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Philippine Made Belt Buckles


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vforvictory1945

Here's a buckle I recently picked up on Ebay.  It's the first I've personally seen with a full date engraved, normally they are the year or month and year.  I had to look up the date and found the following info:

 

On April 22, 1945, Adolf Hitler, learning from one of his generals that no German defense was offered to the Russian assault at Eberswalde, admits to all in his underground bunker that the war is lost and that suicide is his only recourse.

 

If anybody else has any date, month, and year PI buckle examples please share them as I'm interested to see which dates they commemorate.

AW JONES.jpg

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PhilippineBuckles

@vforvictory1945 Hey Ryan check out posts #34 & #38 on page 2 of this thread for two other buckles with specific dates.  There may be others posted but the following is the saddest "commemorative" one for the fire on the USS Forrestal on 29 July 1967 and belonged to Dave Lember. These buckles sold on ebay back in Dec 2014.  Here is some info probably from Wikipedia that I have in my notes...

 

"Fire On Deck.  Some 132 officers and men died in the catastrophe, two disappeared (missing, presumed dead), and another 62 suffered injuries."  "Barely two minutes into the unfolding holocaust the first of many high and low level detonations erupted as the heat started to cook-off bombs, rockets and 20 mm rounds. An explosion shattered the windows of Primary Flight Control, almost bowling CDR David B. Lember over."   

 

 

Picture2.jpg

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vforvictory1945

Bill - Such a sad commemorative date.  Thanks for sharing though and I'll check out those other posts # 34 & 38 as you indicated.  Ryan

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GOOD AFTERNOON

HERE ARE 2 PIC'S OF PHILIP. STYLE BELT BUCKLES I FOUND 

1ST. ONE IS FROM A VIETNAM VET FLYING OFF THE USS ORISKNAY

HE SAID HE GOT IT AT SUBIC BAY ON LEAVE  1968

2ND ONE IS FROM A VIETNAM GUNNERS MATE  ON USS ROBERT G. BRADLEY FFG - 49

THEY BOTH CAME TO ME WITH WHITE WEB BELTS.

HOPE THIS INFO HELPS YOUR DATA BASE.

 

THANKS  AHR

 

IMG_0922.jpeg

IMG_0911.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
vforvictory1945

Here's a grouping that a few of you guy's might want to get in on.  This one's out of my year range but that lower buckle is quite cool.  Good luck if you decide to bid!  Sign up is free at ctsbids.com .

 

cts bids.png

image_425452.jpeg

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easterneagle87

The USS Enterprise CVAN-65 and USS Kansas City AOR-3 arrived in the mail,

 

IMG_4092.jpg

 

Airbornehunter recently found this one

IMG_4058 (2).jpg

 

I missed this one, but that's OK

USS Marvin Shields DE-1066 Young.jpg

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easterneagle87
On 10/1/2021 at 5:17 PM, vforvictory1945 said:

https://ctbids.com/estate-sale/12551/item/1136038

 

Auction link for the above items

 

The buckles (and other posted patches & other insignia) posted by Ryan a@vforvictory1945 in the auctions from CTBIDS, went for a whopping $182.50. 

 

The second half of this lot which included USCG CAPT. R.E. Grover's white dress cover and full size medals went for $182.50 as well. Most likely, these two groupings were won by the same bidder so it is cool they are stating together, GOOD Eyes by Ryan for sniffing these out and posting for all of us to see and bid on.  

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easterneagle87

Late night searches found this one for me and I am always happy to get a plane to add to the squadron. 

VP-50 Blue Dragons.jpg

 

Here's a couple within a lot currently on the 'bay (item number: 274974694725) ,  RICH GRAGG , USN

Gragg USN 1.jpg

Gragg USN 3.jpg

Gragg USN 2.jpg

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PhilippineBuckles

@easterneagle87 -- Thank you Ben for posting the buckles you're finding.  I'm not 100% sure, but my vote is Philippine made for the butterfly buckle.

