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WWII Airborne Oval ID


Kadet
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I recently got this oval in a group. The owner served in the 155th Airborne Anti Aircraft Battalion during the war, and transferred to the 80th AAA in July of 1945. He returned home with the 82nd in Jan 1946 and marched in the famous parade in NYC. I've seen the 513th oval alternately identified as 80th AAA, but the added white stitch work on this example is something I have not seen. His uniform has a 17th "combat patch" and an 82nd current unit patch with a standard wool 513th/80th AAA oval behind the wings.

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Kellers' Airborne Emblems of Honor says 513th (black border - "80ths" have a blue border). The white stitiching is a GI trying to be different, like those who add dog tag chain to the border of their patches, or who add other details to their insignia.

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I believe the 82nd Airborne Division Reconnaissance Platoon wore a similar oval with a black or dark blue outer border, white inner border and red center. Could this trooper have been trying to modify an 80th AAA or 513th PIR oval by adding a white inner border with white thread?

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Thanks, I do think the Keller book explains the ovals in my group on pages 298-99. I believe the one posted above is a version of what they call the "Type I" 80th AAA oval, albeit made from a 513th oval and with the white edging soldier-applied on the inside. Here is the oval on the uniform. At first glance I thought it was a 513th oval. But a closer look and comparison to the examples in the book show it to be the Keller "Type II" 80th AAA oval. The edging is actually a very dark Navy blue vice black.

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