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82nd & 101st SSI - What era?


reuscher
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Hello,

 

I am hoping I can get some opinions on what era these patches are from. I am hoping they are WW2. Especially the 82nd since I am planning on using it as part of a Veterans Day exhibit at my local library to help honor a Market Garden vet. My patch knowledge is limited to cut vs merrow edge, white backs being up to 1960's and green backs WW2. I post these because there seems to be more specialized knowledge of airborne insignia. My concerns are I bought them loose and from what I can tell they seem larger than typical patches, hence the tape measure for scale. the 101st has glue on the back form being in an album. I was on the 101st patch site, but I couldn't see where the patch and tab combo matched anything there.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

post-772-0-30695000-1509016065_thumb.jpg

 

post-772-0-10752100-1509016079_thumb.jpg

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I disagree...

I believe the 101st patch is a Type 14 according to Mark Bando. Most type 14's date to the Vietnam era. I do like the tab as a WWII piece. Read what he has to say about them on his Trigger Time website http://101airborneww2.com/eaglepatchcorner2.html

 

The blue Airborne tab on the 82nd looks odd to me. It doesn't look like most of the WWII tabs that I have seen. The SSI itself looks ok, but I would see if I could find another tab if I were you.

 

Allan

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Allan,

 

Thanks for the response.

 

The Bando site is what I referred to as the "101st patch site" above. When I was on it I sort of ended up with the same conclusion as you did, but left more confused than anything. I agree that if the eye is the focal point in determining the era, then it has most in common with the Type 14 images. But then the tab looked like it had more in common with types listed as WW2. Additionally, if you consider other characteristics such as the thickness of the beak, especially around the corner of the mouth, and tongue has more in common with types listed as WW2. Then the length and flatness of the top of the head and the bluntness of the feathers seem to have nothing in common with what's shown on site. So that opens the question of what characteristics are important and can be sued to determine the era. Interestingly, Brando also wrote about the Type 14 and even under the Post War Scribble Eye patches that some of these types were possibly WW2 manufacture. Comming away, as someone very limited knowledge of 101st Airborne insignia, I mostly felt if I had a cut edge 101st Airborne patch with a white back and no provenance, it is much the same as any other WW2 unit that continued on after the War - could've been made anytime 1940's - 1960's.

 

I guess the sad part is, 35 years ago when I handled many 101st uniforms, I didn't pay attention to detail like I do now.

 

With the power of the internet may be a patch historian could start a thread with close-up photos of patches attached to provenanced WW2 uniforms.

 

:)

 

Thank you,

Chris R.

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