which Way? Most tigers in patches, pins etc. facing dexter are generally 14th Air Force the tigers that were drawn, sewn, printed or metal press-printed for the transitional CATF and 23rd Fighter Group faced sinister. Lookee at the happy faced tigers--facing sinister:

 

23rd fighter group arm patch of Capt. MacWilliams:

 

 

post-160067-0-98495200-1458651365.jpg

 

The back

post-160067-0-78510000-1458651428.jpg

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josesharontraders

There were more or less 40,000 personnel--pilots, ground crew, admin, armorers--who passed through the CBI (ChIna-Burma-India) War theatre.

 

 

post-160067-0-79506900-1458651488.jpg

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josesharontraders

Lt. Col MacWilliams Massaro 23A1 23rd Fighter Group Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) is included in the set on page 1, as 23rd Tiger Pin #3:

 

 

post-160067-0-31601500-1458651687.jpg

 

Back of his CBI patch:

 

 

post-160067-0-82836900-1458652073.jpg

 

Front CBI shoulder patch:

 

 

post-160067-0-68571400-1458652132.jpg

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josesharontraders

For my fellow USMIlitaria members' convenience, 23rd Tiger Pin #3 from the left lower half is that of Lt. Col. MacWilliams':

 

 

post-160067-0-25096500-1458651939.gif

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josesharontraders

Here is a rare full size Tiger breast and/or back patch for the CATF-23rd Fighter Group later cum 14th Airforce. The happy colourful tiger is facing sinister:

 

 

post-160067-0-84772400-1458652246.jpg

 

The back:

 

 

post-160067-0-34547200-1458652288.jpg

 

Here's a relative sizing picture. Sorry, I don't readily have American quarter coins yonder here in Southern Europe, so I used a 2 Euro€ coin:

 

 

post-160067-0-96048800-1458652377.jpg

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josesharontraders

Here's a yucky looking and badly preserved CBI Bullion patch an auction house threw in as part of a happy purchase-sale:

 

 

post-160067-0-18954800-1458652550.jpg

 

And, the back. At least, we US Militaria experts can glean the type of sewing and fabricating techniques used in that era between India and Chinese area tailors, dress makers or sewers.

post-160067-0-28786900-1458652670.jpg

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Patchcollector

Good Morning Jose,
Thank you for posting all this new eye candy for us to feast upon.I never tire of seeing items from your most excellent collection.That OSS piece must be super rare.Incredible stuff,for sure!

 

Cheers,

PC

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josesharontraders

Sí Senhor PC,

 

Will post some other stuff like avg bloodchits later as we're out touring Lisbon. Holy Week in Spain.

 

Boa tarde, as they say here, tío.

 

J

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josesharontraders

Jose,

You have an amazing collection. Here is my tiny collection of AVG items that belonged to John and Emma Jean Petach.

Dick

Hi Dick,

 

I have thought much of your find on the remains of AVG Pete Petach and his almost surviving the war with AVG Nurse wife Jane Foster. Whew.

 

When It's Bad Luck It's No Go. I always avoid buying artefacts of non-survivors of battles because it is just my preference. Even when they did survive their service like recently last year I turned down Pappy Boyington's mini-tiger and his post AVG air battle awards and documents as a US Marine Corsair Fighter. The record of his post war life was a turnoff for me. His unstable marital life, his drunken waywardness and intra-colleague fights leading to the US Navy ejecting him from the War Bonds poster boy line up, and his often being discovered sleeping on the streets after being booted out of bars was something else. He couldn't just keep still and help his country raise money to get out of its war debts. I don't buy stuff belonging to a knucklehead. Full stop.

 

Love & Gentle Longing. But your find, to me, is quite an exception. I agree with the comment in some other topic of USMIlitaria, that Emma ¨Red¨ Jane's possession of her intended sterling silver gift of an engraved cigarette case plus storage of AVG Pilot Pete Petach's uniform AVG artefacts within was an act of steady sentiment of a good past--contrast the constant threat of violent death at the time--and of love through the ages, even into her life with her new hubby and family back in the USA mainland.

 

This is an exceptional, exceptional good luck find, mi amigo. If ever you are seeking the next curator of your Emma Jane's (¨Red¨ Foster) and Pete Petach's Insignias, give a yeller and many will be there.

 

Regards,

 

Jose

 

 

post-160067-0-79977500-1459157872.jpg

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josesharontraders

These are the most fantastic collection pieces ever.

Thanks for posting.

