Named studio portrait of 325th GIR trooper

[beerdragon54]

Picked this up at the SOS. It came with a few more as well of him at slightly different angles. He was wounded in action and received the bronze star. I need to figure out where though.

 

 

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[Linedoggie]

Huh wearing para wings but in a glider rider unit

[beerdragon54]

Yeah, I didn’t know it till recently but I guess it was quite normal to be airborne qualified yet assigned to the gliders. He is wearing the Purple Heart ribbon so it being that late of a picture would make me think he would have his glider qualification badge on instead.

 

 

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[Allan H.]

Great studio photo! By the war's end, there were a lot of parachute qualified soldiers in the 325th GIR-- at least enough to fill a battalion. The pre-Normandy shortage of paratroopers had definitely been filled by the spring of 1945.

 

As for soldiers trading in their parachute badges for glider badges, I've never heard of that. Originally, the glider badge was supposed to only be awarded upon completion of a glider assault. For many, there was no "glider training." It was in 1944 that the glider badge was actually earned after completing an established glider training course. By 1947, glider training was considered obsolete and the glider badge was no longer issued. Soldiers who earned the badge could continue to wear it, the army just wasn't churning out glider troopers anymore.

 

Allan

[BILL THE PATCH]

My father was in the 188th GIR , and I never thought he was entitled to it because he never made a combat landing. But I sent for his records and it states he entitled to it. It actually says glide man's badge

 

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