@vforvictory1945 -- Thank you Ryan for letting us all know about the R.E. Grover buckles.  I put a bid in but nowhere near where they ended up at. 

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vforvictory1945

Ben - I'd have to say I think that butterfly buckle is Philippines made as well.

 

Bill - I've been following a few random items on that CTBIDS site and everything I've watched sold pretty high.  I figured it was going to be a sleeper site but not so much.  I'm honestly surprised those two buckles went for over $200 (for the pair) but you never know who's bidding.

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12 hours ago, vforvictory1945 said:

Ben - I'd have to say I think that butterfly buckle is Philippines made as well.

 

Bill - I've been following a few random items on that CTBIDS site and everything I've watched sold pretty high.  I figured it was going to be a sleeper site but not so much.  I'm honestly surprised those two buckles went for over $200 (for the pair) but you never know who's bidding.


It wasn’t me, I did not bid. I was also surprised at what they sold for!!

 

Chris

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easterneagle87

Really nice one, just appeared on the 'bay, 

 

United Sates Navy, Naval Aviator wings, Cubi Point,  David C? G? Hollingsworth

 

eBay item number:  124945929275

HOLLINGSWORTH Naval Aviator Cubi.jpg

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easterneagle87
On 10/7/2021 at 8:27 AM, easterneagle87 said:

Typed in "oval" buckles on ebay and found this one. Opinions that it is Philipp carved? 

Butterfly.jpg

Butterfly rear.jpg

Butterfly tape.jpg

 

This one went cheap at a bid just over mine at $5.24.  Consider it a "hippy" addition. 

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easterneagle87

Totally asleep at the wheel!! And I was sitting at my computer. This one just sold and it went CHEAP! A great deal! 

 

LARRY - PHILIPPINES - 1951

 

The carving on this one is really super good, nice clean detail. Chris or Bill if you got it, congrats!

Larry Philipp 1951 #3.jpg

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PhilippineBuckles

I'm very happy to have won this Skull & Anchors buckle today for Kenneth E. Cutbirth,  USS Salisbury Sound AV-13

 

I also am the new owner of the 1951 Larry buckle above.

Picture1.jpg

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vforvictory1945

Bill - Nicely done on that USS Salisbury Sound AV-13 buckle.  That one is super unique in terms of the lettering and has to be the earliest buckle to date to pop up, on my radar at least, with a skull on it.  It seems that based on the back that buckle is likely no newer than 1953.  

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easterneagle87

Here's a couple I didn't see earlier and found in 'bays completed items. 

 

Simple nicely carved, rectangle "PHILIPPINES" 

Rectangle Phillipines.jpg

 

Plain AIRCREW wings

 

 

Navy Aircrew.jpg

 

And an odd oval with T W D , that is currently within a mixed lot of buckles. 

TWD 2.jpg

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PhilippineBuckles

I too did a completed auction search last night and saw that Air Crew buckle.  I also saw this Quartermaster buckle for Jack Connie Houston that someone picked up BIN.  BTW - I bought the Philippine buckle above which came with a really nice tooled leather belt (picture below).

Picture1.jpg

Picture2.jpg

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This Seal Team buckle just arrived in the mail today.  What I don't know is what era this was made.  The Vietnam War ended in 1975.  Clark Air Force Base was evacuated in 1991 due to the volcano eruption and never reopened.  A year later in 1992 the Philippine Government ordered the US military out of the Philippines so they closed the naval base at Subic Bay.   I'm assuming after the US military left most if not all of these buckle engraving shops closed down.  However for about 16 years after the end of the war these buckle engraving shops continued to crank out post war buckles.  I don't think there is a way to determine if you have a wartime or post war buckle unless there is a reference to a post war unit engraved on the buckle.

 

 

 

 

Buckle Rodney Brown (2).JPG

Buckle Rodney Brown (1).JPG

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