 

More great items. Love seeing these pieces.

 

JD

 

Amazing stuff. :love:

Hi guys,

 

Thanks for the kind words.

 

 

Vietvet7071...i don't want to digress the thread of this topic but here is a patch my American dealer bought off a retired Navy person (a legalman officer) and his buddies. All in all, his fellow officers, some E-8s and midshipmen had these made in Phuket as they made their way to a SouthEast Asian waypoint for the following operation.

 

Operation Homecoming 2--Real or What? This has to do with the carrier Nimitz task force in the Arabian Sea in late '87, and some select crew in the know. The proposed operation was called, Operation Homecoming Two and it is still classified because of the ruckus of POW-MIA families until today. In late '87 to very early '88 General Vessey was tasked by the 2nd Reagan Administration to meet with Vietnam President Thac's people, but in the interregnum the Vietnam government hardened their line because of their bitter economic experience and maybe impatience of the U.S. panel's tepid attitude in giving something in exchange and mostly, from the communist-Asean member country's being left out hanging with the U.S. and European embargo. Thus, in exchange for any cooperation for finding more remains or handing over more records of accounting, they trotted out the same demand for economic aid. (As footnote, the Vietnam government became cooperative by mid ’88 probably due to the black winds they smelled from the diminishing aid the Soviet’s granted as the latter collapsed soon afterwards & pressure from ASEAN member states)

 

Attitude Of The Navy Men & The 2nd Reagan Admin. The CVW 8 or 9 (Carrier Air Wing)--I'll check when I get back--flight, ground crew (sr. aviation machinists mates and aviation boatswain's) had these limited patches sewn in Thailand and worn in defiance of the sudden cancellation of the operation. In anger to Vietnam's attitude and in sympathy for the strong demand of its citizens’ to bring back the remains or live POWS, the classic Vietnam war UN-mandated insignia--with the Republic of South Vietnam ¨still lives¨ flag--was incorporated on the patch. They were the carrier on board delivery backup for the Cubi Point, Subic Bay-Hanoi and back flights to bring back the remains in case Gen. Vessey had a go on the end year '87 visit. The Navy man told my guy that these clandestine PR event was all subsumed when the Nimitz encountered an onboard accident in early '88, whereby focus was shifted to the casualties on board and bringing the ship back to Bremerton for repairs. They had them on their g-1s which my guy bargained and bought 5 more out of a dusty, mouldy pile of 20 or 30 patches.

 

Btw, I still cherish my us visa even though gave up my green card & residence in Pennsylvania a long time ago, so I respect any classified information; and just present the foregoing background of the insignia patches as an alleged event by some sellers. For all we know, this is all a crock 'o' b from the sellers.

 

You Are Not Forgotten. So, in honour for the still hundreds of enlisted men and officers still missing in action and unaccounted for and that more remains of the latter be found I post this. No further comments.

post-160067-0-45027100-1459159577.jpg

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josesharontraders

Amazing stuff. :love:

Part 2--Some CBI Pins & AVG Flying Tigers-CBI BloodChits. Here are some insignia artefacts used by USA-CBI theatre participants:

 

A very rare WW2 312th Figther Wing DUI (Distinctive Unit Insignia) of the USArmy AirForce or the 14th Air Force. They were stationed in Kunming & Chengdu in China from early 1944 to mid 1945 and disbanded in New Jersey USA by end 1945:

post-160067-0-10251300-1459160265.jpg

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Jose,

Your collection is exceptional and World class pertaining to the "Tigers"...I understand your thought process and personal conviction, to speak, why you do what you do...somebody like Pappy who lived larger than life and did not follow the normal traditional family morality. ..at the end of the day, he is still "Pappy Boyington"...Mythical and Legendary. I'm sure there was a rough transition from MOH awardee and Fighter Ace,to being shelved. While many of those guys returned home sliding right back as comfortable as possible ,the old life.I knew many of that generation. ..many drank hard, smoked hard and lived hard ...I always wondered if that was a pressure valve.

Thank you for posting your items and we look forward to more.

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josesharontraders

Some CBI Theatre (China-Burma-India) general insignia where more than 40,000 US personnel rotated:

 

 

post-160067-0-41284500-1459160728.jpg

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josesharontraders

The CBI 33rd bombardment group WW2 DUI based out of Formosa, as Admiral Nimitz retook possession of the islands, at the same time Gen. Douglas MacArthur in late 1944 was invading Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Commonwealth:

 

 

post-160067-0-03634100-1459160853.jpg

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