Unknown older WW II vintage patch, maybe AAA?

[Siamundo]

Any ideas on this one? I was guessing maybe Anti-Aircraft Artillery, possibly an AAA searchlight battalion? Possibly an AAA school or maybe for a tech rep? I tried searching the US Military Patches website on the off chance it might be an early Air Force radar or AC&W squadron but didn't see it there. Construction looks like WW II vintage and it is about 3.5" so about the right size for a shoulder patch. Not sure what the correct orientation for wear would be.

[tredhed2]

I agree w/ you that is possibly an AAA S/L unit. Not a lot of information about insignia worn by these units. There are only a couple of WW 2 S/L units that have IDd patches in any case. (There may be one or two S/L patches from VN, but that is later than I collect). Trying to keep focused here. 

 

Looks oriented correctly, as the S/L beams would emanate from the ground up and the plane would be in the high position.      

[Siamundo]

Thank tredhed2, I appreciate your information and insight.

[yokota57]

This orientation puts the INCOMING-ATTACKING plane in the crosshairs. Also the beams would widen out as they move from their sources on the ground and up to altitude. Looks better to me but of course it is just my opinion. I had a look around at various AAA Gun/Searchlight Battalions and I'm stumped.

[Siamundo]

Thanks you  yokota57, you make a couple of very valid points regarding the orientation. The beams (assuming that is what they are) are definitely wider on one end than the other.

[BILL THE PATCH]

Maybe it's a training patch of some slight, gunnery school?

[Siamundo]

I too had wondered about the possibility of some type of school patch. The only AAA school patch I am familiar with though is the yellow disc with the letters AAA above a lamp as pictured in an older post here.

 

[ocsfollowme]

That aaa is Anderson air activities and is an aaf school patch

[Siamundo]

3 hours ago, ocsfollowme said:

That aaa is Anderson air activities and is an aaf school patch

Ahh, OK. My mistake. I found an old thread from 2012 discussing the AAA lamp patch and didn't realize (or either forgot) it had been de-bunked and misidentified over the years.  

 

[Salvage Sailor]

Just an aside, not related to the original patch posted - AAA Lamps

 

These are from a career CAC & AAA officers grouping

 

Air University (post-war)

 

US Army Command and General Staff College, specializing in Atomic Air Defense (1950's)

 

 

 

 

AAA Grouping here

 

[mortaydc60]

The patch actually reminds me of the WW1 56th searchlight unit patch; has all the elements except the crosshair sights